The lead singer and songwriter from Antony and the Johnsons has collaborated with Oneohtrix Point Never and Hudson Mohawke on her latest work. With her official name changed to ANOHNI, the album HOPELESSNESS is set to an electronic dance soundtrack with soulful vocals and direct lyrics addressing surveillance, drone warfare, and ecocide. HOPELESSNESS is a departure from the singer's recent symphonic collaborations. The album seeks to disrupt assumptions about popular music by embedding vigorously political lyrics within dance/pop tracks.
Black Peter
Anohni Lyrics
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I was laying in my bed and dying
Annie Beauneu from Saint Angel
Say "the weather down here so fine"
Just then the wind
Came squalling through the door
But who can
Just want to have
A little peace to die
And a friend or two
I love at hand
Fever roll up to a hundred and five
Roll on up
Gonna roll back down
One more day
I find myself alive
Tomorrow
Maybe go
Beneath the ground
See here how everything
Lead up to this day
And it's just like
Any other day
That's ever been
Sun goin up
And then the
Sun it goin down
Shine through my window and
My friends they come around
Come around
Come around
People may know but
The people don't care
That a man could be
As poor as me,
"Take a look at poor Peter
He's lying in pain
Now let's go run
And see"
Run and see
Hey, hey,
Run and see
The song "Black Peter" by Anohni is about a dying man named Peter who is visited by his friends just before his death. The opening lyrics create the setting of Peter's deathbed and the visitation of his friends. Annie Beauneu, a friend from Saint Angel, comments on the beautiful weather which Peter can no longer fully experience. The line "But who can / The weather command?" suggests that even with all the advancements of society, we cannot control the natural elements, including life and death.
Peter expresses his desire to have a little peace before he dies and to have his loved ones present. The lyrics "I love at hand" implies that he finds comfort in their presence. The second verse portrays the progression of Peter's condition, indicated by his fever rising to a hundred and five. The lyrics “Roll on up, gonna roll back down” highlight the constant flux of life and death. The final verse reflects on the inevitability of death and the cyclical nature of life with the sun rising and setting. The camaraderie of Peter's friends is also evident as they "come around" to be with him in his final moments.
Line by Line Meaning
All of my friends come to see me last night
All the people I knew came to visit me last night
I was laying in my bed and dying
I was lying in bed and close to death
Annie Beauneu from Saint Angel
A person named Annie Beauneu from Saint Angel
Say "the weather down here so fine"
She stated the weather was great
Just then the wind
Suddenly the wind
Came squalling through the door
Came in with a loud noise through the door
But who can
But who has the ability to
The weather command?
Control the weather?
Just want to have
I only seek to have
A little peace to die
Some peace in which to pass away
And a friend or two
And possibly one or two friends
I love at hand
That I cherish and care for
Fever roll up to a hundred and five
My fever rose up to one hundred and five degrees
Roll on up
Continued to increase
Gonna roll back down
Expected to decrease
One more day
Another day has gone by
I find myself alive
I'm still alive
Tomorrow
The next day
Maybe go
Possibly go
Beneath the ground
Underneath the earth, in burial
See here how everything
Observe now how everything
Lead up to this day
Has led up to today's events
And it's just like
It's very similar
Any other day
To any other day
That's ever been
That's ever occurred
Sun goin up
The sun rising
And then the
And subsequently
Sun it goin down
The sun setting
Shine through my window and
Shine through my window and;
My friends they come around
My friends come to see me
People may know but
People might have knowledge but
The people don't care
They don't truly care
That a man could be
That a person might be
As poor as me,
As poor as myself,
"Take a look at poor Peter
"Examine poor Peter's situation
He's lying in pain
He's suffering and in agony
Now let's go run
Now let's go and see
And see"
How he is doing"
Run and see
Go quickly and see
Contributed by Lila S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.