Deerhoof is an American independent music group formed in San Francisco in … Read Full Bio ↴Deerhoof is an American independent music group formed in San Francisco in 1994. While it began as an improvisational bass/harmonica solo project of Rob Fisk (subsequently in 7 Year Rabbit Cycle, Common Eider, King Eider), it currently consists of founding drummer Greg Saunier, bassist and singer Satomi Matsuzaki, and guitarists John Dieterich and Ed Rodriguez. Initially performing improvised noise punk, Deerhoof became widely renowned and influential in the 2000s through self-produced creative output combining "noise, sugary [pop] melodies, and an experimental spirit into utterly distinctive music". They have released a dozen or more studio albums since 1997; their album "Mountain Moves" was released in September 2017.

Pitchfork labeled Deerhoof as "the best band in the world.” The New York Times described them as “one of the most original rock bands to have come along in the last decade.” From their humble beginnings as an obscure San Francisco noise act, they've become one of indie music's most influential bands with their ecstatic and unruly take on pop.

http://www.deerhoof.net
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Red Dragon
Deerhoof Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

When I was asleep
I saw my camera frog
When I go back
I want to see her again

Put the picture of what you want to dream
Under your pillow and have a good night

Ba-ba-ba
Ba-ba-ba
Ba-ba bye-bye

When I was alive
I had six children
When they come back
I want to see them again

Put a picture of me upon your wall
I stare at you and you have a good life

Ba-ba-ba

Ba-ba-ba
Ba-ba bye-bye

Overall Meaning

The song "Red Dragon" by Deerhoof is a dreamy and surrealistic tune with a relatively uncomplicated structure. The lyrics demonstrate the idea of a blurred line between reality and dreams. The initial verse, "When I was asleep, I saw my camera frog. When I go back, I want to see her again," suggests the singer had a dream or a vision where they saw a frog through the lens of their camera. The camera frog can be interpreted as an emblem of the imagination. The next verse deals with a flashback to the singer's past, of having six children when they were alive, and how they would like to see them again. The lyrical repetition of the phrase "Ba-ba-ba, Ba-ba-ba, Ba-ba bye-bye" between the verses seems to allude to the transitory and quickly fleeting nature of time.

The chorus seems to offer a remedy for the yearning of the singer in the verses. The verse about the camera frog was all about capturing the image to hold on to, and the verse about having children once again was about living life in the present. The chorus presents two different ways of how to get what you want in a dream. Put the picture of what you want under your pillow before you head to sleep, and you can dream of it. As for life, put a picture of the person you want to see on your wall, and you know you have their vision at all times. The idea is that in life and dreams, one can access that which they want, but not without some preparation like putting the picture under the pillow or on the wall.

Line by Line Meaning

When I was asleep
During a period of rest, possibly unconsciousness

I saw my camera frog
In my slumber, I visualized an amphibian-shaped device used to capture images

When I go back
Upon my return to reality

I want to see her again
I desire to re-experience witnessing the camera frog in my dream

Put the picture of what you want to dream
Place an image of your desired vision beneath your pillow prior to sleeping

Under your pillow and have a good night
Lay your head down, rest easy, and let the dream commence

Ba-ba-ba
Onomatopoeic sound of a nonspecific noise

Ba-ba-ba
Reiteration of sound

Ba-ba bye-bye
Concluding phrase indicated end or goodbye

When I was alive
In the past during my existence

I had six children
I was a parent to six young individuals at one point in time