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.
Maybe That Was It
Dirty Projectors Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Some part doing what some other part will not
Maybe that was it
If you saw a shadow rise above the hiss
Iridescent and pretend anonymous
Maybe that was it
Cylinders of language pounded into bricks
Maybe that was it
If you saw an animal in hard retreat
Hundred parasites all burrowed in deep
Maybe that was it
The lyrics of Dirty Projectors's song "Maybe That Was It" are filled with mysterious and cryptic imagery that leaves much to interpretation. The opening lines immediately create a vivid and unsettling picture of a surface that is rotting and decaying, with some parts of it functioning in ways that others will not. This can be interpreted as a metaphor for society, where there are layers and societal structures that may not always work in tandem with one another, and some may cause decay and rot. The next verse describes a shadow rising above a hiss, which could be interpreted as a symbol of something sinister lurking beneath the surface of things. The mention of "pretend anonymous" adds to this feeling of unease and suggests that the figure is trying to conceal itself.
The third verse is possibly the most abstract, with talk of a weapon that can smoothy transfixed and cylinders of language that are pounded into bricks. This could be a metaphor for the power of language and the dangerous effects it can have when wielded like a weapon. Lastly, the fourth verse talks about an animal in retreat with a hundred parasites burrowed inside, which could be interpreted as a symbol for vulnerability and the feeling of being consumed by one's problems.
Overall, the lyrics of "Maybe That Was It" are open to multiple interpretations and leave the listener with a sense of ambiguity and unease. It could be seen as a reflection on societal decay, the dangers of language, or the vulnerability of being consumed by one's problems.
Line by Line Meaning
If you saw the surface rip and bloom with rot
If you witnessed corruption spreading from within
Some part doing what some other part will not
Parts of a system not functioning together
Maybe that was it
This is the explanation for a certain phenomenon
If you saw a shadow rise above the hiss
If you noticed something suspicious occurring
Iridescent and pretend anonymous
Something appearing as if it is trying to hide its true identity
Maybe that was it
This is the explanation for a certain phenomenon
If you saw a weapon that so smoothly transfixed
If you witnessed a tool or strategy that was able to effortlessly achieve its goal
Cylinders of language pounded into bricks
The creation of solid, unchanging language
Maybe that was it
This is the explanation for a certain phenomenon
If you saw an animal in hard retreat
If you noticed a creature struggling to escape or survive
Hundred parasites all burrowed in deep
Numerous factors consuming or draining resources, making survival more difficult
Maybe that was it
This is the explanation for a certain phenomenon
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
Written by: David Donnell Longstreth
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind