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.
Working
Animal Collective Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But then I would get thirsty to fill a need, I leave my friends
For always being the kind of man I try and love those kinds of hands
And hope tonight stick to my plan and never bleed for names I've ran
But if you tried to love a simple thing
Have you tried to love the simple thing
And try to grow
Sometime
I get small
I guess my mind ends up somewhere in between it all
But I don't mind working
I'd rather be on hills of sand
Animal Collective's song "Working" reflects on the balance between living a carefree life and fulfilling one's own basic needs, such as thirst. The first line, "I don't mind working, I'd rather be on hills of sand" expresses the singer's preference for freedom and enjoyment without the responsibilities of work. However, he acknowledges the need for water to survive, and he must leave his carefree friends to quench his thirst. The second line, "But then I would get thirsty to fill a need, I leave my friends" highlights the conflict between striving for freedom and facing the reality of fulfilling basic needs.
The third line, "For always being the kind of man I try and love those kinds of hands" refers to the singer's appreciation for hardworking individuals who fulfill their basic needs. He aspires to be like them, even though he enjoys freedom and leisure. The fourth line, "And hope tonight stick to my plan and never bleed for names I've ran" signifies the singer's desire to remain true to his ideals and avoid compromising them for superficial reasons, such as fame or social status.
The chorus, "But if you tried to love a simple thing, have you tried to love the simple thing, and try to grow" encourages the listener to appreciate the simple things in life and to use them as a means for personal growth. The following lines, "Sometime I get bigger, Sometime I get small, I guess my mind ends up somewhere in between it all" show the singer's ambivalence towards the balance between responsibility and freedom.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't mind working I'd rather be on hills of sand
I am content with my job, but I would prefer to be in a place that is peaceful and serene, like hills made of sand.
But then I would get thirsty to fill a need, I leave my friends
However, if I were in that place, I would eventually crave something that I don't have and I would have to leave my companions to fulfill my desire.
For always being the kind of man I try and love those kinds of hands
I continuously endeavor to be a certain type of person, who is appreciative of simple, effortless things and I admire others who share similar values.
And hope tonight stick to my plan and never bleed for names I've ran
Tonight, I wish to adhere to my goals and not be swayed by the opinions of others or the desire for fame.
But if you tried to love a simple thing
If you attempt to cherish something unpretentious,
Have you tried to love the simple thing
Have you made an effort to embrace that simple thing fully,
And try to grow
And endeavor to develop yourself along with that simple thing,
Sometime I get bigger
Occasionally, I experience personal growth and development,
Contributed by Kennedy Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Bentley Heaps
Thank you Animal Collective, for teaching me that melody lies in the rhythm.
avedic
Very well said. I make music myself....and the single most important lesson I ever learned was that rhythm is _everything_. Music is simply sound organized in time....and timing is the key to it all. All great melodies...harmonies....are nothing without the underlying rhythms...from the actual tempo, to the time signature, to the literal frequency of the notes. Everything vibrating...pulsing.
Iamhereblossom
I think I finally get this comment after years of coming here to listen to this song.
satozuki
This was my first introduction to Animal Collective. A classmate showed this in class and it blew my mind.
frgrgfrdf
This album just punches all the disloyal fans they gained from MPP in the face. I love it.
watchinggmind
I like that when he walks over the stones it sounds like marbles under his feet. In "Working" the vocals are so soothing, they come over you in a lulling trance, only to be broken by the drums towards the ends. They convey their meanings not only in lyrics but in sound, and I enjoy the way they work into a tribal jam dance in "Tantrum Bomb" This entire album is awesome, and my only complaint is you can't rip the album off the DVD into a FLAC or MP3 file..OH WELL still <3 them
Garrett Abrahamson
Poor, poor souls... Best DVD I ever bought, It has the most replay-ability ever. I've converted so many friends, I play this at parties now!
mikeexits
Which DVD? Is this a bonus on Oddsac or something?
RC1MR
@mikeexits this is from the film!
mikeexits
@RC1MR Ah yeah, I realized it not too long after leaving that comment. I'm so used to being surprised with stuff from them I haven't heard that I figured it was another one-off song or something. I need to watch Oddsac.