Animal Collective – My Girls (Marriweather Post Pavillion, 2009)

I’ve been agonizing over weather to do this song or not. I mean, as it is, I’m not sure I really have a lot to say about it. Not because it’s a bad song. But more that it’s all built around layering, repeating sections over and over, and building on them. Similar to what we heard in David Gray’s Please Forgive Me. Only, instead of being fairly simple stuff being added, this is awash with arpeggios, synthesizers, and fun little drum parts.

But actually what I really wanted to point out is the lyrics. After hearing it once (or maybe you’re listening to it right now?) I think you’ll see that it’s really easy to just get caught up in the music and energy of the song, without really paying attention to the lyrics. When I first started listening, all I could really pick out of it, is the bridge/break which goes:

I don’t mean to seem like I care about material things like a social stats

Let me just pause to say, on it’s own, that’s a pretty great line. There’s another part after that, but I could never really make it out. Luckily for us, the internets provide us with the answer. However, we’ll address that later. Anyway,what does it all mean? How does it fit into the rest of the song? Well dear readers, that’s what we’re going to talk about today. So, let’s look at the first verse, which gets repeated bunch.

There isn’t much that I feel I need
A solid soul and the blood I bleed
With a little girl, and by my spouse
I only want a proper house

Oh. Okay. So he’s talking about wanting a house for his wife and kid. That makes sense! Wouldn’t really catch that from the song. After that it moves on to what can be considered the chorus part.

I don’t care for fancy things
Or to take part in a precious race
And children cry for the one who has
A real big heart and a father’s grace

So he’s telling us that really all he wants to be, is a good father! Man, what a sweet guy. Okay, now remember the bridge/break part?

I don’t mean to seem like I care about material things like a social status
I just want four walls and adobe slabs for my girls

Ahhhh. He’s reassuring us that it’s not actually the possession of the house that he’s worried about. More the fact that he wants a place for his wife and kids to live. Who saw that coming?

Anyway, the fact that this song is so… emersive, that you can totally lose track of what the lyrics are, is a real credit to the amazing songwriting ability of Animal Collective. I strongly encourage you all to check out the rest of the songs on this album, as they are equally as good.

-James out