The current lineup of Dirty Projectors is Dave Longstreth (vocals, guitar, other instruments), Nat Baldwin (bass), Mike Johnson (drums), Maia Friedman (guitar, keyboards, vocals), Felicia Douglass (percussion, keyboards, vocals), and Kristin Slipp (keyboards, vocals).
Based in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn with connections to the Portland, OR music scene, the group has produced a distinctive sound of electronic experimentation, melded with traditional instruments and harmonically complex vocals. Their recordings range from Prince-style one-man-recording-studio productions (The Glad Fact), to arranged orchestrations (the "Slaves' Graves" half of Slaves' Graves & Ballads), to basic voice over nylon-string guitar (the "Ballads" half of the aforementioned) to an amalgamation of all these tactics (the 'glitch opera' of The Getty Address and the mixed nature of New Attitude EP). Throughout, Longstreth's aggressively melodic vocals provide a consistent identity for otherwise widely divergent approaches to pop music. Longstreth claims influences ranging from Don Henley to Mariah Carey. The former's influence is most easily seen in The Getty Address album, which is a conceptual opera written from the point of view of Henley as a Spanish Conquistador, though the latter's vocal gymnastics clearly provide a clue to Longstreth's approach. Rise Above is an attempt to re-imagine the lyrics of Black Flag's DamagedDamaged album from memory over complex music that sees influence from the contemporary African blues and funk of such artists as Ali Farka Toure and Konono No. 1.
Members of Dirty Projectors collaborated with Björk to perform an original composition by Longstreth, written for five voices and acoustic guitar, as part of a charity concert to benefit Housing Works, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing shelter for homeless men, women, and children suffering from AIDS.
About to Die
Dirty Projectors Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And if you squint trying to reconnect the bosom of
Your hood rum love (hey baby)
You reach out and into the absence and gasping
The vastness grabs you like an alien embrace
Your face to it's face
No end and neither beginning you're spinning
Your breathless orb but in a dark and hateful star
Where would I ever be without you?
How could I hope to seize the tablet of values and redact it?
Foolish I know but I'm about to die
About to die
Your life must surely be ending and trembling
You realize you never lived a day at all (wait)
And it's all your fault (wow)
It all seems unspeakably vile and while
You wretch the memory above, you understood
The vandal lies into his hood
Where would I ever be without you?
How could I hope to seize the tablet of values and redact 'em?
Foolish I know but I'm about to die
About to die
Look there the goblins dressed up like a wound
Mutants are vagrant and hateful
Look there the mirror a zombie stands staring
Vacant and glaring pronouncing your name
As you're saying
About to die
Where would I ever be without you? (No fucking clue)
How could I hope to seize the tablet of values and redact it?
Foolish I know but I'm about to die
About to die
About to die
You're already dead
But you're about to die
(Damn, you got it)
(Alright awesome)
The song "About to Die" by Dirty Projectors is a haunting reflection on mortality and the search for meaning in life. The opening lines describe the feeling of being lost and disconnected, "If the search has been long and futile and brutal / And if you squint trying to reconnect the bosom of / Your hood rum love (hey baby) / You reach out and into the absence and gasping." The lyrics then continue to paint a picture of being alone in a vast and terrifying universe, "The vastness grabs you like an alien embrace / Your face to it's face / No end and neither beginning you're spinning / Your breathless orb but in a dark and hateful star / And evil world."
The chorus of the song is a desperate plea to a person who has brought meaning to the singer's life, "Where would I ever be without you? / How could I hope to seize the tablet of values and redact it? / Foolish I know but I'm about to die / About to die." The second verse takes a turn towards self-reflection, with the singer realizing that they have not lived their life to the fullest and feeling regret for wasted time, "Your life must surely be ending and trembling / You realize you never lived a day at all (wait) / And it's all your fault (wow) / It all seems unspeakably vile."
The song culminates in a surreal and eerie scene, with the singer encountering goblins, mutants, and a zombie in a mirror, all proclaiming the impending death of the singer. The song ends with a repeated refrain of "you're already dead, but you're about to die," leaving the listener with a sense of unease and contemplation.
Line by Line Meaning
If the search has been long and futile and brutal
If the search you've been on has been long, unsuccessful, and harsh
And if you squint trying to reconnect the bosom of
And if you squint, trying to reconnect with the comfort of
Your hood rum love (hey baby)
Your old distanced love that you're longing for
You reach out and into the absence and gasping
You extend your reach into the emptiness and struggle
The vastness grabs you like an alien embrace
The emptiness envelopes you like an unfamiliar embrace
Your face to it's face
You face it, meeting it on its own terms
No end and neither beginning you're spinning
There is no end or beginning, you're just spinning
Your breathless orb but in a dark and hateful star
Your breathless form is stuck in a world that is dark and hateful
And evil world
A cruel and wicked world
Where would I ever be without you?
I couldn't imagine where I'd be if it weren't for you
How could I hope to seize the tablet of values and redact it?
How could I hope to understand and edit the principles of life?
Foolish I know but I'm about to die
I know it's foolish, but I feel like I'm about to die.
Your life must surely be ending and trembling
You realize that your life is surely coming to an end and shaking
You realize you never lived a day at all (wait)
You understand that you've never truly lived your life (wait)
And it's all your fault (wow)
And you come to the realization that it's all your fault (wow)
It all seems unspeakably vile and while
Everything seems indescribably disgusting and wrong
You wretch the memory above, you understood
You recoil at the memory above, realizing
The vandal lies into his hood
The criminal speaks lies while hiding behind his hood
Look there the goblins dressed up like a wound
Look over there, the creatures dressed like a wound
Mutants are vagrant and hateful
Monstrous beings wander around filled with hate
Look there the mirror a zombie stands staring
Look in the mirror, a zombie stands staring
Vacant and glaring pronouncing your name
Empty and intense, it speaks out your name
As you're saying
At the very moment you're saying
About to die
I feel like I'm about to die.
Where would I ever be without you? (No fucking clue)
I have no idea where I'd be without you (not even a hint)
You're already dead
You're already dead
But you're about to die
But you feel like you're about to die
(Damn, you got it)
(Wow, you really understand)
(Alright awesome)
(Okay, that's great)
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
Written by: David Donnell Longstreth
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
qwuikness
I heard this song on WUVT yesterday for the first time in like 5 years and got the chills I was so happy haha
Sam Chaney
One of my favorite songs I've ever heard. It always puts a big grin on my face. The first time I heard it (I didn't know the title), I knew he was going to say "I'm about to die!" and I started singing along.
Cherry
Man the drums at the beginning is probably my favorite part
qwuikness
2:49 when the guitar part kicks in "where would I ever be without youuuuuu"
Wilson Allender
This whole album made me look at music differently
Carter !
this is a fascinating song
Alhena Gray
Oh god, this song is the best
reverandgreen
yes
pey hall
@reverandgreen yes
Joseph Clark
One of the realest songs I have ever heard.