Raised in Dallas, Texas, Campbell began composing on the family piano as a child, but it wasn't until he was 14 that he started writing songs with lyrics after hearing Jason Schwartzman's "Ethan's Song" in the teen comedy Slackers. At the age of 18, he switched from writing on piano to guitar when back surgery confined him to his bed for several months. After regaining his mobility, he was drawn to nearby Denton for its music scene. Over the next few years, he moved in and out of town for various jobs and bands until he eventually settled back in Dallas. There, with help from one of his Denton friends, Midlake drummer McKenzie Smith, he began making home recordings that would appear on his earliest Ari Roar EPs, including 2015's Cassette. He then left Texas to live in his uncle's pool house in Miami Beach, which he used as a launching point for his first East Coast tour. Released in 2016, the EP Patch Me Up included a couple of the Dallas songs with Smith, and two Miami Beach tracks featuring Campbell on drums.
He next made his way to Seattle, where he wrote material for his full-length debut. Having admired his work on Frankie Cosmos' Next Thing, he enlisted Hunter Davidsohn to produce, and they recorded the album in Davidsohn's New York studio. Ari Roar's sophisticated sound caught the ear of Bella Union, which released the resulting Calm Down in 2018. After moving his base back to Dallas, he recorded the follow-up on a Tascam 388 tape recorder/mixer over many sessions in a converted shed in his parent's garden. The resulting Best Behavior arrived in 2019, also on Bella Union. The likewise catchy and home-recorded Made to Never Use was self-released in early 2022.
Biography by Marcy Donelson for ALLMUSIC
Take Me Over
Ari Roar Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Half of the time
Where should I show my hands
in a knife fight
Take me over
I'll let you design my levers
Drive me off to the beach
Patch me up where I leak
Screws that come loose
Take me over
I'll let you design my levers
Make me better
Or a least a little clever
Take me over
I'll let you design my levers
Make me better
Or a least a little clever
I'll let you design my levers
Take me over
The lyrics of Ari Roar's "Take Me Over" are an introspective and vulnerable expression of uncertainty and self-doubt. The first two lines, "I don't know who I am / Half of the time," reflect a feeling of being lost and unsure of oneself, which is accentuated by the imagery of being in a knife fight without knowing where to put one's hands. The subsequent lines convey a desire for someone else to take control and guide the singer. The repetition of the phrase "Take me over" signifies a relinquishing of control, and the following lines express a willingness to let the other person "design my levers," essentially giving them the power to influence and shape the singer's actions and decisions. The final lines express a hope for self-improvement and a desire to become "better" or "a least a little clever."
Line by Line Meaning
I don't know who I am
The singer has not yet discovered his true identity
Half of the time
He feels uncertain about himself much of the time
Where should I show my hands
The singer is in a dilemma about how to protect himself in a dangerous situation
in a knife fight
Specifically, he's considering how to behave during a fight involving a knife
Take me over
The singer is surrendering himself to someone else's influence
I'll let you design my levers
He's giving someone else the power to control his actions and behaviors
Drive me off to the beach
The singer wants to be taken away from his current situation to a more peaceful place
I want to prove
He feels the need to prove himself to others
Patch me up where I leak
The singer needs someone to mend his emotional wounds and vulnerabilities
Screws that come loose
He's acknowledging the fact that he's not entirely stable or secure
Make me better
The singer wants to be improved and become a better version of himself
Or a least a little clever
He'll settle for even a small improvement or increased intelligence
Take me over
The singer reinforces his willingness to be controlled by someone else
I'll let you design my levers
He is accepting his lack of control over his own life and behavior
Make me better
The singer reiterates his desire for self-improvement
Or a least a little clever
He is willing to accept even a small increase in intelligence or wit
Take me over
Finally, the singer asserts his wish to be influenced and changed by someone else
Contributed by Evan V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
MARCOS SANCHEZ
Esto es lo que he oído:
No se quien soy
La mitad del tiempo
Donde debo mostrar mis manos
En un cuchillo pelea
Llévame
Te dejaré diseñar mis palancas
Llévame a la playa
Quiero probar
Remiendeme donde tengo fugas *
Tornillos que se sueltan *
Llévame
Te dejaré diseñar mis palancas
Hazme mejor
O al menos un poco inteligente
Llévame
Te dejaré diseñar mis palancas
Hazme mejor
O al menos un poco inteligente
Te dejaré diseñar mis palancas
Llévame
Cualquier ayuda sería apreciada
Giordano Rossa
this is what I heard:
i don't know who i am
half of the time
where should i show my hands
in a knife* fight
take me over
i'll let you design my levers
drive me off to the beach
I'm water proof*
patch me up where i leak*
screws that come loose*
take me over
i'll let you design my levers
make me better
or at least a little clever
take me over
i'll let you design my levers
make me better
or at least a little clever
i'll let you design my levers
take me over
any help would be appreciated
Rajat Parikh
LYRICS:
I don't know who I am
Half of the time
Where should I show my hands
in a knife fight
Take me over
I'll let you design my levers
Drive me off to the beach
I want to prove
Patch me up where I leak
Screws that come loose
Take me over
I'll let you design my levers
Make me better
Or a least a little clever
Take me over
I'll let you design my levers
Make me better
Or a least a little clever
I'll let you design my levers
Take me over
Golden Brown
more from ari roar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oTyKmflDRY
a moist hotpocket
This song makes me want to lay down on the clouds and look up at the grass.
Venice Ghea Faldas
Elijah Smith how do you lay on the clouds and look up at the grass? 😂
a moist hotpocket
With your imagination! insert spongebob meme here
Literally Asuka
You made me imagine something interesting. What I imagined from your comment wasn't funny, it had such a cool aesthetic to it. It was pretty artistic. Thanks for this comment.
ทักษ์ มากสังข์
I see เห็นภาพ
londonstiletto
im imagining myself sitting on the grass back laid on the big trees playing guitar listening to this and look up to the sky.
MARCOS SANCHEZ
Esto es lo que he oído:
No se quien soy
La mitad del tiempo
Donde debo mostrar mis manos
En un cuchillo pelea
Llévame
Te dejaré diseñar mis palancas
Llévame a la playa
Quiero probar
Remiendeme donde tengo fugas *
Tornillos que se sueltan *
Llévame
Te dejaré diseñar mis palancas
Hazme mejor
O al menos un poco inteligente
Llévame
Te dejaré diseñar mis palancas
Hazme mejor
O al menos un poco inteligente
Te dejaré diseñar mis palancas
Llévame
Cualquier ayuda sería apreciada
B ᄂ Λ П K
This song seems eerily depressing but alternates with a warm comforting feeling and a touch of nostalgia... ♥️
Voughtrazer
Mark Linkous is smiling. Sparklehorse lives on with this song. Hopefully Ari Roar finds more inspiration to write and create songs like this. We need more artists like Sparklehorse.