After the three founding members originally met in high school, a bassist and a drummer were found, and they all moved to a house in Silver Lake in 2008 to record their album. Their debut album as Local Natives, "Gorilla Manor", was released in the UK on November 2nd, 2009, and saw a US release date of February 16th, 2010. The band's sound has been described as "afropop-influenced guitars with hyperactive drumming and hooky three-part harmonies". They started to attract the attention of the music press after playing nine shows at the 2009 SXSW festival in Austin, Texas. Initial reviews of Local Natives have drawn favourable comparisons to Arcade Fire, Fleet Foxes and Vampire Weekend.
Utilizing lots of vocal harmonies and drifting, dreamlike melodies, Local Natives have an intricate sound based around the delicate interconnectedness of all of their parts. This gives the band a sound that is able to be orchestral while still feeling understated, evoking the carefully assembled pop of Grizzly Bear. Their debut, Gorilla Manor, arrived in 2009 through U.K. label Infectious Records (with a domestic release coming by way of Frenchkiss in 2010). In 2011, Andy Hamm left Local Natives, leaving them to continue on as a quartet. In 2013, the band returned with its sophomore album, Hummingbird, featuring the single "Breakers".
Official website: http://www.localnatives.com
Wide Eyes
Local Natives Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They told me how they fear it
Now they're placing it on their tongues
For to see it with my own eyes
For to see it with my own eyes
No food or water for the better part of ten months
Quietly he sat between the folds of a tree trunk
For to see it with my own eyes
All the men of faith and men of science had their questions
Could it ever be on earth as it is in heaven?
For to see it with my own eyes For to see it with my own eyes
The lyrics of Local Natives' song "Wide Eyes" are full of metaphorical and cryptic language, leaving much room for interpretation. The opening lines "Oh, some evil spirit, oh, some evil this way comes" evoke a sense of impending doom and warning, which is further emphasized by the line "They told me how they fear it." The following line "Now they're placing it on their tongues" suggests that whatever evil the singer is referring to is being consumed or internalized by those around them.
The chorus, "For to see it with my own eyes," repeats several times throughout the song, implying a desire for personal experience or validation. The verse "No food or water for the better part of ten months" builds on the sense of dread, as it hints at deprivation and desperation.
The verse "Quietly he sat between the folds of a tree trunk" is an intriguing image, hinting at secrecy, concealment, or observation. The following lines "All the men of faith and men of science had their questions/Could it ever be on earth as it is in heaven?" seem to touch on the age-old debate between religion and science, or perhaps the idea of impossible utopia. The repetition of the line "For to see it with my own eyes" at the end of each verse serves as a constant reinforcement of the theme.
Overall, "Wide Eyes" can be interpreted in a myriad of ways, as the lyrics allow for multiple meanings and possible interpretations. It's a melancholic and introspective song that leaves a haunting and thought-provoking impression.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, some evil spirit, oh, some evil this way comes
There is a looming sense of danger and darkness approaching.
They told me how they fear it
Others have warned me of the impending danger.
Now they're placing it on their tongues
The fear is becoming more tangible and real.
For to see it with my own eyes
I need to witness the danger myself to truly understand it.
No food or water for the better part of ten months
Enduring hardship and deprivation for a long period of time.
Quietly he sat between the folds of a tree trunk
Someone seeking solitude and hiding from the world.
All the men of faith and men of science had their questions
Even those who are knowledgeable and wise have uncertainties.
Could it ever be on earth as it is in heaven?
Wondering if the ideal could ever be attained in reality.
For to see it with my own eyes
The need for personal experience and understanding.
For to see it with my own eyes
Reiterating the importance of witnessing the situation firsthand.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ANDREW JEFFREY HAMM, KELCEY PAUL AYER, MATTHEW JAMES FRAZIER, RYAN CLINTON HAHN, TAYLOR DAVID RICE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@thomasgooden
#danthemanplaylists
LYRICS:
Oh some evil spirit,
Oh some evil this way comes.
They told me how they fear it,
Now they're placing it on their tongues.
Oh to see it with my own eyes.
Oh to see it with my own eyes.
No food or water,
For the better part of ten months.
Quietly he sat,
Between the folds of a tree trunk.
Oh to see it with my own eyes.
Oh to see it with my own eyes.
All the men of faith,
And men of science, have their questions.
Could it ever be on Earth,
As it is in heaven?
Oh to see it with my own eyes.
Oh to see it with my own eyes.
@Curtleeeee
I literally haven't heard this song in 3 years and it suddenly popped back into my head, how I have missed you Local Natives.
@joetraw2110
Oh hi - I just had the same experience 7 years later lol. You should go down another Local Natives hole
@pumitriii6160
this song always gets in my head for no reason. such great guitar
@Clipcasting
most underrated band of all time
@simeonyetarian8510
Keep it that way, mainstream turned musicians often dissapoint us
@Clipcasting
@Simeon Yetarian this is true
@johnathanfaircloth9639
Too many of those to count.
@LumaFlow
local natives is the best band ever. they create the most complex, beautiful, meaningful songs yet never take themselves too seriously. not what i would have expected at all for a video for this song either, but it's hilarious and i appreciate the sense of humor that they have
@holyaura9317
Man I love that sweet guitar tone. Local natives all day
@nicholasgraveline7384
Yesir!!! Also, gravity falls rocks.