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.
There's An Arrow
Animal Collective Lyrics
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Where we dream, where we live
Let me hold gently all your lights
From the sky where your dreams wish away
There's an arrow in the sky
I can feel where it went faintly
Help, I think I'm walking home with the rain
There's an arrow high in the sky
Where we died, where we slept so sweetly
All look confused with the sky, with its hole
There's an arrow in the sky
Where it came dropping tears
Oh I can feel there's an arrow going home
There's an arrow in the snow
When it came pushing down
Say that you'll save all the sons looking down
You ran out
I can't give too much away
I think your body will beat it
Not too much longer this way
I can't do better than be there
The lyrics of the song “There’s An Arrow” by Animal Collective convey a dreamlike and surreal atmosphere where the boundaries between reality and imagination are blurred, and the characters are trying to navigate a confusing landscape. The first verse sets the tone with the “arrow in the sky”, which can be interpreted as a metaphor for a guiding force or a lost sense of direction. The lines “Let me hold gently all your lights/From the sky where your dreams wish away” suggest a desire to hold onto the things we value and cherish, even if they are intangible.
The second verse continues with the theme of confusion and uncertainty, as the singer is “walking home with the rain” and feeling “pain”. The imagery evokes a sense of loneliness and isolation, as well as a longing for something that may be out of reach. The lines “Where we died, where we slept so sweetly/All look confused with the sky, with its hole” introduce a sense of mortality and impermanence, as well as a sense of disorientation.
The third verse introduces an element of resolution, as the “arrow” is seen as a symbol of hope and redemption. The lines “Where it came dropping tears/Oh I can feel there's an arrow going home” suggest a sense of relief and reconciliation, as if the characters have found their way back to a place of safety and belonging. The final lines of the song, “Not too much longer this way/I can't do better than be there”, suggest a need for patience and perseverance in the face of uncertainty and difficulty.
Line by Line Meaning
There's an arrow in the sky
Symbolic imagery of something piercing through the sky, marking an important direction or event
Where we dream, where we live
The arrow's position is in a place that represents where one's dreams and reality intersect
Let me hold gently all your lights
A plea to keep the memories and experiences of life safe and cherished
From the sky where your dreams wish away
The arrow's location is where dreams can be released and perhaps fulfilled
I can feel where it went faintly
A sense of the arrow's presence and impact, even if only slightly
Help, I think I'm walking home with the rain
Uncertainty and a search for direction, perhaps feeling lost or overwhelmed
It's a shame we're in pain
A recognition of suffering and disappointment
Where we died, where we slept so sweetly
A possible reference to a shared experience that was both peaceful and final
All look confused with the sky, with its hole
The arrow's impact has created confusion and a sense of loss or emptiness
Where it came dropping tears
The arrow's arrival was marked with sadness and grief
Oh I can feel there's an arrow going home
A sense that the arrow is leading towards a place of comfort or belonging
There's an arrow in the snow
The arrow's location is associated with a season of change and transformation
When it came pushing down
The arrow's impact was forceful and significant
Say that you'll save all the sons looking down
An appeal to protect and care for future generations
You ran out
A sense of abandonment or leaving something behind
I can't give too much away
A guardedness or reluctance to share too much information or emotion
I think your body will beat it
Remaining hopeful and optimistic in the face of a challenge or illness
Not too much longer this way
A desire for change or a different direction, perhaps feeling stuck or stagnant
I can't do better than be there
Offering support and presence as the best way to help or comfort someone
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY, BMG Rights Management
Written by: BRIAN ROSS WEITZ, NOAH BENJAMIN LENNOX
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind