Honeycomb
Animal Collective Lyrics


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How many times you say I'm through with this and you mull it over
How many times you say I'm stickin’ to this and you pull it over
How many times you say I'm finished with this and it starts all over
How many times you say I'm movin' to this but it won't move over

How many times you say I'm through with this and you mull it over
How many times you say I'm stickin’ to this and you pull it over
How many times you say I'm finished with this but it starts all over
How many times you say I'm movin' to this but it won't move over

How many times you say I've had it today I'm just picking clovers
Who have seen the other side of unused time, the numbest of feeling

How many times you say I'm through with this and you mull it over
How many times you say I'm stickin’ to this and you pull it over
How many times you say I'm finished with this but it starts all over
How many times you say I'm movin' to this but it won't move over

How many times you say I've had it today I'm just picking clovers
Who have seen the other side of unused time, the numbest of feeling
How many times you wait but nothing today and evening is over,
Sun has gone and made a glowing line in your pretty brown eyes

If you fill up your heart, it spills outside
You find everything inside the heart on top of the hive
and you'll fight like a dog, you won't know why
Even all the impossible places you go in your life

How many times you say I've had it today I'm just picking clovers
Who have seen the other side of unused time, the numbest of feeling
How many times you wait but nothing today and evening is over,
Sun has gone and made a glowing line in your pretty brown eyes

If you fill up your heart, it spills outside
You find everything inside the heart on top of the hive
and you'll fight like a dog, you won't know why
Even all the impossible places you go in your life

If you fill up your heart, it spills outside
You find everything inside the heart on top of the hive
and you'll fight like a dog, you won't know why
Even all the impossible places you go in your life

Life

If you fill up your heart, it spills outside
You find everything inside the heart on top of the hive
and you'll fight like a dog, you won't know why
Even all the impossible places you go in your life






Hive

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Honeycomb" by Animal Collective are a reflection on the cyclical nature of life and the human tendency to keep repeating the same mistakes. The repetition of the lines "How many times you say..." highlights the frustration and futility of attempting to break out of these patterns, as each attempt seems to lead back to the beginning. The lyrics suggest that even when we try to move forward, we are held back by our own limitations and the weight of our past experiences. This theme of being stuck in a cycle is further explored in the lines "Who have seen the other side of unused time, the numbest of feeling/ How many times you wait but nothing today and evening is over," which suggests the feeling of being trapped in a life that has lost its meaning.


However, the song also offers a glimmer of hope in the idea that if we are able to fill our hearts with something meaningful, we can transcend these limitations and find a way out of the cycle. The lines "If you fill up your heart, it spills outside/ You find everything inside the heart on top of the hive/ and you'll fight like a dog, you won't know why/ Even all the impossible places you go in your life" suggest that by tapping into our innermost selves, we are able to access a source of strength and vitality that will guide us on our journey.


Overall, the lyrics of "Honeycomb" offer a complex exploration of the human condition, touching on themes of cyclical patterns, personal growth, and the pursuit of inner strength and meaning.


Line by Line Meaning

How many times you say I'm through with this and you mull it over
Expressing the repeated instances of doubt and reconsideration


How many times you say I'm stickin’ to this and you pull it over
Describing the inconsistency in following through with decisions


How many times you say I'm finished with this but it starts all over
Commenting on the frustration of cyclical patterns


How many times you say I'm movin' to this but it won't move over
Reflecting on the struggle of trying to make progress and feeling stuck


How many times you say I've had it today I'm just picking clovers
Suggesting the desire to escape from reality and find solace in nature


Who have seen the other side of unused time, the numbest of feeling
Acknowledging the experience of feeling empty and unfulfilled


How many times you wait but nothing today and evening is over,
Emphasizing the passing of time and the feelings of emptiness it can bring


Sun has gone and made a glowing line in your pretty brown eyes
Describing the way the sunset reflects in the eyes and makes them appear beautiful


If you fill up your heart, it spills outside
Encouraging the expression of emotions and allowing oneself to be vulnerable


You find everything inside the heart on top of the hive
Suggesting the idea of inner strength and resilience


and you'll fight like a dog, you won't know why
Describing the instinctive nature of fighting for one's beliefs, without necessarily understanding the reasoning behind it


Even all the impossible places you go in your life
Highlighting the challenges and difficulties faced in life


Life
A simple statement, perhaps meant as a contemplative conclusion to the song




Contributed by Luke R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

@kyleblanchette42

The thing about Animal Collective is some of their songs just come off as goofy. I can't quite explain why this isn't, it just works. But like Who Could Win A Rabbit? Or the end of Did You See The Words? Even Graze comes off as Disney-ish to me sometimes. This band has always been one that I listen to alone, because other people just don't seem to hear what I'm hearing

@SmilezOfficial

+Kyle Blanchette Animal Collective is the sound of childhood. They're bound to come off as goofy every now and then.

@Nophera

those 2 songs being "goofy" lol
that's a man in a business suit compared to some of their other stuff

@Nophera

not even that, i'm thinking "Meet The Light Child" territory

@Nophera

i loved danse manatee, after a while it ended up being one of my favorite albums of theirs

but you gotta admit its pretty "out there"

@mikedenby6771

Yup same here. I tried to get several people into Animal Collective - people who I thought had an open mind to music, but no-one really bit.. in fact if anything they seem to look down on my music tastes now!

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@mytoemytoe

"And you'll fly like a dart and won't go wide, even in all the impossible places you go in your life" is the kind of word-salad-shaped-into-something-beautiful that only Avey Tare can come with. Great song, he was on a real tear around this time. Cobwebs is an awesome tune in this vein as well.

@procerus4789

Hadn't heard this song in a while but it randomly popped in my head and I first thought it was from Centipede Hz after going through the album I thought "maybe its Honeycomb," needles to say I found it

@Front_Hole

sometimes I get really depressed thinking that music hit it's peak in the past...and there's nothing left to do because everything's been exhausted. Animal Collective give me hope for the future. More hope than any other artists I can think of. They are one of a kind.

@joefatso111

How did it pan out, in your opinion?

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