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.
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You Can See
Deerhoof Lyrics
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You can see through the walls so nothing is right.
There's a man in the cellar next door
And he's scratching the floor fifty miles away.
You didn't know him till today.
You're walking home and your heart has been drained.
But you're eyes have been newly trained.
It's incredible how you were ever blind.
Now you will always find
Rooms are connected,
Eyes are perfected,
Hey now now hey now now you can see.
Something you shouldn't be ,
Something suddenly free,
What will happen now?
If the eyes are too strong,
The horizon's too long.
I can see I can see,
But mama says it's wrong.
In the night I'll lose it.
It's not right but I'll use it.
I can see I can see.
As my lungs fill with air,
The whole world is laid bare,
What will happen to me?
The warning says you can see
You will forever riddle.
The lyrics to Deerhoof's song "You Can See" depict a surreal and eerie experience of a person who suddenly gains a supernatural ability to see through walls and great distances, yet is physically impaired. The first verse paints the picture of someone whose legs do not work and feels trapped or exposed under a bright light. The newfound ability to see through walls clashes with the person's sense of reality, making them feel disoriented and disturbed. The mention of a man in the cellar next door, scratching the floor fifty miles away, adds to the unsettling nature of the scene. The last line, "You didn't know him till today," suggests that the singer is undergoing an intense transformation that changes their worldview.
In the second verse, the singer's heart feels empty, yet their eyes are "newly trained," allowing them to see things they couldn't before. The roof becomes "invisible now," revealing a larger truth that the singer was previously unaware of. The chorus then celebrates the newly acquired vision, playing with the word "connected" to suggest a merging of internal and external realms. However, there is a foreboding sense of danger in the lyrics that follow, with the warning that "something you shouldn't be" has been set free. The singer's mother warns them that the newfound power is wrong, and even though they fully embrace it and feel liberated ("I can see I can see"), there is a sense that it may come with a cost.
Overall, the lyrics to "You Can See" evoke a sense of disorientation, transformation, and danger, with the singer undergoing an experience that changes their perception of reality forever.
Line by Line Meaning
Your legs don't work and you're caught in the light.
You're stagnant and stuck, paralyzed by something blindingly bright.
You can see through the walls so nothing is right.
You have insights that make the world look different, but the change is unsettling.
There's a man in the cellar next door
And he's scratching the floor fifty miles away.
You're aware of people's inner lives and they are close to you in a profound way, but geographically far.
You didn't know him till today.
You've discovered something utterly new, and there's no going back to the former state.
You're walking home and your heart has been drained.
You're tired and broken, almost depleted.
But you're eyes have been newly trained.
You're seeing things with a new and sharply focused perspective.
And the roof is invisible now,
It's incredible how you were ever blind.
You're able to see beyond the surface of things, and it's unbelievable how previously you couldn't perceive things that were always there.
Now you will always find
Rooms are connected,
Eyes are perfected,
Hey now now hey now now you can see.
You've discovered how everything is linked, and how all things have a purpose. Your vision is now calibrated to see the interconnectedness of all things.
Something you shouldn't be ,
Something suddenly free,
What will happen now?
You're experiencing something that feels liberating, but also threatening. You wonder what other possibilities lie ahead.
If the eyes are too strong,
The horizon's too long.
I can see I can see,
But mama says it's wrong.
If you are too perceptive, you'll see too far ahead and it will unsettle you. Though you can feel the illumination that insight brings, you also feel guilty for it, since your mother has taught you that being too aware is problematic.
In the night I'll lose it.
It's not right but I'll use it.
I can see I can see.
You recognize that you can't sustain this level of perception forever, but will use it to the fullest while it lasts.
As my lungs fill with air,
The whole world is laid bare,
What will happen to me?
With each breath comes expanded perceptivity, revealing more and more of the world's workings. You wonder how this will affect you.
The warning says you can see
You will forever riddle.
Being too adept can evoke problems and complexities, leaving you in a state of perpetual questioning and confusion.
Lyrics © TERRORBIRD PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: CHRISTOPHER ROBERT COHEN, GREGORY LOVELL SAUNIER, JOHN DIETERICH, SATOMI MATSUZAKI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind