After years of recording in relative seclusion in the hills of Los Angeles, Ariel Pink (the first non-Animal Collective member on the Paw Tracks roster) made his official Paw Tracks debut with The Doldrums. Recording at home with a guitar, bass, keyboard, and 8-track (the drum sounds were created with his mouth).
Ariel Pink blends Lite FM and warped lo-fi pop into something by turns beautiful and confusing. Some may find his personal yet detached approach highly addictive, while others may be instantly turned off by the obvious lo-fi production and the vocal drumtracks.
In the summer of 2003, Pink passed a CD-R on to New York based band Animal Collective after being introduced by mutual friend Jimi Hey (of All Night Radio and Beachwood Sparks) at one of their shows. Unbeknownst to Pink, Animal Collective had recently started their own record label, Paw Tracks, and several weeks later they contacted him expressing an interest in releasing his music. Pink became the first musician on the label aside from the members of Animal Collective. The next year, the label reissued The Doldrums, an album which had been originally recorded in 1999. Since then, Paw Tracks (now co-owned by Carpark Records) has released two other reissues of Pink's previous recordings, Worn Copy and House Arrest.
Pink has gradually caught the attention of media sources around the United States as well as internationally. As most of his albums are self-made, many of them have never been heard by fans. Almost all of Pink's albums which have been commercially released come from his yet-unfinished "Haunted Graffiti" series and are thus the best known.
Pink's tours have generally been met with much negativity, primarily because his music was never intended to be performed live for commercial audiences. As he explained to LA Weekly:
“People boo me everywhere...They don't even hide their contempt. I'm used to it now...Hey, I'm giving audiences the real thing...For better or worse, I'm out there, and those are the circumstances. People don't like it when it seems like you don't know what's happening, or I'm getting bummed out with certain aspects and I can't hide it. I think people feel that pain and just think it's bad.”
Initially playing shows alone with pre-recorded music, Pink has since employed the efforts of keyboardist Kenny Gilmore, bassist Tim Koh (White Magic), drummer Jimi Hey, and guitarist Cole M. Greif-Neill (Ethnik Klensr) as Haunted Graffiti. However, even with a backing band unfamiliar audiences are generally hostile towards the unrehearsed nature of the live compositions.
In July, the band embarked on Pink's "Thanks Mom, I'm Dead" tour.
One genre that may interestingly define Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti is one known as Hauntology.
Crying
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm crying, so lay the plans if you've got 'em
Never let 'em touch you, no, don't go, I'm lying
Touch me and I'll touch you first, no, now you, now
You're crying to make a change in science
I'm crying, I'll make the chance, I'm running
Fever in the dark, light change if it really goes fast (?)
Came back crashing onto the earth
Came back crashing onto the earth
You're just too high and you can't go up
I witnessed your weakness, we all want
I witnessed your weakness, freedom
Lay the plants in the garden
Never let 'em touch you, no, don't go, I'm lying
Touch me and I'll touch you first, no, now you're crying
Ooh, freedom, yeah
Oh, freedom, so now I'm freedom, I'm freer
I don't mind the freedom
This song, "Crying," sung by Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti, seems to address themes of desperation and the need for change as the world faces an inevitable demise. The opening line, "Crying to save a world that's dying," is powerful and sets the tone for the song's intensity. The singer in the song expresses a sense of urgency, repeatedly crying to make a difference before it's too late.
The singer's desperation is mirrored in the lines, "I'm crying, so lay the plans if you've got 'em, Never let 'em touch you, no, don't go, I'm lying." This seems to suggest that the singer is willing to do anything to bring about change, even if it means lying or relying on others to take action. The use of repetition here emphasizes the desperation and intensity of the situation presented.
The second half of the song includes the lines, "I witnessed your weakness, we all want, I witnessed your weakness, freedom." These lines suggest that the singer has observed someone else's vulnerability, and perhaps feels a sense of responsibility to help them find freedom in the face of their weakness.
Overall, "Crying" is a passionate and intense song that seems to champion the need for change and the power of desperation to bring it about. The use of repetition and urgent language creates a sense of urgency that draws the listener in and emphasizes the song's themes of desperation and hope in the face of adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
Crying to save a world that's dying
I'm shedding tears for a dying world, hoping somehow it will help
I'm crying, so lay the plans if you've got 'em
My tears are flowing, but if you have a plan, lay it on me
Never let 'em touch you, no, don't go, I'm lying
Don't let them touch you, but I'm lying because I need touch as much as anyone
Touch me and I'll touch you first, no, now you, now
If you touch me, I'll touch you back, we'll trade touches back and forth
You're crying to make a change in science
Your tears are a statement of your desire to impact science and make it better
I'm crying, I'll make the chance, I'm running
My tears are driven by my determination to create opportunity, and I won't stop moving forward
Fever in the dark, light change if it really goes fast (?)
There's a strong, urgent energy building up in the darkness and it feels like the light could change at any moment
Came back crashing onto the earth
Something that was once flying high or soaring has now crashed back down to the ground
You're just too high and you can't go up
You're too high up, too far removed from reality to engage with the world as it is
I witnessed your weakness, we all want
I saw your vulnerability and it's something we all share, the desire for connection and understanding
Lay the plants in the garden
Plant the seeds of growth and change, cultivate new life in the garden of the world
Ooh, freedom, yeah
Freedom is a powerful force that fills us with emotion and energy
Oh, freedom, so now I'm freedom, I'm freer
Now that I've tasted freedom, I feel more liberated and alive
I don't mind the freedom
I'm happy to live in freedom, it's a feeling I embrace and cherish
Contributed by Brayden B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.