The band has released fourteen albums: "Spirit They're Gone, Spirit They've Vanished" (2000), "Danse Manatee" (2001), "Campfire Songs" (2003), "Here Comes the Indian" (2003), "Sung Tongs" (2004), "Feels" (2005), "Strawberry Jam" (2007), "Merriweather Post Pavilion" (2009), "Centipede Hz" (2012), "Painting With" (2016), "Tangerine Reef" (2018), "Crestone" (2021), "Time Skiffs" (2022), and "Isn't It Now?" (2023). They also composed and performed the soundtrack for the 2022 film, The Inspection, directed by Elegance Bratton and produced by A24.
Prior to "Here Comes the Indian", the group's albums were not credited to the band name "Animal Collective" but instead to "Avey Tare & Panda Bear" (for "Spirit"), "Avey Tare, Panda Bear & Geologist" (for "Danse") and "Campfire Songs" (for "Campfire Songs").
The band members met in school and started recording together in various forms of collaboration from a young age. Although the band is often classified as psych folk or noise rock, it is hard to define the Animal Collective sound as they often experiment with diverse styles and ideas from album to album. The group also runs the record label Paw Tracks on which they have released their own material as well as material by artists such as Ariel Pink, Terrestrial Tones, and The Peppermints. Paw Tracks' latest signee is Tickley Feather, with whom the band recently toured.
Bluish
Animal Collective Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm drawing pictures on your skin
So soft it twirls
I like your looks when you get mean
I know I shouldn't say so but when you
Claw me like a cat, I'm beaming
I like the way you squeeze my hand
Pulling me to another dream
I'm getting lost in your curls
I'm getting crushed out on the things
that only I should see
They're not for boys, they're just for me
Hurry to talk, from far away
I can't see you
You curl your fists when you pull your hair
When we're alone, I wanna say
Let's just stay in, no one's here in our apartment babe
Put on the dress that I like
It makes me so crazy, though I can't say why
Keep on your stockings for a while
There's some kind of magic in the way you're lying there
I'm getting lost in your curls
I'm getting rushed back on a whim
Our breath gets weird
Back to the time when we were green
I know we have changed
But I still grin 'cause I can wake to see you
Back to the time I touched your hand
When I was so scared to look that mean
I think it's weird
I'm getting lost in your curls
I'm getting crushed out on the things
that only I should see
They're not for boys, they're just for me
When we do talk from far away
It's so hard for me
Only to get the urge to kiss you there
When we're alone, I wanna say
Let's just stay in, no one's here in our apartment babe
Put on the dress that I like
It makes me so crazy, though I can't say why
Keep on your stockings for a while
There's some kind of magic in the way you're lying
Put on your dress that I like
It makes me so crazy, though I can't say why
Keep on your stockings for a while
There's some kind of magic in the way you talk about your
Blue eyeshadow
It's not exactly blue though
I refuse to call it
Anything but your blue
The lyrics of Animal Collective's "Bluish" describe a romantic encounter between two people, where the singer is getting lost in his lover's hair and drawing pictures on their skin. He is attracted to the way their partner looks when they get mean and claw him like a cat. He enjoys the way they squeeze his hand and pull him into a dream world. He talks about the things that only he should be able to see on his partner's body, which makes him feel special. As they talk from far away, he longs to kiss his partner and stay in their apartment with them. The chorus repeats throughout the song, emphasizing the feeling of getting lost in his partner's appearance and presence.
The lyrics of "Bluish" can be interpreted in different ways, but they suggest that the lovers have a deep emotional and physical connection. The singer can't stop thinking about his partner's unique qualities, such as the way they wear blue eyeshadow or curl their fists when pulling their hair. He wants to stay with them all the time, as they evoke a sense of magic and mystery. The song captures the euphoria and intensity of falling in love, with its vivid descriptions of physical sensations and intimate moments.
Overall, "Bluish" is a poignant ode to romantic love, filled with dynamic imagery and heartfelt emotions. Animal Collective's distinctive vocals and experimental sound add to the song's dreamy and otherworldly character.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm getting lost in your curls
I'm so captivated by your hair that I feel like I'm getting lost in it
I'm drawing pictures on your skin
I'm tracing shapes on your skin because I find it mesmerizing
So soft it twirls
Your hair is so soft that it moves and twirls with the slightest breeze
I like your looks when you get mean
I find your angry or aggressive expressions to be attractive
I know I shouldn't say so but when you
I realize that it may not be appropriate to express this but when you
Claw me like a cat, I'm beaming
When you scratch me playfully, I feel happy and excited
I like the way you squeeze my hand
I enjoy the physical contact we have and the way you hold my hand tightly
Pulling me to another dream
You make me feel like I'm in a different reality or dream world
We should dream
We should allow ourselves to be in this dreamlike state and experience things together
They're not for boys, they're just for me
There are things about you that I find attractive or fascinating that are not necessarily meant for anyone else's attention
Hurry to talk, from far away
When we communicate from a distance, I find myself anxious and impatient to hear from you
I can't see you
The distance between us makes it hard for me to visualize or imagine you
You curl your fists when you pull your hair
You have a certain physical gesture when you're frustrated or angry, like when you pull your hair and clench your fists
When we're alone, I wanna say
When we're by ourselves, I feel compelled to express my feelings or desires to you
Let's just stay in, no one's here in our apartment babe
I want us to spend time together in our private space, without any outside distractions or interruptions
Put on the dress that I like
Please wear the outfit that I find particularly attractive or alluring
It makes me so crazy, though I can't say why
I become so infatuated with you when you wear that dress, even though I can't explain why
Keep on your stockings for a while
I want you to keep your stockings on because it adds to the overall effect of your attire
There's some kind of magic in the way you're lying there
There's a special quality or enchantment to the way you're positioned or laying down
Our breath gets weird
Our breathing patterns become more erratic or unusual
Back to the time when we were green
We're reminiscing about a time in our relationship when we were inexperienced or naive
I know we have changed
I'm aware that we've evolved or grown as individuals and in our relationship
But I still grin 'cause I can wake to see you
Despite the changes, I still feel happy and grateful to wake up next to you
Back to the time I touched your hand
We're mentally revisiting a specific moment of physical intimacy or connection
When I was so scared to look that mean
I was too timid or afraid to express my desire for you in a bold or aggressive way
It's not exactly blue though
The eyeshadow you're wearing isn't a true blue color
I refuse to call it
I don't want to use any labels or categorical terms to describe it
Anything but your blue
I associate that eyeshadow with you and only you, regardless of its actual color
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
Written by: Brian Ross Weitz, Noah Benjamin Lennox
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@kushdog683
I'm getting lost in your curls
I'm drawing pictures on your skin, so soft it twirls
I like your looks when you get mean
I know I shouldn't say so but when you claw me like a cat
I'm beaming
I like the way you squeeze my hand
Pulling me into another dream, a lucid dream
I'm getting lost in your curls
I'm getting crushed out on the things that only I should see
And not for boys, they're just for me, hurry to talk from far away
I can see you, you curl your fists and you pull your hair
When we're alone I wanna say
Let's just stay in, no one's here in our apartment, babe
Put on the dress that I like
It makes me so crazy though I can't say why
Keep on your stockings for a while
Some kind of magic in the way you're lying there
I'm getting lost in your curls
I'm getting rushed back on a whim, our breaths get wind
Back to the time when we were green
I know we have changed but I still grin 'cause I can't wait to see you
Back to the time I touched your hair
When I was so scared to look that mean, I think it's weird
I'm getting lost in your curls
I'm getting crushed out on the things that only I should see
They're not for boys, they're just for me
Girl, we could talk far away
It's so hard for me only to get the urge to kiss you there
When we're alone I wanna say
Let's just stay in, no one's here in our apartment, babe
Put on the clothes that I like
It makes me so crazy though I can't say why
Keep on your stockings for a while
Some kind of magic in the way you're lying there
Put on your clothes that I like
It makes me so crazy though I can't say why
Keep on your stockings for a while
Some kind of magic in the way you talk about your
Blue eyeshadow, it's not exactly blue, no
And if you too call it anything but your blue
@chaotickreg7024
Wow! These lyrics are sexier than I thought I would ever hear from this band.
"I'm drawing pictures in your skin"
"Claw me like a cat/ I'm beaming"
"Makes me so crazy and I can't say why"
"Some kind of magic in the way you're lying there"
"It's so hard for me only to get the urge to kiss you there"
"Let's just stay in, no one's here in our apartment babe"
I feel like all these lines would work on me.
@dominorecordco
‘Tangerine Reef’, Animal Collective’s audiovisual collaboration with Coral Morphologic, is out now. Watch the entire film here: http://smarturl.it/TangerineReefYT
More from Animal Collective on YouTube: http://smarturl.it/BestAnimalCollective
@xXAjaxXx
Curious as to why the mix is in mono for this official release. I listened to your post of 'My Girls' and it sounds fine, but for 'Bluish' it's just lacking compared to other versions of the track.
@big-boss-man-
I LOVE THIS FUCKING SONG
@grobble7321
yes
@shroomybaby975
One of the best love songs ever written.
@karlaguadamuz479
Totally agree! 🖤
@MrZombieman23
"I know we have changed but I still grin cause I can't wait to see you".... that part gets me every time.
@ColumRogers
I get you on that.
@kubaozowski510
It's like listening to a living creature. It has got a pulse.
@manchildusa
Exactly