Ariel Pink (born Ariel Marcus Rosenberg on June 24, 1978) is a musician who… Read Full Bio ↴Ariel Pink (born Ariel Marcus Rosenberg on June 24, 1978) is a musician who is based in Los Angeles. Pink has been recording his music on tape since 1996 but it wasn't until after he passed a CD-R to the New York-based band Animal Collective that his commercial musical career took off. He attended Beverly Hills High School in Beverly Hills, California. Later attending the School of Art at the California Institute of the Arts.

Married to Alisa Daniels, July 2002 - they divorced in 2005. He lived with Geneva Jacuzzi for seven years until early 2011.

He has since caught the attention of various media sources, especially in the Los Angeles area. As most of his albums are self-made, many of them have never been heard by fans. The only albums which have been commercially released come from his "Haunted Graffiti" series and are thus the best known.

Pink produces and plays almost all of his own music, and is noted for creating drum sounds using primarily his mouth, and sometimes his armpits. His home recording technique gives his music a very lo-fi sound, to the point where new listeners may mistake the era of his music.

Pink cites R. Stevie Moore--friend, mentor, and "father of home recording"--as one of his major influences. He is sometimes associated with the New Weird America movement, and could also be considered an embodiment of 'The New Sincerity'. Pink boasts a cult following and endorsements from more widely known artists such as fellow Paw Tracks artists Animal Collective.

Aside from his music, Pink also makes semi-abstract and surreal grotesque drawings, which can be purchased from his unofficial website, ARIEL PINK haunted house, for a hefty price.

Picture Me Gone
Ariel Pink Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Let's make a toast to glory days
When you were 8 and I was only 41
I dedicate this selfie to the little guy
Who will outlast me when I'm done

Look into my camera lens
And straight through me I see that you're a lot like me
You never get attention and you never get a pension

Or your dad's money

Picture me gone
Picture me gone, picture me gone
Picture me gone, picture me gone
Picture me gone
Picture me gone

Picture me gone, picture me gone
Picture me gone
Picture me gone

I backed up all my pictures on my iCloud
So you can't see me when I die
I left my body somewhere down in Mexico
Give "Find My iPhone" app a try

Let's make a toast to glory days
When you were 8 and I was only 45
I dedicate to this selfie to the little guy
Who will outlast me when I'm done

Picture me gone
Picture me gone, picture me gone
Picture me gone, picture me gone
Picture me gone
Picture me gone

Picture me gone, picture me gone
Picture me gone
Picture me gone

Picture me gone
Picture me gone, picture me gone
Picture me gone, picture me gone
Picture me gone
Picture me gone

Picture me gone, picture me gone
Picture me gone
Picture me gone

Picture me gone
Picture me gone, picture me gone
Picture me gone, picture me gone
Picture me gone
Picture me gone

Picture me gone, picture me gone

Picture me gone
Picture me gone

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Ariel Pink's "Picture Me Gone" are reflective and contain a deep sense of contemplation about mortality, the fleeting nature of life, and how we are remembered. The first verse begins with celebrating the past and the memories of good times shared. The reference to the age difference between the singer and the person they speak to implies a sense of generational gap, and how the younger person might outlast the older. The dedication of the selfie to the little guy, who will outlast the singer when he's done, suggests a kind of continuity, a passing of the torch.

The second verse delves deeper into the concept of mortality and identity. The camera lens is a metaphor for looking into someone's soul, and the singer sees himself reflected in the other person. The line 'you never get attention, and you never get a pension, or your dad's money' highlights the transient nature of fame and privilege, further emphasizing that everyone, no matter who they are, ends up in the same place in the end. The repeated refrain of "picture me gone" is like a mantra that reminds us of our limited time on earth and the inevitability of our disappearance.

The final verse focuses on the aftermath of death, specifically how technology preserves our digital selves long after our physical selves are gone. The iCloud reference speaks to how we try to immortalize ourselves, but the line 'so you can't see me when I die' suggests a kind of finality that can never be avoided. The use of humor and irony throughout the song doesn't detract from the gravity of the subject matter, but instead accentuates it by highlighting the absurdity of our attempts to cheat death.

Line by Line Meaning

Let's make a toast to glory days
Let's celebrate the good old days

When you were 8 and I was only 41
When you were a child and I was middle-aged

I dedicate this selfie to the little guy
I'm taking this photo for someone who may not know me after I'm gone

Who will outlast me when I'm done
Who will live longer than me after I'm gone

Look into my camera lens
Pay attention to the camera

And straight through me I see that you're a lot like me
I can see that you and I have a lot in common

You never get attention and you never get a pension
You don't get recognized and you don't get paid well

Or your dad's money
You don't have access to your father's wealth