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.
Natural Selection
Animal Collective Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The truth is moving under the ground
You're sure the steering wheel
Is resting in your hands
Tough to say
You take directions into the skin
An ancient motor revving up
To keep it living on
Strings tied to the hands
Hands upon a mouth
Strings tied to the hands
Hands upon a mouth
Strings tied to the hands
Hands upon a mouth
Sneaky ways
Sneaky ways
The path is written before the act
A mode of growing seems like a choice
It feels like progress
Is a product of a hidden game
What obeys
You measure hits by stuff in the house
It's more sincerely smiles on the face
The instinct leads you if you do
Or if you don't want
Tackle on a neck
Trapped within the ring
Tackle on a neck
Trapped within the ring
Tackle on a neck
Trapped within the ring
Tough to say
What obeys
Sneaky ways
Sneaky ways
The lyrics to Animal Collective's song "Natural Selection" seem to explore the themes of control, manipulation, and the hidden forces that govern our lives. The idea that "It's best this mess is part of the plan" suggests that even when things seem chaotic or confusing, there is a larger purpose or design at play. The truth, represented as something "moving under the ground," may be elusive and not immediately apparent.
The lines "You're sure the steering wheel is resting in your hands" convey a sense of agency and control, but it is then followed by the line "Tough to say," implying uncertainty and questioning one's power over their own life. The notion of success belonging to the bank and taking directions "into the skin" hints at the influence of external factors and societal expectations on individual choices and aspirations.
The repeated phrase "Strings tied to the hands, hands upon a mouth" can be interpreted as a metaphor for being controlled or manipulated, unable to speak or act freely. The reference to a "hidden game" and progress being a product of it suggests that there are underlying forces or systems in place that dictate our perceived advancement, rather than genuine personal growth or choice.
Overall, the song seems to explore the idea that beneath the surface of our lives, there are hidden forces at play that influence our actions, decisions, and perceptions of success.
Line by Line Meaning
It's best this mess is part of the plan
The chaotic situation is actually integral to the overall strategy or design
The truth is moving under the ground
Hidden realities or deeper truths are slowly surfacing
You're sure the steering wheel
Is resting in your hands
You believe you have complete control over the direction of your life
Tough to say
Difficult to determine or express
You think success belongs to the bank
You believe that financial wealth determines one's achievement or accomplishment
You take directions into the skin
You absorb and internalize instructions or guidance
An ancient motor revving up
To keep it living on
An age-old driving force is gaining momentum to sustain existence
Strings tied to the hands
Hands upon a mouth
Influence or control exerted through speech and action
Sneaky ways
Sneaky ways
Crafty or clandestine methods
The path is written before the act
The course or outcome is predetermined before any action is taken
A mode of growing seems like a choice
The process of development may appear as a deliberate decision
It feels like progress
Is a product of a hidden game
Advancement seems to result from an undisclosed manipulation or strategy
What obeys
What is followed or adhered to
You measure hits by stuff in the house
You gauge success by material possessions or wealth accumulated
It's more sincerely smiles on the face
True fulfillment is reflected in genuine happiness or joy
The instinct leads you if you do
Or if you don't want
Intuition guides you whether you actively pursue or resist it
Tackle on a neck
Trapped within the ring
Feeling overwhelmed or constrained, stuck in a cycle of struggle
Tough to say
What obeys
Sneaky ways
Sneaky ways
Difficult to determine what is being followed or manipulated, hidden methods persist
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
Written by: NOAH BENJAMIN LENNOX, DAVID MICHAEL PORTNER, BRIAN ROSS WEITZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind