What I See
The Dirty Projectors Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I want to live
I wish I was dead
I've got to close my eyes
I want to live
I wish I was dead

This feeling
Haunts me
Behind these eyes the shell seems so empty
Does anything live inside?

I want to live
I wish I was dead
I've got to close my eyes
I want to live

I wish I was dead

Life's cold
And it reaches inside
I reach to feel and to live
A desperate wish begins
And from the start
I can see the end

I want to live
I wish I was dead
I've got to close my eyes




I want to live
I wish I was dead

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to The Dirty Projectors' song "What I See" are a powerful expression of conflicting emotions. The song opens with the line "I want to live, I wish I was dead," which sets up the primary theme of the passage- a deep sense of inner turmoil. The lyrics convey a feeling of uncertainty, a sense of questioning whether anything in the singer's life is real or if everything is just an empty illusion. The singer wonders what lies behind the shell of their being, and whether anything truly lives in their heart.


Throughout the song, the singer seems to be grappling with some sort of existential crisis, unsure of what is real and what isn't. This is reflected in lines like "Life's cold, and it reaches inside," which suggest a sense of vulnerability and fear. However, there is also a sense of hopefulness in the lyrics, as the singer wishes to live despite their struggles.


Overall, the lyrics to "What I See" are both raw and emotional, exploring the depths of human experience with a mix of sadness, fear, and hope.


Line by Line Meaning

I want to live
The singer desires to continue living


I wish I was dead
The singer sometimes feels overwhelmed and wishes to escape their problems through death


I've got to close my eyes
The singer needs a moment to rest and escape from their problems


This feeling
The overwhelming feeling of hopelessness


Haunts me
The feeling is persistent and difficult to shake


Behind these eyes the shell seems so empty
The singer feels emotionally drained, as if there is nothing inside of them


Does anything live inside?
The singer questions whether or not they are capable of feeling joy and happiness


Life's cold
Life can be harsh and difficult


And it reaches inside
These difficulties can often affect a person's emotional state


I reach to feel and to live
The artist wants to experience all that life has to offer


A desperate wish begins
The singer is desperate for some sort of relief or escape


And from the start
The moment when the wish began


I can see the end
The singer fears that their life may end before they achieve everything they want




Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
Written by: DAVID LONGSTRETH

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Stephen Bright

great song.great band.great pix.

carlos lima

I just uploaded this song last night on the basis no one did it before. It's such a great song whilst being a hard song to find. Glad to see you have it on your page, good sir.

sn0wsh00s

Black Flag's "What I See": a dark, hardcore punk song that brings despair and hopelessness. Dirty Projector's interpretation: A cheerful song that makes me happy (even if the lyrics are very similar to Black Flag's)

Viap Aypal

this is maybe my new favourite video on here.

Nathaniel Gray

this makes me happy

jmcshane3317

my god, where did you get all those giraffe photos?!

Waterlily716

girafamos!

PW Wrestling

Who doesn't love giraffes?

viszy

I dunno....I think this video could do with MORE giraffes.

pegasusgiraffe

I approve this copious use of giraffes

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