Cleo
Built to Spill Lyrics
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When it's dark bring in lights so you can see
What a sound straight through my spine
Bounced off me
Makes me round
3-D sound
Push it down move it around
see I'm fine
Ain't it strange that I can dream
(You can say it's night or day
Snow or rain it's all the same)
When there's nothing I have ever seen
(In here, In here)
Ain't it strange that I can dream
(You can say it's night or day
Snow or rain it's all the same)
Ain't it strange that I have brain activity
(In here, In here)
Who brought those cameras in?
Who gave who the right?
Inside a sea turned from frog to freak
(Linnart Nilson shut off those lights)
To tiny, red, and meek
Strange that I'm a human being
Ain't it strange that I can dream
(You can say it's night or day
Snow or rain it's all the same)
ain't' it strange that I'm a human being
(In here, In here)
Ain't it strange that I can dream
(You can say it's night or day
Snow or rain it's all the same)
Living in the womb
Running out of room
Have to come out soon
Have to meet the sun and moon and
The song "Cleo" by Built to Spill is a psychedelic rock song with surreal and dream-like lyrics that express the singer's fascination with the strange and mysterious aspects of life. The first stanza begins with the line, "Wiggly days, wiggly nights," which creates a sense of twisting and bending reality. The mention of dark bringing in lights suggest an acceptance of light and dark, good and bad, and an openness to different experiences. The singer then refers to a sound that goes straight through their spine and makes them feel round, suggesting a transformative experience that changes their perspective.
The second stanza delves into the surreal with the lines, "Ain't it strange that I can dream / When there's nothing I have ever seen." This suggests that the singer's dreams are composed of things they have never experienced in their waking life. It also reinforces the theme of openness to new experiences and possibilities. The singer then asks, "Who brought those cameras in? / Who gave who the right?" which implies a sense of paranoia and uncertainty about who is watching or controlling them. The stanza ends with a reference to a "sea turned from frog to freak," which suggests a transformation that is equal parts fascinating and frightening.
The final stanza brings the song back to the real world with references to the human experience of birth and encountering the "sun and moon." Overall, "Cleo" is a song that blends the surreal and the real, the light and the dark, and encourages the listener to explore the strange and fascinating aspects of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Wiggly days wiggly nights
Unpredictable and unstable times of day and night
When it's dark bring in lights so you can see
Light is necessary to see in the dark
What a sound straight through my spine
A sound that is intense or powerful enough to be felt, rather than just heard
Bounced off me
The intensity or power of the sound was reflected back
Makes me round
The sound causes a change in perception, making the listener feel different
3-D sound
The sound has depth or volume
Push it down move it around
The listener can adjust or control the sound in some way
see I'm fine
The listener is able to handle or cope with the intensity of the sound
Ain't it strange that I can dream
It is odd or peculiar that humans have the ability to dream
(You can say it's night or day
Dreams can occur at any time of day, regardless of external factors
Snow or rain it's all the same)
External weather conditions do not affect the ability to dream
When there's nothing I have ever seen
Dreams can feature content that has not been previously experienced
(In here, In here)
The dreams occur internally, within the mind of the dreamer
Ain't it strange that I have brain activity
It is strange that even when asleep and dreaming, the brain remains active
Who brought those cameras in?
An interrogation of who was responsible for capturing images, possibly in relation to dreams
Who gave who the right?
Questioning who has the authority to make decisions regarding the capturing of images
Inside a sea turned from frog to freak
Description of a transformation from something mundane to something unusual or different
(Linnart Nilson shut off those lights)
A command to stop recording or capturing images
To tiny, red, and meek
The transformation results in something small, insignificant, or timid
Strange that I'm a human being
The concept of human existence is strange or unusual
Living in the womb
Reference to the period of time before birth
Running out of room
The baby is growing too large for the space available
Have to come out soon
The baby must be born
Have to meet the sun and moon
The baby will be born into the world and experience life's varied experiences
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: DOUG MARTSCH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@cydneimiller3491
Wiggly days wiggly nights
When it's dark bring in lights so you can see
What a sound straight through my spine
Bounced off me
Makes me round
3-D sound
Push it down move it around
see I'm fine
Ain't it strange that I can dream
(You can say it's night or day
Snow or rain it's all the same)
When there's nothing I have ever seen
(In here, In here)
Ain't it strange that I can dream
(You can say it's night or day
Snow or rain it's all the same)
Ain't it strange that I have brain activity
(In here, In here)
Who brought those cameras in?
Who gave who the right?
Inside a sea turned from frog to freak
(Linnart Nilson shut off those lights)
To tiny, red, and meek
Strange that I'm a human being
Ain't it strange that I can dream
(You can say it's night or day
Snow or rain it's all the same)
ain't' it strange that I'm a human being
(In here, In here)
Ain't it strange that I can dream
(You can say it's night or day
Snow or rain it's all the same)
Living in the womb
Running out of room
Have to come out soon
Have to meet the sun and moon and..
@BelakorVenator
Goodness gracious. The older I’ve gotten, the more I love this song. Such a beautiful concept that’s stuck with me for decades.
@ilsk8in94
Currently bumping this while in the womb…
@shawn8847
This entire album.
@gm5240
One of the best Built to Spill I think
@Guercinator
Love this song
@billymont7
Ain't it strange I can listen to this song repeatedly and it just never gets old
@ike2938
You watch the big lebowski, and listen to built to spill?
Are you me??
@bigfontsavant9990
@@ike2938 lol, I imagine there are a few of us running around.
@ike2938
@@bigfontsavant9990 That's good to know lol. Nice to meet my kind of people!
@cydneimiller3491
Wiggly days wiggly nights
When it's dark bring in lights so you can see
What a sound straight through my spine
Bounced off me
Makes me round
3-D sound
Push it down move it around
see I'm fine
Ain't it strange that I can dream
(You can say it's night or day
Snow or rain it's all the same)
When there's nothing I have ever seen
(In here, In here)
Ain't it strange that I can dream
(You can say it's night or day
Snow or rain it's all the same)
Ain't it strange that I have brain activity
(In here, In here)
Who brought those cameras in?
Who gave who the right?
Inside a sea turned from frog to freak
(Linnart Nilson shut off those lights)
To tiny, red, and meek
Strange that I'm a human being
Ain't it strange that I can dream
(You can say it's night or day
Snow or rain it's all the same)
ain't' it strange that I'm a human being
(In here, In here)
Ain't it strange that I can dream
(You can say it's night or day
Snow or rain it's all the same)
Living in the womb
Running out of room
Have to come out soon
Have to meet the sun and moon and..