Collected Animals

Yeah it seemed like it had something to with survival of some sorts. And yes I completely agree lyrically the last bit is quite random actually, never really knew why they decided to go into that part, regardless i love it. Lion in a Coma seems like an interesting bunch of lyrics eh? ehh? All the lyrics seem to detect some sort of stressful situation for somebody, but i don't know what the lion or the coma represent

I think it's about how he feels like a wild animal trapped inside human society. He can't wait to be alone and let go. He's a lion in a coma, as in the wild (wilderness) part of him has to sleep while he is with others.

RadBees wrote:

Yeah it seemed like it had something to with survival of some sorts. And yes I completely agree lyrically the last bit is quite random actually, never really knew why they decided to go into that part, regardless i love it. Lion in a Coma seems like an interesting bunch of lyrics eh? ehh? All the lyrics seem to detect some sort of stressful situation for somebody, but i don't know what the lion or the coma represent

I think it's about how he feels like a wild animal trapped inside human society. He can't wait to be alone and let go. He's a lion in a coma, as in the wild (wilderness) part of him has to sleep while he is with others.

Hmmm that has never even crossed my mind actually. That certainly seems like that interpretation makes a lot of sense. Good take on it I like that

Butcher Baker Candlestick Maker ? Don't get the lyrics at all.

Lonely Wanderer seems like an interogation given by the ripper before going trough the gate

Butcher Baker Candlestick Maker ? Don't get the lyrics at all.

"This pad has a bigger grid" = PB upgrades from an SP-404 to an SP-555

Dallou wrote:

Butcher Baker Candlestick Maker ? Don't get the lyrics at all.

"This pad has a bigger grid" = PB upgrades from an SP-404 to an SP-555

i think its been discussed earlier in this thread, but tropic of cancer is about coming to terms with cancer/death.
his family was a great unit till cancer ripped it apart (when his father got ill and passed)
when he found out his father was ill either he or his father laughed it off like it wasn't a big deal
and it's not possible to go back to the days when they were all together
sick has to eat well too, is ironic because the dude is dying but he still has to watch what he eats
then it's about coming to terms with death
cancer cells live to kill, but theres nothing inherently evil about them.
even if they kill the ones you love, they are a part of life and a part of reality, and in order to come to terms with that, you have to accept that aspect of reality even though it literally kills you.
its the drive of every living thing to try to keep on living, and some things kill other things to live
his father realized this and resigned himself to, and gave it up on the upside
and his father resigned himself to the other side, death

its about trying to find some sunny skies (tropic) in that dark place (cancer)

I love thinking about the meanings behind ac songs. I just listened to Noah's fireside chat, and I wasn't paying perfect attention so I missed part of it, but I'm pretty sure Noah said that #1 has something to do with some of the bad things that come with sex and trying to temper those urges. I never really had much of an idea about what it was about personally, though I loved it.

Who Could Win a Rabbit is about working in a diner or something, right?

to me, it's about avey / panda saying chill out man, your life is too fast, take it slower

I've always been confused by the lyrics to #1, but CPC, that comment about the Fireside Chat got me thinking...
The song is from the perspective of a father, talking to his son ("Your mom and I will dance you through your bad weather"). That also explains the voice effect-- the pitched-down effect is a surreal, hyperbolic sound of authority or maturity. The son has recently had some love trouble, and the father is trying to comfort him. He says, "Young love is bright / Just please respect the candles in a line." I guess the son is experiencing young love, which is a sort of abstract brightness, but the father has experienced a more mature love, which is more tangible, as it can be described with an object-- the candles. The candles are also in a line, which means they are organized and consciously placed. That would be commitment, such as in a marriage, where love ends up being manifested in very physical and practical ways like cooking or paying bills. So in other words the father says that sex is great, but there are other aspects to love that are very important.
...whew...

I have a friend who swore that unsolved mysteries said

"JAAACK THE GIRRRRRRLLLL"

Lol I couldn't imagine those lyrics

The ripper part is so fun to sing

Jack the riiiPPPERRRRRRRRRR

It was like a central part to his whole interpretation of the song as well haha

Spoiler: show

I've always been confused by the lyrics to #1, but CPC, that comment about the Fireside Chat got me thinking...
The song is from the perspective of a father, talking to his son ("Your mom and I will dance you through your bad weather"). That also explains the voice effect-- the pitched-down effect is a surreal, hyperbolic sound of authority or maturity. The son has recently had some love trouble, and the father is trying to comfort him. He says, "Young love is bright / Just please respect the candles in a line." I guess the son is experiencing young love, which is a sort of abstract brightness, but the father has experienced a more mature love, which is more tangible, as it can be described with an object-- the candles. The candles are also in a line, which means they are organized and consciously placed. That would be commitment, such as in a marriage, where love ends up being manifested in very physical and practical ways like cooking or paying bills. So in other words the father says that sex is great, but there are other aspects to love that are very important.
...whew...

2 things-
1. Great post
2. Great av

To me Cuckoo Cuckoo is about getting older and becoming an adult while also becoming increasingly lonely and wishing for a past that was care free. Cuckoo Cuckoo hits me so hard.

I always thought it was weird in the last verse when it goes "I can't understand when holding her hand... / ...To find suddenly he is Jack the Ripper." As in, she has turned into a man? Or the speaker is now suddenly referring to himself in the third person? And then the next thing that happens is that "Stop crying like a child." My current theory is that the speaker doesn't physically attack her like Jack the Ripper, but maybe purposefully upsets her. And he is ashamed of himself and so he refers to himself in the third person to distance himself from his actions. The song is about everyone having violent impulses and having sympathy for that (sharks are not violent, we've all got hungry bellies). And otherwise he says very sweet things about her and we can see no reason that he should be mean to her, so we can assume it's kind of a random thing. Maybe he doesn't really understand why he is cruel (unsolved mystery) but is trying to make it fit into his understanding of animal impulses. He's like the sharks.

I think I read somewhere that Avey thinks Cuckoo Cuckoo is one of their saddest songs. It's interesting, because Animal Collective doesn't really have any traditionally sad songs (except maybe No More Runnin'). Cuckoo Cuckoo has such crazy energy that it makes you feel overwhelmed and frustrated just listening to it. I feel the same way about Fireworks, although I have a feeling many people will disagree with me.
To me Cuckoo Cuckoo is about the tendency to put up with present unhappiness for the hope of better days ("You just drift and pray / For sun kissed golden days"). But you can't actually reach it ("He just woke and dreamt and ate and died"). As in all we can really do is dream, without ever realizing that dream. We always look for the future, never settle in the present, and thus never really have a life.
:'(

bluish is about eatin pussy.

I think I read somewhere that Avey thinks Cuckoo Cuckoo is one of their saddest songs. It's interesting, because Animal Collective doesn't really have any traditionally sad songs (except maybe No More Runnin'). Cuckoo Cuckoo has such crazy energy that it makes you feel overwhelmed and frustrated just listening to it. I feel the same way about Fireworks, although I have a feeling many people will disagree with me.
To me Cuckoo Cuckoo is about the tendency to put up with present unhappiness for the hope of better days ("You just drift and pray / For sun kissed golden days"). But you can't actually reach it ("He just woke and dreamt and ate and died"). As in all we can really do is dream, without ever realizing that dream. We always look for the future, never settle in the present, and thus never really have a life.
:'(

Just read Cuckoo Cuckoo. Never thought much about the meaning before, but I got the feeling it's about a miscarriage. If so, brutal. And beautiful.

I used to listen to strawberry jam when I did dishes at my old restaurant job. One of the cooks thought that the lyrics to chores during the "if I if I if I" part were "ERRYBODY, ERRYBODY, ERRYBODY, ERRYBODY". Now whenever I hear chores all I hear is errybody during that part.

Lol now I kinda wish those WERE the lyrics

Guys, in Laugh for a World Filled with Fantasy, when he sings "I don't ever want to smoke another joint 'cause without it I'll be okay", I know it sounds like a proud anti-drug statement. But have we ever considered the possibility that PB wrote this song right after he bought a bong?

Haha, maybe. But considering that the next line is "I'd / Rather be as sharp and as carefree / As I can be," I would say that he wants to be sober.

panda's love hate relationship with weed is very confusing.

bad crumbs, then chores, then LFAWFWF, and now cosplay?

I don't ever want to smoke another joint 'cause I WANT TO GET SO STONED

I don't ever want to smoke another joint 'cause I WANT TO GET SO STONED, and I've gone and lost a day . Marijuana makes my day

Don't forget Forest Gospel (although that is probably Avey)

what on earth is penny dreadfuls about? bullying?

Does anyone have any ideas about why PB originally called Guys Eyes Song for Ariel? Given the predominant sexual interpretation of the song, Guys Eyes makes sense, but not really Song for Ariel, as it is probably about his wife...?

For some reason I was under the impression that the titular Ariel was none other than Ariel Pink. I either read it in an interview somewhere or completely made it up, honestly can't remember. So don't quote me on that.

Either way I know what you mean, it doesn't make much sense

Whaaaa it makes total sense. Ariel is known for making really weird songs that sound like they're from yesteryear. Song For Ariel is Noah being weird (by talking about masterbating) while sounding old school. It's paying homage, it's saying hello.

.

For some reason I was under the impression that the titular Ariel was none other than Ariel Pink. I either read it in an interview somewhere or completely made it up, honestly can't remember. So don't quote me on that.

Either way I know what you mean, it doesn't make much sense

That totally makes sense, actually. And makes it way cooler. I always wondered who Ariel was, never considered Ariel Pink

Whaaaa it makes total sense. Ariel is known for making really weird songs that sound like they're from yesteryear. Song For Ariel is Noah being weird (by talking about masterbating) while sounding old school. It's paying homage, it's saying hello.

Ahh I see what you're saying. Maybe PB was thinking, "hey this sounds a lil bit like Ariel, maybe I'll dedicate the song to him" or something like that

Totes

Idk if any of you have seen this, but I just saw it for the first time:

http://books.google.com.au/books?id=gCo ... &q&f=false

So apparently "Flesh Canoe" was originally written about Noah. So sweet.

^Lol at "Peels" on page 34

Dallou wrote:

Butcher Baker Candlestick Maker ? Don't get the lyrics at all.

"This pad has a bigger grid" = PB upgrades from an SP-404 to an SP-555

You say this jokingly, but I'm pretty sure that some of the lyrics are just a meditation on his equipment and recording process.

"...an empty plug-in"

On audacity (which noah uses) you have a default number of plugins that show up for each track. I think it's 3 or 4. So it sounds like he had 3 or so plugins selected with different effects (delay, verb, chorus.... etc.) and had one empty plugin. This is how my music nerd brain interprets those parts.

I wouldn't be shocked if your comment on upgrading to the 555 was the actual reference he was making.

Haha plugins aren't something unique to Audacity...Was there a recent interview where he spoke about using Audacity? I'm curious if it was something he used to use a long time ago, something he just uses to get ideas down nowadays, or if its really his main DAW.

def uses ableton
they both start with a tho