Sacred Trickster
Sonic Youth Lyrics
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Don't you love me yet?
Press up against the amp
Turn up the treble, don't forget
Getting dizzy, sitting around
Sacred trickster in a really tight sound
Noise nomads and me
Levitating on the ground
Uh huh
Uh huh
Uh huh
Uh huh
What's it like to be a girl in a band?
I don't quite understand
That's so quaint to hear
I feel so faint my dear
Doing nothing, sitting around
Sacred trickster in another tight sound
I wish I could be music on a tree
Noise nomads and me
Levitating, spinning around
In Sonic Youth's song "Sacred Trickster," the singer is longing for transcendence through music. The repeated line "I want you to levitate me" suggests a desire for escape and elevation above the mundane world. The plea "Don't you love me yet?" further underscores the need for connection and validation through music. The second verse turns to a more commentary-like tone, with the singer asking "What's it like to be a girl in a band?" as if to highlight the rarity and importance of female musicians. However, the question is followed by a dismissive response, "That's so quaint to hear," implying a frustration with shallow conversations about gender in music.
Throughout the song, the music itself is emphasized as a way to achieve this desired transcendence. The lyric "Press up against the amp / Turn up the treble" suggests a physical, almost sexual, relationship to the music. The lines "Getting dizzy, sitting around / Sacred trickster in a really tight sound" continue this imagery of physical and sonic immersion. The final verse adds a more surreal element with the image of being "music on a tree," suggesting an escape both from the physical body and from the human world altogether.
Line by Line Meaning
I want you to levitate me
I want you to lift me out of my current state, to elevate me to new heights of creativity and understanding.
Don't you love me yet?
Don't you appreciate the passion and intensity that I bring to my music yet?
Press up against the amp
Get as close to the sound as possible, feel the vibrations and the power of the music.
Turn up the treble, don't forget
Make the music sharper, more focused, more piercing.
Getting dizzy, sitting around
Feeling overwhelmed by the monotony of everyday life, seeking excitement and escape through music.
Sacred trickster in a really tight sound
A reference to the band's experimental style, which explores the boundaries of noise and melody.
I wish I could be music on a tree
A desire to be at one with nature and to experience music in its purest form.
Noise nomads and me
Finding kinship with other free spirits and musical adventurers who value experimentation and creativity.
Levitating on the ground
Experiencing the transcendent power of music, even when rooted to the earth.
What's it like to be a girl in a band?
Wondering what it's like to be a woman in a male-dominated field, where the challenges and prejudices can be daunting.
I don't quite understand
Admitting a lack of insight into the unique struggles that women in music face.
That's so quaint to hear
Expressing a sense of sarcasm at the belittling or dismissive attitudes that some display towards female musicians.
I feel so faint my dear
Mocking the idea that women are weak or fragile, asserting strength and confidence in oneself.
Doing nothing, sitting around
Feeling trapped or bored, longing for a creative outlet to express oneself and escape.
Sacred trickster in another tight sound
Continuing to push the boundaries of musical experimentation, delving deeper into the mysterious and unknown realms of sound.
Levitating, spinning around
Feeling exhilarated by the power of creativity, swirling in an ecstasy of free expression and experimentation.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Kim Gordon, Lee Ranaldo, Steve Shelley, Thurston Moore
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
GlitcHead
Sonic Youth may not only be my favorite band name, but it may the most fitting band name there has ever been. Together for like 30 years with members in their 50s but they still play onstage with the vibrancy and attitude of punks in their 20s. As if it’s really their music that’s keeping them young. So The Eternal is a fitting title for band that’s been around for so long and remains consistent in quality and energy. And I suppose music allows all the best artists to live on forever.
Jack
This song actually existed for 20 years before the album came out. Listen to their Peel Session from 1989. The track’s called Major Label Chicken Feed.
tannenman
Trust me, If you liked their older stuff and not so much their newer stuff then this is for you. This CD is a lot better than anything they have come out with in the past 10 years I would say. I love this CD.
PanterAmetal100
Love Sonic Youth, bought today this album, kicks major ass! Sad to know they're on hiatus. Their music is so refreshing, soothing, and also aggressive is a subtle way, as if they're playing urban jungle classical music or something like that, but it's Sonic Youth anyway.
Hans Hansen
this song is 100% pure sonic youth. if you want a longer track... get the album! absolut perfect song, perfect video, perfect length. it could fit pefectly on dirty, goo or experimental jet set trash and no star.
lapdogwilly1
The new stuff rules.....I always consider "a thousand leaves to be the turning point in their catalogue".....the stuff before that album was incredible, but from that album onward they tweaked their style a bit and ended up becoming a different, but equally awesome band -- a little less harsh, a little more textural and mature..
Stephen Bradley
I tell ya when ,Kim Gordon comes through, in the last song of “Eternal”, it is soo fulfilling.You would die for her.Such a great album! If I can’t have Kim,I thank God for the sun (and my cat).
postalfreeek
DUDE!!! This is fucking awesome! I used to listed to the shit outta Sonic Youth when I was 14! I'm very glad to see that Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore are still making music in today's time!
Manuel Palacio
One of the best rock bands ever
Obiwannabe
This is a very different album for SY. Its not Sister or Evol or even Rather Ripped, its a step in a new direction. I guess i can see how it could sound the same to some people. Its a very refined sound SY is coming out with. You can actually HEAR there progression over 30 years.