Unsolved Mysteries
Animal Collective Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Oh look at me
That sweet boy's plea
His mother cried
"My child's tied his laces"
Why must we move on
From such happy lawns
Into nostalgia's palm
And feed on the traces

We all hop to the dance
Or embarrass the parents
Who should have knees
That go to sleep

That blood in the dark
Will attract the sharks
Who are not violent
We all have hungry bellies

But I feel like I've got to duck
When you look at me with your brown eyes
When you look at me with your blue eyes
And you look at me with the inner eye

And all was tame
And all was daggers anyway
Stop crying like a child

And all was green
And all was aging anyway
Stop growing in the wild

But I feel like I've got to duck
When you look at me with your green eyes
When you look at me with your black eyes
And you look at me with your dead eyes

And I can understand
When holding her hand
So womanly
I have to go and kiss her

And what a surprise
To look in those eyes
And find suddenly
He is Jack the Ripper
Too suddenly, he was Jack the Ripper

Stop crying like a child




She stopped crying like a child
Jack the Ripper

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Animal Collective's "Unsolved Mysteries" are infused with a sense of nostalgia and a longing for a simpler time. The opening lines set the scene of a young boy tying his laces, a simple act that symbolizes the innocence of childhood. The chorus reflects on the way we all move on from our happy memories and into the unknown territory of the future. The second verse describes the violence and danger that lurk beneath the surface of our seemingly safe world. The final verse takes a surreal turn, as the singer describes kissing a woman and suddenly realizing that she is actually Jack the Ripper.


The overall theme of the song seems to be the tenuous nature of our grip on reality, and the ways in which our memories and perceptions of the world can be distorted and manipulated. The chorus expresses a sense of longing for the past, while the verses suggest that even the most innocent-seeming aspects of our lives may have dark undercurrents.


Line by Line Meaning

Oh look at me
The singer draws attention to themselves


That sweet boy's plea
Commenting on the plead of a boy for help


His mother cried
Emphasizing the emotional state of the boy's mother


"My child's tied his laces"
Repeating the mother's words, suggesting a sense of confusion


Why must we move on
Questioning why people move away from pleasant memories


From such happy lawns
Describing a peaceful and happy place


Into nostalgia's palm
Reflecting on the power of nostalgia over memories and experience


And feed on the traces
Suggesting a desire to hold onto past experiences through memories and remnants


We all hop to the dance
Referring to a joyful activity


Or embarrass the parents
Commenting on how actions of some people can lead to awkwardness for others


Who should have knees
Making a humorous observation about the elderly


That go to sleep
Describing the elderly and their tendency to nap


That blood in the dark
Referring to danger that may be unseen


Will attract the sharks
Drawing a comparison of sharks to people who may cause harm


Who are not violent
Contrasting the previous statement by focusing on the benign nature of some people


We all have hungry bellies
Suggesting people as similar to animals in that they have basic physical needs


But I feel like I've got to duck
Revealing a sense of fear or apprehension


When you look at me with your brown eyes
Describing the specific person who causes this feeling


When you look at me with your blue eyes
A person of many different emotional states


And you look at me with the inner eye
The person has insight into the artist


And all was tame
Describing the peaceful state of affairs


And all was daggers anyway
Contrasting the peace with an ominous image


Stop crying like a child
Asking someone to compose themselves or act like an adult


And all was green
Reflecting on the beauty of nature


And all was aging anyway
Acknowledging the impermanence of existence


Stop growing in the wild
Urging someone to act in a more civilized fashion


When you look at me with your green eyes
Describing a specific person


When you look at me with your black eyes
Contrasting the previous statement


And you look at me with your dead eyes
Referring to someone who is vacant or uninterested


And I can understand
Expressing empathy for another person


When holding her hand
Describing a physical interaction


So womanly
Describing the charm or allure of the person


I have to go and kiss her
Expressing romantic attraction


And what a surprise
Introducing a new narrative element


To look in those eyes
A specific physical detail of the person


And find suddenly
Creating a sense of dramatic irony, where the artist discovers something unexpected


He is Jack the Ripper
The unexpected discovery that the person is a notorious murderer


Stop crying like a child
Returning to the previous refrain, repeating the request to act like an adult


She stopped crying like a child
Revealing a change in behavior or emotional state


Jack the Ripper
Presents a shocking revelation




Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
Written by: BRIAN ROSS WEITZ, NOAH BENJAMIN LENNOX

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions