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.
See What She Seeing
Dirty Projectors Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lower than mornings before
I don't know memories tortured
Or maybe what I deserve
Lonely and forgotten in the frozen world
Scorned in my desire
Ignored by all the girls
I need someone to comfort me
Whose hair is whipping (wide open)
Whose mouth is smiling (wide open)
Whose eyes are shining looking at me and
I can see what she seeing
Everywhere I go I see her
Everywhere I look she disappears
Every time I think I've found her
Just what I've found is unclear
So onward through the murk and the uncertainty
Sifting through the days patient and carefully
Always to get to where she is
Her hair is whipping (wide open)
Her mouth is smiling (wide open)
Her eyes are shining looking at me and
I can see what she seeing
Yeah yeah
I can see what she seeing
Yeah yeah
I can see what she seeing
But you can't see me
Tell me the way to the orchid
Tell me the way and I'll be there
Give me a day to go forward
Give me your hand and we'll go there
Forward through the clover and the bergamot
Shoreward to the gulls and to the guillemots
Horizon alone among the wind
Her hair is whipping (wide open)
Whose mouth is smiling (wide open)
Her eyes are shining looking at me and
I can see what she seeing
Yeah yeah
I can see what she seeing
Yeah yeah
I can see what she seeing
Yeah yeah
I can see what she seeing
Yeah yeah
I can see what she seeing
The lyrics to Dirty Projectors' song "See What She Seeing" seem to be about a person who is constantly searching for someone who they feel a connection with, but is always just out of reach. The verses describe feelings of being lost and alone, feeling forgotten and ignored by those around them. The chorus introduces the idea of someone else who is looking at them and smiling, with shining eyes, and the singer can see what that person is seeing. This person gives the singer some hope, as they are finally able to connect with someone on a deeper level.
The bridge of the song introduces a sense of urgency, with the singer pleading for help in finding this person, and saying that they will go anywhere to be with them. The last verse continues with this theme of searching, with the singer pushing forward through difficult terrain to try and find this person. The final repetition of the chorus takes on a different tone, with the singer confidently stating that they can see what the other person is seeing, which could be interpreted as finally finding the connection they have been looking for.
Overall, "See What She Seeing" is a song about the search for connection and the hope that comes with finally finding it. The lyrics are somewhat abstract and open to interpretation, but they seem to convey a sense of longing and a desire to connect with others.
Line by Line Meaning
Mornings I wake up hung over
Every morning, I wake up feeling sad and regretful about something I did the night before
Lower than mornings before
My mood and energy level is even worse than previous mornings
I don't know memories tortured
I am haunted by bad memories but I am not sure what exactly is causing me pain
Or maybe what I deserve
I wonder if my current state of misery is a result of things I have done and if I deserve this punishment
Lonely and forgotten in the frozen world
I feel alone and abandoned in a cold, unforgiving world
Scorned in my desire
My desires have been rejected and I feel criticized for wanting what I want
Ignored by all the girls
No girls pay attention to me or show any interest in me
I need someone to comfort me
I crave comfort and companionship from someone who understands and cares about me
Whose hair is whipping (wide open)
I see a person with wild and free-flowing hair
Whose mouth is smiling (wide open)
I see a person with an open and joyful smile
Whose eyes are shining looking at me and
I see a person with bright and attentive eyes who seems to be looking right at me
I can see what she seeing
I feel a connection with this person and I understand what she is feeling and seeing at that moment
Everywhere I go I see her
I feel like I am constantly searching for this person and I see her everywhere I turn
Everywhere I look she disappears
As soon as I think I have found her, she vanishes before my eyes
Every time I think I've found her
I constantly have hope that I will find this person who seems so important to me
Just what I've found is unclear
Every time I think I have found her, I am not quite sure if it is truly her or if it's something else
So onward through the murk and the uncertainty
I push forward despite the confusion and darkness surrounding my search for this person
Sifting through the days patient and carefully
I search carefully and methodically through each day, hoping to find any clues that will lead me closer to her
Always to get to where she is
My ultimate goal is to find this person and be with her
Tell me the way to the orchid
I am asking for guidance to find something beautiful and rare like an orchid
Tell me the way and I'll be there
If someone could show me how to find it, I would go to great lengths to get there
Give me a day to go forward
I am asking for more time to make progress towards finding this person or the orchid
Give me your hand and we'll go there
I am asking for someone to come with me on this search and to offer me support and guidance
Forward through the clover and the bergamot
I am moving ahead through colorful and fragrant landscapes, hoping to find this person
Shoreward to the gulls and to the guillemots
I am moving towards the shore where I hope to find this person or the orchid
Horizon alone among the wind
I feel like I am searching for something that is far away and unreachable, and I am doing it alone
Yeah yeah I can see what she seeing
I continue to feel a connection with this person and I understand what she is feeling and seeing at that moment
But you can't see me
Even though I feel connected to this person, she is not able to see me or recognize the depth of my feelings for her
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
Written by: DAVID LONGSTRETH, AMBER COFFMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind