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.
No Intention
Dirty Projectors Lyrics
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You blinked and closed your eyes
You like the feeling of Saturday
You love the danger in the night
The restless corpse is collapsed wind
The breath is daffodil
What not become what is lapsing
Into the universal fill
No intention
Or maybe just
No intention
Woah yeah woah
When I am full with endeavor
Nothing can stop
The freshness of my reality
Makes me feel tingly and hot
When you wake up shouting "Idea!"
Is that a punishment?
You represent saying, "I'm real,"
But is that what you meant
Maybe you meant
No intention
Maybe you meant
No intention
Woah ah woah
No intention
No intention
Woah ah woah
The lyrics to Dirty Projectors' "No Intention" seem to speak to the idea of surrendering oneself to the moment without any specific objective or purpose. The first verse speaks of a "renegade" who is satisfied with their actions and enjoys the danger that comes with living on the edge. The image of a "restless corpse" and "daffodil breath" evoke the idea of fleetingness and beauty, perhaps suggesting that life itself is inevitably temporary and therefore should be lived to the fullest.
The second verse continues with the theme of surrendering to the moment, with the singer describing the feeling of being so consumed by their own passion that nothing can stop them. However, they question whether this fervor is a positive or negative thing, asking whether waking up with a sudden "Idea" is really a punishment or a blessing. The final lines of the chorus, repeating "No intention" over and over, suggest that sometimes the act of living in the moment can be enough, without needing any specific goal or objective.
Line by Line Meaning
The renegade feeling satisfied
A person who defies norms is content with breaking the rules
You blinked and closed your eyes
You missed the chance to see what was happening
You like the feeling of Saturday
You enjoy the sense of freedom and relaxation associated with weekends
You love the danger in the night
You find excitement and thrill in the unknown and unpredictable environments of nighttime
The restless corpse is collapsed wind
The lifeless body is merely a motionless and powerless object
The breath is daffodil
The exhaling of breath is sweet and fragrant, akin to a springtime flower
What not become what is lapsing
What was once a potential reality is now dwindling and fading away
Into the universal fill
Becoming a part of everything and everyone
Or maybe just
No intention
Perhaps there is no purpose or goal in this situation
When I am full with endeavor
Nothing can stop
When I am completely focused on achieving something, nothing can impede my progress
The freshness of my reality
Makes me feel tingly and hot
The newness and vibrancy of my current state of existence is both invigorating and exciting
When you wake up shouting "Idea!"
Is that a punishment?
When you suddenly awake with inspiration, is it a blessing or a curse?
You represent saying, "I'm real,"
But is that what you meant
You portray yourself as authentic, but is that the true message you are conveying?
Maybe you meant
No intention
Perhaps there was no underlying motive or objective behind your previous actions or words
No intention
Lacking any purpose or goal
No intention
Lacking any purpose or goal
Woah ah woah
An exclamation of emotion or emphasis
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
Written by: DAVID DONNELL LONGSTRETH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind