Le Tigre was known for its left-wing politics and feminist lyrics, as well as adding multimedia and performance art to their live shows. As of 2010, Kathleen Hanna now plays in The Julie Ruin.
Phanta
Le Tigre Lyrics
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Been waiting here
Transporter broken
Horizon's clear
(DAY ONE)
No vegetation
Whatever was here
Has been disappeared
Now here's alright
Now here's alright
(DAY TWO)
Wait tower
Radar's going off
I see a small creature
Who can barely walk
My data says "large"
But what I see is small
Text reads "Big Danger"
But this just looks tired
Now here's alright
Now here's alright
(DAY THREE)
Come in tower
All our data's wrong
Research inconsistent
We misread it all
There was no monster
And what's left is near dead
Control killed a phantom
From inside their heads
Nowhere's alright
Nowhere's alright
Nowhere's alright
Nowhere's alright
The song "Phanta" by Le Tigre is a commentary on colonialism, specifically the discovery and exploitation of so-called "new" lands and the people and creatures who inhabit them. The lyrics depict an alien planet being observed and catalogued, with the singer relaying their observations back to a command center, seemingly in a scientific or military capacity. However, as the song progresses, it becomes clear that the data being collected is flawed, and the "large" and "dangerous" creature they thought they had discovered is actually small and harmless. The final revelation is that the scientists had effectively created a false narrative of a monster in their own minds, and in doing so, had destroyed something innocent and gentle.
Line by Line Meaning
4 months + 8 days
The amount of time that the singer has been waiting.
Been waiting here
The singer has been waiting in the same location for 4 months and 8 days.
Transporter broken
The equipment that the singer was relying on to leave the location is broken.
Horizon's clear
There is nothing to see on the horizon.
No vegetation
There is no plant life in the area that the singer is in.
Blips on my screen
The singer is monitoring the area and sees activity on the screen.
Whatever was here
Something was previously in the location.
Has been disappeared
Whatever used to be there is now gone.
Now here's alright
The current situation is acceptable.
Wait tower
The artist is trying to communicate with a tower.
Radar's going off
The radar is detecting something unusual.
I see a small creature
The artist sees a small organism.
Who can barely walk
The creature is having difficulty moving.
My data says "large"
According to the information the singer has, the creature should be large in size.
But what I see is small
The creature the singer is observing is not large in size.
Text reads "Big Danger"
The information the artist has indicates that the creature should be dangerous.
But this just looks tired
The creature appears to be exhausted rather than dangerous.
Come in tower
The singer is trying to establish communication with the tower again.
All our data's wrong
The information that the singer received from the tower was incorrect.
Research inconsistent
The data that the artist collected is not consistent with their expectations.
We misread it all
The information was misinterpreted.
There was no monster
The creature that the artist thought was dangerous was not actually a monster.
And what's left is near dead
The organism is almost dead.
Control killed a phantom
The artist's mind created a false image of danger due to the lack of information and the stress of being in the location.
From inside their heads
The false image was created by their own mind.
Nowhere's alright
The place where the singer is, is not a good place to be in.
Nowhere's alright
The situation is not okay.
Nowhere's alright
The artist is stuck in a dangerous, hopeless situation.
Nowhere's alright
The ending is not optimistic.
Lyrics © TERRORBIRD PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: JOHANNA FATEMAN, KATHLEEN M HANNA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind