NFM’s “Surrender” is a deeply emotional song which evokes feelings of nostalgia as it deals with themes of family and the passage of time. Its lyrics capture the essence of a child growing up and later realising how their parents’ wisdom and quirks shape their reality.

The song opens with the artist recalling his mother’s advice of life being a test and the actions one takes defining what they will get in return. As with the rest of the song, this logic sets the stage for the central theme of the influence parents have for better or for worse. As the piece unfolds, the father’s perspective adds additional depth in his past love for music and how his relationship with his mother changed over the years. He reflects on how there is love but time fundamentally alters people and their cherished dreams, which strikes the listener in a bittersweet way.

Perhaps one of the more poignant moments in the piece is the realisation from the artist that he has now begun mimicking his mother’s words, which hints at the more sobering possibility that the older we grow, the more narrow our perspective becomes – having questioned our parents only to find ourselves seeing the world as they once did.

The mention of combining the parent’s alterscation alongside the escape into music gave the story deeper meaning which can be understood on a relatable level for any family struggle witnesses.

The message of ‘giving up’ in the phrased chorus is more like accepting life as it is with no changes. The song is truly funny, sentimental, and emotionally raw at the same time which makes it touching while also hard to forget.