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.
Native Belle
Animal Collective Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Has proved all too easy
Well I sense some problem [?]
It's the kind of smoke that could make us invisible
See the things, I haven't seen you lately
In the purple that I dove into
Which is a version of my [?]
And your asthma can [?] still
So do you, so do you, so do you
Love me, love me, love me
So do you, so do you, so do you
Love me, love me, love me
So do you, so do you, so do you
Love me, love me, love me
Things'll get better
The words I'm kindred with like [?]
With the children that could make us a house [?]
I sew my face into a permanent crush high
I play with [?] behind the newsstand
So do you, so do you, so do you
Love me, love me, love me
So do you, so do you, so do you
Love me, love me, love me
So do you, so do you, so do you
Love me, love me, love me
Things'll get better
So, it's nice in the breeze
Ghosts are all looking for pennies in the trees
Picnic [?] are brushing me and brushing me
It is over
The lyrics to Animal Collective's song "Native_Belle" are surreal and open to interpretation. The song seems to be about a person's struggle to fit in or conform to societal expectations. The first verse talks about pretending to be a worm, which is a metaphor for feeling small and insignificant. The singer also mentions sensing a problem, perhaps some internal conflict or sense of dissatisfaction.
The second verse talks about the singer's love interest (possibly Native Belle), who they haven't seen in a while. The purple in the lyrics could refer to a psychedelic experience or symbolize a deep, emotional state. There are also references to asthma, which could be a metaphor for something that's holding the singer back.
The song ends with a surreal image of ghosts looking for pennies in trees and picnic blankets brushing against the singer. It could be a commentary on the small, fleeting moments of joy and hope that exist amidst the struggles of life.
Overall, "Native_Belle" is an abstract and introspective song that leaves a lot of room for interpretation.
Line by Line Meaning
Pretending I am a worm
I am behaving submissively and in a way that goes against my own will.
Has proved all too easy
It’s effortless to maintain this act of submission.
Well I sense some problem [?]
I have an intuition that something isn’t right.
It's the kind of smoke that could make us invisible
There is a great possibility that the problem will cause us to become unnoticed.
See the things, I haven't seen you lately
It’s been a while since I’ve had an opportunity to observe you.
In the purple that I dove into
I have escaped reality and immersed myself in a world that is tinted to give me peace.
Which is a version of my [?]
That world is not real but resembles reality and is created from my imagination.
And your asthma can [?] still
Even though you suffer from asthma, you are still present in my life.
So do you, so do you, so do you
Love me, love me, love me
So do you, so do you, so do you
Love me, love me, love me
So do you, so do you, so do you
Love me, love me, love me
Things'll get better
Repeating the request for love from someone and implying that things will get better if that love is given.
The words I'm kindred with like [?]
The things I say and think are relatable and similar to those of others.
With the children that could make us a house [?]
It's possible to build a home with the younger generation around us.
I sew my face into a permanent crush high
I am distraught and worried, resulting in a permanent anxious expression.
I play with [?] behind the newsstand
To distract myself, I’m playing a game with an object behind a newsstand.
So, it's nice in the breeze
Ghosts are all looking for pennies in the trees
Picnic [?] are brushing me and brushing me
It is over
Describing the weather and how ghosts are searching for — and picnics are affecting—me while stating that a situation has come to an end.
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
Written by: DAVID PORTNER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind