Lennox grew up in the Roland Park section of Baltimore, Maryland. As a child, he played sports, and studied piano and cello. He later sang tenor in his high school chamber choir. After graduation, he attended Boston University but dropped out in 2000 and moved to New York where he dedicated himself to his music.
His first solo release was the self titled Panda Bear in 1998, which was released under Soccer Star Records, a label founded by fellow Animal Collective member, Deakin.
After its creation, Lennox focused on Animal Collective, putting his solo project aside. He picked it back up in 2004 and released Young Prayer that year. In 2007 he followed up with the critically acclaimed Person Pitch.
In Animal Collective, Noah was primarily responsible for percussion, although he has recently transitioned to working with samples in addition to contributing vocals and playing a variety of other instruments. He adopted the name Panda Bear from an early tape of his material, on which he drew a panda.
His more recent albums are Person Pitch (2007), Tomboy (2011), Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper (2015), Buoys (2019) and Reset (2022), a collaborative album with the producer Peter Kember (as known as Sonic Boom). This album is formally credited to Panda Bear & Sonic Boom.
Scheherazade
Panda Bear Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've seen it all behind
I see it at the sides
Though I've no point to try
But if I could do
Then what I would do to you
I see it in the night
I see it all the time
Though I might not desire
But if I could do
Then what I would do to you
In the song Scheherazade by Panda Bear, the lyrics depict a sense of longing and desire, yet with a sense of hopelessness in being able to fulfill those desires. The repetition of "I see it" throughout the song creates a persistent image of this desire, but the following lines of "Though I've no point to try," and "Though I might not desire" indicate a resignation to the inability to act upon those desires. The lines "I've seen it all behind" and "I see it up ahead" suggest a cyclical nature to these desires, perhaps indicating a feeling of being trapped in a never-ending cycle of longing and disappointment.
The repeated phrase "But if I could do / Then what I would do to you" serves to emphasize the intensity of these desires, while also acknowledging the impossibility of their fulfillment. The ambiguity of who or what is being referred to as "you" adds to the complexity of the lyrics, making it possible for the listener to interpret them in a variety of ways.
Line by Line Meaning
I see it up ahead
I have a vision of what's to come
I've seen it all behind
I've looked back on past experiences and learned from them
I see it at the sides
I am aware of the possibilities surrounding me
Though I've no point to try
Even though I may not have a reason to act on what I see
But if I could do
If I had the power or ability
Then what I would do to you
I would use that power on you
I see it in the day
I notice it during the day when everything is clear
I see it in the night
I notice it during the night when everything is hazy
I see it all the time
I am constantly aware of it
Though I might not desire
Even though I may not want it or be interested in it
But if I could do
If I had the power or ability
Then what I would do to you
I would use that power on you
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: NOAH BENJAMIN LENNOX
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind