Jurado's solo career began during the mid-1990s, releasing lo-fi folk based recordings on his own cassette-only label, Casa Recordings, beginning in 1995.
Jurado often makes use of found-sound and field-recording techniques, and has experimented with different forms of tape recordings. In 2000 he released Postcards and Audio Letters, a collection of found audio letters and fragments that he had found from sources such as thrift store tape players and answering machines. Also released in 2000 was Ghost of David,, Jurado's bleakest and most personal sounding record to date. I Break Chairs, (2002) was produced by long time friend, David Bazan. It was his last album for Sub Pop, and was a much rockier, electric affair. After signing for the Indiana-based label Secretly Canadian, Damien Jurado reverted to his trademark folk ballad-based style, releasing six more albums: Where Shall You Take Me? (2003), On My Way To Absence (2005), And Now That I'm In Your Shadow (2006), Caught in the Trees (2008), Saint Bartlett (2010) and Maraqopa (2012).
Official blog: iamcaughtinthetrees.blogspot.com
Purple Anteater
Damien Jurado Lyrics
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Winging one night I'm slight
Open eyes just to see the people
That you don't play at all
See them fall
When you think it's easy
Just believe you're deceived
The anteater waits for the bus
He's waiting for his mom
Where's she gone?
So he sits on by the phone
Feeling tired and alone
When will she appear?
It's not clear
When you think it's easy
Just believe you're deceived
The anteater waits for the bus
He's waiting for his mom
Where's she gone?
The lyrics of Damien Jurado's song "Purple Anteater" present us with an enigmatic and surrealistic scene of a purple anteater waiting on the corner. This animal is not commonly found on corners, and this unexpected image suggests that there may be a deeper symbolic meaning to the song. The anteater is described as waiting for the bus, and later, for his mom who seems to be missing. The lyrics present a sense of confusion, loneliness and uncertainty all around.
The mood of the song is enhanced by the melancholic melody and the subdued instrumentation, which contributes to a sense of desolation and emptiness that permeates the lyrics. The chorus "When you think it's easy / Just believe you're deceived" underscores the sense of disillusionment and frustration that the singer may be experiencing.
Overall, "Purple Anteater" invites us to reflect upon our own feelings of alienation, uncertainty, and vulnerability in a world that can seem strange, confusing, and disorienting.
Line by Line Meaning
Purple anteater waits on the corner
The purple anteater is waiting at the corner, unsure of what to do.
Winging one night I'm slight
I am flying on a night when I feel insignificant.
Open eyes just to see the people
I open my eyes but what I see is a crowd that doesn't care.
That you don't play at all
These people are living their lives without any regard for me.
See them fall
I witness their downfall.
When you think it's easy
It may seem easy but it's not.
Just believe you're deceived
If you think it's easy, then you're mistaken.
The anteater waits for the bus
The purple anteater waits at the bus stop.
He's waiting for his mom
He is waiting for his mother to arrive.
Where's she gone?
He wonders where his mother has gone.
So he sits on by the phone
He sits by the phone, hoping for a call.
Feeling tired and alone
He is exhausted and lonely.
When will she appear?
He wonders when his mother will arrive.
It's not clear
But the answer is not clear.
The anteater waits for the bus
The purple anteater continues to wait at the bus stop.
He's waiting for his mom
He is still waiting for his mother to arrive.
Where's she gone?
He still wonders where his mother has gone.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAMIEN JURADO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind