Bat You'll Fly
Avey Tare and Panda Bear Lyrics


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Abby listen to the click of the
Fluorescence I found in sweet sad mouth
Weather was the Indian way
I bet you never have drov
(And run on to the village) I'll follow
('Cause happiness ain't bein') a swallow

(Am I late instead
When you wake up late
Found your Velcro shoes
It's a holiday
And run on to the village, I'll follow
'Cause happiness ain't bein' a swallow)

I'm tired, faint
On the old
Beware, it's there, she's here, smile
You'll find reasons
To power all the seasons
Power hope infuses the blood
The child dies

(Don't you worry, I'm your brother
Finch rise early, but you'll recover
I said, I said, I said, I said
Ma ma ma ma, ma ma ma ma
Ma ma ma ma, ma ma)

Look who's got a beautiful place
On the Avenue Saigon
Usually we have socks
And my compass to outdoor
(And crouch under a bush) like a mate-uh
('Cause happiness ain't lovin') it's winter

(On a summer day
There's a village way
And the leaves are golden
And the trees are colder
And crouch under a bush like a mate-uh
'Cause happiness ain't lovin' it's winter)

No more, bye. Thrown back out
Your plan on your hands, must carve into shape
Streets are powered with people lovin'
Words are destined to break down and bats will fly

(And if there's trouble, I'm your brother
You'll talk subtle, but that's a cover
I said, I said, I said, I said
Ma ma ma ma, ma ma ma ma
Ma ma ma ma, ma ma)

Lame, lame
The doctor only picks what he wants
Sage
So give it to the preacher now
Mad in here, was welling from the westering wing
A moment rang
Your mother's said your girl is gone

(I could have told you (to be livin' in the (place like one?)
I could have told you (you better let the building run)
I could have told you (to be livin' at the building now)
I could have told you (to be livin' in a building)

Swallow do you want to come home
And we'll ride in my buggy
Take me 'cross the Indian waves
And we'll swim with the great whites
(But you can still think back to) the wild
('Cause happiness was being) a child

(Now house is bare
And your mother, lonely
And your village cries
'Cause the kid is older
But you can still think back to the wild
'Cause happiness was being a child)

My bones see for your eyes.
When you retire, she's here, smile
You'll find razors, the doubt always saves 'em
I am the reason that the child dies

(Every morning I'm your brother
Memories push you to paint another
I said, I said, I said, I said
Ma ma ma ma, ma ma ma ma
Ma ma ma ma, ma ma)

Bang, nail, a doctor only preach like one
Space, so give it to the preacher now
Madeline, is hanging from the west-wing field, and
A moment rang and the moment said, "your girl is gone"

(I could have told you (to be little in the pouring down)
I could have told you (to be little in the living red sun)
I could have told you (to be livin' in the pounding drum)
I could have told you (to be livin', off far away)

Don't you pray if it's only the play then
Writhe its stampings into the ground, yeah
I won't wait for you in a mural if
You won't wait for me in Albania





I feel so elusive in Houston
You feel so exclusive in Houston

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Bat You'll Fly" by Avey Tare and Panda Bear are full of vivid and surreal images, and some of them might be hard to make sense of at first. The song seems to be a meditation on childhood, memory, and nostalgia, with the lyrics moving back and forth between different times and places.


The song starts with a disconnected image of "the click of the Fluorescence," suggesting a sterile and artificial environment, perhaps a hospital or a laboratory. The second line, "I found in sweet sad mouth," creates a sense of paradox and contrast, implying both pleasure and pain. The next line switches abruptly to "Weather was the Indian way," evoking a sense of natural harmony and tradition. The whole verse is filled with enigmatic phrases like "I bet you never have drov" and "happiness ain't bein' a swallow," which resist easy interpretation but convey a dream-like, impressionistic quality.


The chorus shifts to a more playful and whimsical tone, with lines like "Found your Velcro shoes, it's a holiday" and "crouch under a bush like a mate-uh." The idea of happiness being associated with winter rather than summer, being a child rather than an adult, and being a swallow rather than a human suggests a rejection of conventional wisdom and a celebration of unconventional perspectives.


The second verse introduces more dark and ominous images, with the line "The child dies" being particularly haunting. The lyrics "don't you worry, I'm your brother" and "Finch rise early, but you'll recover" offer a glimmer of hope and comfort, but also hint at a possible tragedy or loss.


The song concludes with a sequence of cryptic images like "My bones see for your eyes" and "I am the reason that the child dies," which leave the listener with a sense of eerie uncertainty and ambiguity.


Overall, "Bat You'll Fly" is a complex and intriguing song that rewards repeated listening and close attention to its rich lyrics and evocative imagery.


Line by Line Meaning

Abby listen to the click of the
Abby, pay attention to the sound of the clicking noise


Fluorescence I found in sweet sad mouth
There was a fluorescent light inside someone's mouth that was both sweet and sad


Weather was the Indian way
The weather was following the traditional Indian way


I bet you never have drov
I bet you've never driven


(And run on to the village) I'll follow
I'll follow you as you run towards the village


('Cause happiness ain't bein') a swallow
Being a swallow isn't what makes one happy


(Am I late instead
Did I arrive too late


When you wake up late
When you wake up later than usual


Found your Velcro shoes
Discovered your shoes that have Velcro fasteners


It's a holiday
It's a day off from work or school


And run on to the village, I'll follow
We'll both run towards the village together


('Cause happiness ain't bein' a swallow)
Being a swallow isn't something that makes one happy


I'm tired, faint
I'm tired and weak


On the old
On old things


Beware, it's there, she's here, smile
Be careful, she (something or someone) is present and smiling


You'll find reasons
You'll find explanations


To power all the seasons
To control all the seasons


Power hope infuses the blood
Hope gives energy to people


The child dies
The child has passed away


(Don't you worry, I'm your brother
Don't worry, I'm your brother


Finch rise early, but you'll recover
Finches wake up early, but you'll get better soon


I said, I said, I said, I said
I repeated myself many times


Ma ma ma ma, ma ma ma ma
Syllables that don't have any specific meaning


Look who's got a beautiful place
Look who has a nice home


On the Avenue Saigon
On the Saigon Avenue


Usually we have socks
We typically wear socks


And my compass to outdoor
And my compass for going outside


(And crouch under a bush) like a mate-uh
(And hide underneath a bush) like a friend


('Cause happiness ain't lovin') it's winter
Winter, not love, is what makes one happy


(On a summer day
On a day during summertime


There's a village way
There's a path that goes towards the village


And the leaves are golden
The leaves are a golden color


And the trees are colder
The trees feel colder


And crouch under a bush like a mate-uh
And hide underneath a bush like a friend


('Cause happiness ain't lovin' it's winter)
Winter, not love, is what makes one happy


No more, bye. Thrown back out
No more, goodbye. Cast out


Your plan on your hands, must carve into shape
Your plan in your hands, you must shape it


Streets are powered with people lovin'
Streets are filled with people who love each other


Words are destined to break down and bats will fly
Words are meant to fail and chaos will ensue


(And if there's trouble, I'm your brother
If there's any trouble, I'm your brother


You'll talk subtle, but that's a cover
You'll speak quietly, but that's misleading


Lame, lame
Terrible, terrible


The doctor only picks what he wants
The doctor only chooses what he wants


Sage
Wise


So give it to the preacher now
Give it to the preacher immediately


Mad in here, was welling from the westering wing
Something is wrong here, and it's coming from the west wing


A moment rang
A moment passed


Your mother's said your girl is gone
Your mother has told you that your girlfriend has left


(I could have told you (to be livin' in the (place like one?)
I could have told you to live in a place like this one


I could have told you (you better let the building run)
I could have warned you to let the building continue operating


I could have told you (to be livin' at the building now)
I could have told you to live within the building right now


I could have told you (to be livin' in a building)
I could have told you to live within a building


Swallow do you want to come home
Swallow, do you want to return home


And we'll ride in my buggy
And we'll travel in my cart


Take me 'cross the Indian waves
Carry me across the Indian waves


And we'll swim with the great whites
And we'll swim with the great white sharks


(But you can still think back to) the wild
You can still think back to the untamed wilderness


('Cause happiness was being) a child
The things that made one happy were those of childhood


(Now house is bare
Now the house is empty


And your mother, lonely
And your mother is alone


And your village cries
And your village is mourning


'Cause the kid is older
Because the child has grown up


('Cause happiness was being a child)
The things that made one happy were those of childhood


My bones see for your eyes.
I use my bones to see on your behalf


When you retire, she's here, smile
When you stop working, she (something or someone) is here and smiling


You'll find razors, the doubt always saves 'em
You'll encounter razor blades, and doubt will save you from them


I am the reason that the child dies
I am the cause of the child's death


(Every morning I'm your brother
Every morning, I'm your brother


Memories push you to paint another
Memories inspire you to create another painting


Bang, nail, a doctor only preach like one
The sound of banging nails, and the doctor only preaches about it


Space, so give it to the preacher now
There's space, so give it to the preacher immediately


Madeline, is hanging from the west-wing field, and
Madeline is suspended from the west wing field, and


A moment rang and the moment said, "your girl is gone"
A moment passed, and that moment conveyed the message that your girlfriend has left


(I could have told you (to be little in the pouring down)
I could have told you to be small amidst a heavy rain


I could have told you (to be little in the living red sun)
I could have told you to be small when facing the living red sun


I could have told you (to be livin' in the pounding drum)
I could have told you to live inside the pounding drum


I could have told you (to be livin', off far away)
I could have told you to live far away


Don't you pray if it's only the play then
Don't waste your time praying if it's not sincere


Writhe its stampings into the ground, yeah
Twist around and press its imprints into the soil, yeah


I won't wait for you in a mural if
I won't linger for you in a wall painting if


You won't wait for me in Albania
You won't wait for me in Albania


I feel so elusive in Houston
I feel so hard to grasp or find in Houston


You feel so exclusive in Houston
You feel so important or unique in Houston




Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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