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.
Wide Eyed
Animal Collective Lyrics
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Following lights in her eyes
This living behind's got her frightened
So I'm here and I'm working all night
How is she not breaking down?
Oh God I feel her shaking
Try as I might to provide her light
I'm holding the choice as she grows life from it's stem
Is it better to say not now when I'm trying learn: yes?
I'm dreaming of bouncing feet and your motherly smile
But when you're sleeping so far away I can't feel what's inside
How am I still holding on?
Oh God I hope I am holding
She'll try and describe what my strength provides but I fear my strength is failing
If I could change my mind
I would change
What's the change for the better
For a child who learns not to cry?
And to the boy who relies on his anger:
You'll survive but you won't feel exchange
And why all these doubts?
And what are all these doubts?
I see in her eyes that I'm holding her fine but all I'm hearing is doubts
Even as water's crushing over my head
And the rhythm that I would slow is picking up it's pace
I'm learning from older shames as I'm watching them die
And I'm still hoping to see her smile in the morning when we wake
Now that I am waking up
Oh God I hope I am waking
Though I'm overwhelmed at times I find that I'm less afraid of change
Change all the time
I'm still finding what's sure
And not getting lost in my mind
I know I can try
Needing my own
But still
Getting lost in her eyes
And hoping it's time
Wide eyed
I get wide eyed
The lyrics of "Wide Eyed" by Animal Collective reflects the feeling of protection, motivation, and concern for the welfare of a loved one. The singer is guiding someone into a dream world, trying to provide strength and support to someone who is struggling. The singer is trying to be strong, leading them into a better place by working all night and trying to provide light. Still, the singer feels that they may not be enough to keep the person from breaking down. The lyrics express the feeling of hopelessness and frustration that arises when someone close to us is in pain.
The singer's focus is on a child's growth, questioning what kind of change is suitable for children to learn not to cry. The singer is hoping for a better life for the child, longing to see the bouncing feet and motherly smile. The singer leads by example, drawing from their experiences with shame and overcoming hardship, to set a standard of strength and determination. The singer is looking forward to the promise of a better tomorrow, hoping to see a smile on waking up.
"Change all the time" is a recurring sentiment throughout the song. The singer realizes that change is inevitable, and happiness can be found in finding what is sure without getting lost in one's mind. Overall, the lyrics of "Wide Eyed" by Animal Collective convey the importance of being supportive of loved ones in their time of need, being strong for them when they cannot be strong, and learning from past experiences to move forward together.
Line by Line Meaning
Guiding her into dream time
I'm trying to help her fall asleep
Following lights in her eyes
I'm looking into her eyes to see if she's relaxed
This living behind's got her frightened
She's scared of the past and how it affects her present
So I'm here and I'm working all night
I'm staying up all night to comfort and support her
How is she not breaking down?
I'm amazed that she's able to hold herself together
Oh God I feel her shaking
I can sense her anxiety and fear
Try as I might to provide her light
I'm doing my best to be a source of comfort and guidance for her
In the end it's she who's breaking
Despite my efforts, she's still struggling to cope with her problems
I'm holding the choice as she grows life from it's stem
I feel responsible for the direction her life is taking
Is it better to say not now when I'm trying learn: yes?
I'm questioning whether I should hold back my guidance, even though I feel like I have something to teach her
I'm dreaming of bouncing feet and your motherly smile
I'm looking forward to good times and bonding moments with her
But when you're sleeping so far away I can't feel what's inside
I'm finding it hard to connect with her when she's not physically close to me
How am I still holding on?
I'm surprised that I haven't given up on her yet despite the challenges we're facing
Oh God I hope I am holding
I hope I'm doing a good job and not failing her
She'll try and describe what my strength provides but I fear my strength is failing
She may appreciate my help but I'm worried that I may not be strong enough to support her for much longer
If I could change my mind
If only I could see things differently
I would change
I would make a different decision
What's the change for the better
What's the best decision to make?
For a child who learns not to cry?
How can I help a child who won't express their emotions?
And to the boy who relies on his anger:
How can I help a young boy who uses anger as a coping mechanism?
You'll survive but you won't feel exchange
You'll make it through tough times but you won't experience growth
And why all these doubts?
Why am I second-guessing myself?
I see in her eyes that I'm holding her fine but all I'm hearing is doubts
I'm doing my best to be a good support system, but she still has uncertainties
Even as water's crushing over my head
Even when I feel like I'm overwhelmed
And the rhythm that I would slow is picking up it's pace
Things are getting more chaotic and difficult to manage
I'm learning from older shames as I'm watching them die
I'm able to learn from the mistakes of others
And I'm still hoping to see her smile in the morning when we wake
Despite everything, I'm still holding onto hope for a better future
Now that I am waking up
Now that I'm becoming more aware
Oh God I hope I am waking
I hope I'm starting to see things more clearly
Though I'm overwhelmed at times I find that I'm less afraid of change
Although I still have doubts, I'm finding that I'm more open to change
Change all the time
Things are always changing
I'm still finding what's sure
I'm still trying to find something I can be certain of
And not getting lost in my mind
And not letting my thoughts overwhelm me
I know I can try
I know I can do my best
Needing my own
I need some time to myself
But still
But even so
Getting lost in her eyes
Getting lost in her beauty
And hoping it's time
And hoping that the timing is right
Wide eyed
Staring in awe
I get wide eyed
I'm amazed by everything around me
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
Written by: BRIAN ROSS WEITZ, DAVID MICHAEL PORTNER, JOSHUA CALEB DIBB, NOAH BENJAMIN LENNOX
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind