Parks grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, US, where she "messed around with instruments in the house" and took up violin in the fourth grade, eventually teaching herself how to play the instrument by ear. When she discovered the violin playing style of Northeast Africa, her eyes opened to the possibilities of the instrument. "The way they played it was different from classical music. I resonated with the style, and I was like, 'Maybe I can use this style with electronic music,'" she says. She has released two projects to date, including the self-titled Sudan Archives in July 2017, and Sink in 2018, both on Stones Throw Records.
Pelicans in the summer
Sudan Archives Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How am I to love?
I′m living so much brighter
My little lightning bug
It's hard to see the light that you have
It hurts to see you down
You wander some place I didn′t see
I just want you to remember
I never lie, I never lie
Why don't you let it simmer?
You and I
Should stop playing a pretender
We′re soarin′ high on the sky
Like pelicans in the summer
You and I
A sharp fool, little lightning bugs
Now I have
Now I can't
Now I do
I do believe in shining things
But life is so much brighter
You′re not a wealthy man
You're my African boy
I just want you to remember
I never lie, I never lie
Why don′t you let it simmer?
You and I
Should stop playing a pretender
We're soarin′ high on the sky
Like pelicans in the summer
You and I
I just want you to remember
I never lie, I never lie
Why don't you let it simmer?
You and I
Should playing a pretender
We're soarin′ high on the sky
Like pelicans in the summer
You and I
Break it down for me, break it down
Break it down for me, break it
Break it down for me, break it down
Break it down for me, break it
In this song, Sudan Archives expresses a sense of anxiety towards love. The first line of the lyrics reads, "You give me anxiety, how am I to love?" which sets the tone for the rest of the song. The singer is hesitant to love because of this anxiety. However, the chorus reveals that the singer and the subject of the song are "soarin' high on the sky like pelicans in the summer." The singer ultimately decides to let go of her pretenses and fears and simply enjoy the moment with her lover.
The lyrics are constructed in a way that expresses a juxtaposition between light and dark. The singer mentions light a few times throughout the song, saying that she is living much brighter and that life is so much brighter, which could represent the good in the relationship. However, she also speaks of anxiety and the pain of seeing the subject of the song down, which could represent the bad. These opposing images create a unique image of the relationship, showing that love can be both good and bad.
Overall, the song highlights the obstacles that come with love, including anxiety, pretenses, and fear, but also shows that it's possible to let go of those fears and enjoy the good moments.
Line by Line Meaning
You give me anxiety
Your behavior causes me to worry and feel uneasy.
How am I to love?
I struggle to love you due to the anxiety you give me.
I′m living so much brighter
Since I left you, my life has become more vibrant and colorful.
My little lightning bug
You used to be a bright spot in my life, like a little lightning bug.
It's hard to see the light that you have
You have positive qualities, but they are difficult for me to see when we are together.
It hurts to see you down
It pains me to see you unhappy or struggling.
You wander some place I didn′t see
You seem lost or distant, in a way that I can't understand or relate to.
I'll track you with a sound
I'll try to find you or understand you using my intuition or sixth sense.
I just want you to remember
I want to remind you of something important.
I never lie, I never lie
You can trust that everything I tell you is true.
Why don't you let it simmer?
Why don't you give us both some time to think things over or calm down?
You and I
We need to work on our relationship together.
Should stop playing a pretender
We need to stop pretending to be someone we're not in order to impress or avoid each other.
We′re soarin′ high on the sky
When we're not weighed down by our problems, we feel free and full of possibility.
Like pelicans in the summer
Like majestic birds enjoying the warmth of the sun.
A sharp fool, little lightning bugs
We are both flawed but striking, like foolish but bright little insects.
Now I have
Now that we're apart, I have something that I didn't have before, such as clarity or a new perspective.
Now I can't
Now that we're apart, there are things I can't do or experience that I could when we were together.
Now I do
Now that we're apart, there are things I can do or experience that I couldn't when we were together.
I do believe in shining things
I believe in the power of positive and radiant things, which you used to be to me.
But life is so much brighter
Now that I'm not weighed down by our relationship, life is more vivid and joyful.
You′re not a wealthy man
You don't have a lot of money or material possessions.
You're my African boy
Despite your lack of wealth or status, you are still special and important to me.
Break it down for me, break it down
Please explain something to me in simpler terms.
Break it down for me, break it
Please explain something to me in simpler terms.
Writer(s): Brittney Parks, James R. Mccall Iv, Kenny Gilmore
Contributed by Logan N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Alexis Crenshaw
This music is SMASHINGLY GREAT.!! Engineering, mixing, mastering, & recording/performing, all so very well done.! CONGRATS & THANK YOU, THANK YOU.!!!! ABSOLUTELY Enjoyed this production.!!! 💯🌟
Alexis Crenshaw
Also the WRITING Is SENSATIONAL. 💯🌟
Keletso Francis
I love you🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤💣💣💣💣💣💣💣💣
Segi gise
you're my african boy
Yeshua DAnge
What are you talking about that is nonsense
Yeshua DAnge
I am the lion coming back for his slaughtered lamb not you. My garden will grow freely
Msdsplayground
Sadly black women have been taught that "our bodies" are ugly and should hidden.
We are..as you "Mother"!
Cecilia Nicky
I love This so much
Game Mode
Wtf are you saying. Nobody is teaching that.
supermassivedwarf
@Game Mode sit down before you hurt yourself 😅