Arca embraces fluidity and changing between states, whether it be gender, genre, or personality. In a 2020 interview, they say "We all have multiple personalities. Rather than causing panic, I think maybe that could cause some relief". "There was a clear intention on her fourth album, Kick i to allow every self to express itself. Not to decide how much air time each self would get, but to allow for modulation between them in a spontaneous way. There is no such thing as normal". In Mutability and ambivalence guide the sound of her music — the atmospheres they create often contain abrasive percussive blasts, metal-shop whine, the screech of subway brakes, the whine of jet engines overheating. Anthropomorphic and animalistic sounds abound —mewling cats, mooing cows, anguished screams, the grunts and groans of orgasm, commingling pleasure and terror and beauty and ugliness in the most thrilling ways possible.
She has also been credited for her writing/producing efforts on Björk's Vulnicura and the entirety of Utopia. Alongside FKA twigs' EP2 as well as for their collaborations with Dean Blunt, Frank Ocean, Kelela, Kanye West, ROSALÍA and Lady Gaga, among others.
Strung
Arca Lyrics
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All fucked up, talkin' bout the windin'
All fucked up, don't look
Bring it back down
Cause there used to be a time
When a flat top push and whine, that's why
If I say it, believe it
You push it, you need it
You tell me to feel it ah, ah, ah
Oh, get it up and then set the booth
Seduce, you bruise and blow it all both
Ah, tapped it up doing closed up
Y'all loaded up, pick it down low
Time's up for us
Disrespect, don't be late
Used yourself to hurt disrepect
All fucked up, time to hop in my lane
'Cause I fucked up, do it all up
Bring it back down
Cause there used to be a time
When a flat top push and whine, that's why
If I say it, believe it
You know that you caught yourself bleeding
You push it, you need it
You tell me to feel it it
And then you go off
Oh, get it up and then set the booth
Seduce, you bruise and blow it all both
Ah, tapped it up doing closed up
Y'all loaded up, pick it down low
Time's up for us
Disrespect, don't be late
Used yourself to hurt disrepect
Move, rewind, back it all up claim, reclaim
Time is of the essence
The presence is defenseless tasteless
Stay, be late senseless the hurry
Tell me I'm wrong ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah
Go off ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah
Go off
The lyrics to Arca's song Strung are complicated and slightly abstract, making them open to interpretation. The song is packed with metaphors and wordplay, and it feels like Arca intentionally left the lyrics open to interpretation so the song could speak to the listener in a highly personalized way. The song's message seems to be about introspection, self-examination, and healing old wounds. Arca sings about being "All fucked up," which feels like a metaphor for being emotionally and mentally drained.
At the same time, Arca references a time when things were better, a time that has apparently passed but that is still painfully missed. She sings about "when a flat top push and whine," which could refer to a particular era or period of her life. Throughout the song, Arca references pushing herself and being pushed to the brink, and feeling the need to "tap it up doing closed up." The song might be about how we use distractions, like music or technology, to help us cope with our problems without confronting them directly.
Arca seems to suggest that healing requires taking the time to reclaim oneself and "back it all up claim, reclaim." She sings about being "defenseless" and "senseless" and about how "Time is of the essence." The repetition of the phrase "oh, get it up and then set the booth seduce" suggests that seduction is part of the healing process. The song closes with the refrain "Go off," suggesting a new beginning or a release from the emotional turmoil.
Line by Line Meaning
All, all all
Everything seems messed up
All fucked up, talkin' 'bout the windin'
Everything is chaotic and confusing
All fucked up, don't look
Everything is in disarray
Bring it back down
Try to calm the situation
Cause there used to be a time when a flat top push and whine, that's why
Recalling simpler times when things were easier to handle
If I say it, believe it, you know that you caught yourself bleeding
Be careful with your actions, as they can hurt others
You push it, you need it, you tell me to feel it ah, ah, ah
You demand attention and validation
Oh, get it up and then set the booth, seduce, you bruise and blow it all both
Using seduction and manipulation to get what you want
Ah, tapped it up doing closed up, y'all loaded up, pick it down low
Keeping things bottled up and hidden away
Time's up for us, disrespect, don't be late, used yourself to hurt disrepect
The time for tolerating disrespect is over
All fucked up, time to hop in my lane, 'cause I fucked up, do it all up
Taking control of the situation in order to fix it
Move, rewind, back it all up claim, reclaim
Trying to undo mistakes and regain control
Time is of the essence, the presence is defenseless tasteless
Time is running out and the situation is precarious
Stay, be late senseless the hurry, tell me I'm wrong ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah
Panicking while trying to avoid being wrong
Go off ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah
Reacting explosively in frustration
Lyrics © Mute Song Limited
Written by: Alejandro Ghersi
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind