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.
On Delay
Animal Collective Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's a doubled exposure
Just waiting to happen
I'm sitting and fading
Rain tapping together
Two licks of the dog bone
You running ahead of
The sound coming after
I hear it doubly clear
Two mannequins in the window
Suit up like twins on day one
Loud harks in the grandest canyon
Natural slap the world back at ya
It's placing the mirror
And you will hear her
Throw two hacks attempting to chip it
Return of the bat crack
In a place called Camden
(On delay) the two of us together
(On delay) the sweet of the double
(On delay) me right behind you
(On delay) my steps will follow
(On delay) two eyes that appeared there
(On delay) you saw them both times
(On delay) looking at reflections
(On delay) and you were one of them
And it was nice
And it happened twice
And it was nice
And it was nice
And it happened twice
And it was nice
And it happened twice
Ant it was
And it was
A place that's thrice best leading me into a feedback zone
In which I lose time I'm finding new rhythms to hold on
A place that's thrice best leading me right into the feedback zone
In which I lose time I'm finding new rhythms to hold on
(On delay) two links in a weapon
(On delay) shooting in a foul mood
(On delay) you're running ahead now
(On delay) the sound coming after
So turned on by the delay
So turned on by the delay
So turned on by the delay
The lyrics to Animal Collective's song "On Delay" paint a picture of a fragmented and distorted reality, where time and perception are disjointed. The opening lines, "I hear it doubly clear, there's a doubled exposure just waiting to happen," suggest a heightened sense of awareness and a recognition of multiple layers of reality. The singer describes themselves as "sitting and fading," indicating a state of introspection and detachment from the external world. The image of rain tapping together adds to the atmosphere of disconnection.
The subsequent lines introduce various surreal and fragmented images, such as "two licks of the dog bone" and "me slipping through belt loops." These images evoke a sense of movement and uncertainty, as if the singer is navigating through a distorted and unpredictable world. The line "loud harks in the grandest canyon" captures a sense of overwhelming noise and echoes, perhaps symbolizing the confusion and chaos within the singer's mind.
The repetition of "on delay" throughout the song serves as a motif, emphasizing the theme of distorted time and perception. It represents a delay or interruption in the normal flow of events, further highlighting the fragmented nature of the singer's experience. The closing lines, "so turned on by the delay," suggest a fascination or attraction to this distorted reality, despite its disorienting effect.
Overall, "On Delay" explores the theme of altered perception and the disconnection from reality, weaving together disjointed images to create a sense of unease and introspection.
Line by Line Meaning
I hear it doubly clear
I perceive it with exceptional clarity
There's a doubled exposure
There is a repeated and intensified vulnerability
Just waiting to happen
Readily anticipating its occurrence
I'm sitting and fading
I am stationary and gradually losing prominence
Rain tapping together
The raindrops aligning to create an audible rhythm
Two licks of the dog bone
Quick, successive actions or occurrences
Me slipping through belt loops
My movements passing seamlessly through constraints
You running ahead of
You progressing in front of
The sound coming after
The auditory sensation trailing behind
Two mannequins in the window
Pair of lifeless figures on display
Suit up like twins on day one
Dressed identically as if starting anew
Loud harks in the grandest canyon
Piercing calls echoing through a vast space
Natural slap the world back at ya
Inherent force rebounding the world towards you
It's placing the mirror
Positioning the reflective surface
And you will hear her
And you will perceive her presence
Throw two hacks attempting to chip it
Attempt to make two crude and unsuccessful attempts to alter it
Return of the bat crack
Reappearance of the distinctive sound made by a baseball bat
In a place called Camden
Within a location known as Camden
(On delay) the two of us together
We are united, but with a time delay
(On delay) the sweet of the double
The pleasure derived from the duplication
(On delay) me right behind you
I am directly following you, albeit with a delay
(On delay) my steps will follow
My movements will occur subsequently
(On delay) two eyes that appeared there
Two visual senses that manifested themselves
(On delay) you saw them both times
You observed them on both instances
(On delay) looking at reflections
Viewing reflections with a time lag
(On delay) and you were one of them
And you were included in those reflections
And it was nice
And it was pleasing
And it happened twice
And it occurred on two occasions
A place that's thrice best leading me into a feedback zone
An exceptional location guiding me towards a loop of reverberation
In which I lose time I'm finding new rhythms to hold on
Within it, time eludes me as I discover fresh patterns to grasp
So turned on by the delay
Significantly aroused by the time delay
So turned on by the delay
So incredibly stimulated by the delay
So turned on by the delay
So immensely enthused by the delay
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
Written by: NOAH BENJAMIN LENNOX, DAVID MICHAEL PORTNER, BRIAN ROSS WEITZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind