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.
Meet the Light Child
Animal Collective Lyrics
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This leaf I brought for you was ordinary [?]
Set for sailing
Goodbye, oceans
Hey, girl
I brought your lead kazoo to make sweet music in our garden
The smallest chorus would applaud you
Tiptoe away so you don't hear me
I'm pearl white
[?] come inside with me
Hey, girl
Here's an ancient jigsaw puzzle
With dragons and mountains
And two fish are now near a river
Hey, girl
Lastly is your lover's picture
I knew that you'd want to see him
He told me that you are golden
I brought the lunch so I might eat with you
I sent milk with cookies
When I find metal from the sky
Came falling where I died
And crushed all of my bones
I'm living
Cement came pouring down
My head was stuck in mounds that
Would run down my mouth
Well, my face is covered now
[?]
Through my [?]
They're telling me now
Let it go
Come on
Play
Meet the light child
The lyrics of "Meet the Light Child" by Animal Collective are quite enigmatic and could lead to different interpretations. The song seems to be about someone trying to impress a girl with various gifts and offerings, possibly as a way to win her over or as a gesture of appreciation. The items range from an ordinary leaf to an ancient jigsaw puzzle with dragons and fish near a river. The person also brings a kazoo to make music in the garden, suggesting a desire to enjoy simple pleasures and share them with the girl. The final item is a picture of the girl's lover, whom the person says thinks she is golden. The song ends with an abstract section where the person talks about finding metal from the sky and being alive despite being crushed by cement. The lyrics then transition to an invitation to "meet the light child," which could imply either a spiritual or a literal meeting.
The lyrics of "Meet the Light Child" could be seen as a metaphor for the beauty and mystery of life and the desire to connect with others and share experiences. The person bringing the gifts seems to be trying to establish a bond with the girl, using simple yet meaningful items that evoke nature, music, and imagination. The line "I'm living" in the final section suggests a sense of resilience and wonder in the face of adversity, while the invitation to "meet the light child" could convey a sense of hope and renewal.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey, girl
Addressing the girl the singer is talking to
This leaf I brought for you was ordinary [?]
The singer has brought an ordinary object to the girl as a gift
Set for sailing
The object the singer has brought could also be used for sailing
Goodbye, oceans
The singer is saying goodbye to the idea of sailing on the oceans
Hey, girl
Addressing the girl again
I brought your lead kazoo to make sweet music in our garden
The singer has brought a kazoo to play music in the girl's garden
The smallest chorus would applaud you
Even the smallest creatures would appreciate the girl's music
Tiptoe away so you don't hear me
The singer is suggesting that the girl leave quietly so as not to disturb him
I'm pearl white
The singer is describing his own skin color
[?] come inside with me
The singer is inviting someone to come inside with him, but it's unclear who
Hey, girl
Addressing the girl once again
Here's an ancient jigsaw puzzle
The singer has brought an old jigsaw puzzle as a gift
With dragons and mountains
The puzzle features dragons and mountains
And two fish are now near a river
The puzzle also features two fish near a river
Hey, girl
Addressing the girl for the fourth time
Lastly is your lover's picture
The singer has brought a picture of the girl's lover
I knew that you'd want to see him
The singer understands that the girl wants to see her lover
He told me that you are golden
The girl's lover has described her as being golden
I brought the lunch so I might eat with you
The singer has brought lunch to share with the girl
I sent milk with cookies
The singer has also brought milk and cookies for dessert
When I find metal from the sky
The singer is describing finding metal from the sky
Came falling where I died
The metal fell on him and killed him
And crushed all of my bones
The metal crushed all of his bones
I'm living
Despite being killed, the singer is still alive somehow
Cement came pouring down
The singer is now describing cement pouring over him
My head was stuck in mounds that
The cement caused his head to become stuck
Would run down my mouth
The cement ran into his mouth
Well, my face is covered now
His face is now completely covered by the cement
[?]
It's unclear what is happening in this line
Through my [?]
It's unclear what the singer is trying to say in this line
They're telling me now
The singer is now hearing someone or something speaking to him
Let it go
The artist is encouraging the singer to let go of something
Come on
The artist is urging the singer to take action
Play
The artist is encouraging the singer to play music or another activity
Meet the light child
The singer wants the singer to meet someone or something referred to as the light child
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
Written by: DAVID PORTNER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind