Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a picture of someone grappling with miscommunication and the painful sting of words, seeking refuge in a recurring, almost ritualistic escape. The narrator feels adrift, unable to find the "special words" needed to articulate their feelings, leading to a solitary "party with my water glass." This internal struggle is amplified by external gossip and betrayal, where secrets are shared and relationships fracture, leaving the narrator feeling exposed and uncertain about the future of a connection that feels irrevocably changed. The repeated phrase "Yours truly" carries a heavy irony, a sign-off from someone whose words seem to cause pain rather than connection. The central tension lies in the narrator's attempt to navigate a landscape of broken trust and emotional hurt. They recall a past idyllic scene of running through the woods, only to contrast it with the present reality of a lost "kissing place" and a fear of "new pair of eyes." This juxtaposition highlights the painful realization that a relationship has fundamentally shifted, marked by the devastating declaration, "I don't think that I love you anymore." The narrator's search for "new feelings at the feeling store" suggests a desperate attempt to find solace or replacement, underscoring the depth of their emotional displacement. The recurring image of the "swimming pool" serves as a powerful, almost surreal escape mechanism. The act of "hop[ping] a fence, leave[ing] the street and wet[ting] my feet" signifies a deliberate departure from immediate pain and a search for a cleansing, perhaps even a rebirth. This watery sanctuary offers a temporary reprieve, a place to "get by, and get dry after the swimming pool," acknowledging that the underlying issues will eventually need to be faced. The contrast between this sought-after peace and the narrator's doubt about finding it "when I'm snuffed out" adds a layer of existential dread to this coping strategy. Ultimately, the effectiveness of these lyrics stems from their raw portrayal of vulnerability and the subtle ways they capture the disorienting nature of emotional turmoil. The narrator's internal monologue, filled with fragmented thoughts and sharp, unexpected images like "words, they sting like a stump of old wasps," creates a disquieting intimacy. The repeated, almost mantra-like "And you can laugh a little bit" in the outro offers a fragile hope, suggesting a potential for healing or resilience, even amidst the lingering echoes of pain and confusion.

Animal Collective - Pop

Banshee Beat (demo)

2 Plays

Duration: 4:50

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[Intro] Shh-shh-shh… Sorry Shh-shh-shh-shh-shh-shh-shh-shh… Oh, there'll be time, to get by, and get dry after the swimming pool Oh, there'll be time, to just cry, I wonder why the things always work out Oh, there'll be time when fish fly, for letters by yours truly Yours truly [Verse 1] Someone in my dictionary's up to no good I never find the very special words I should So I have another party with my water glass And I sit on all your actions, it's a birthing game And I bet he needs a shower 'cause he's just like me And the soldiers in the painting know your secret face Well, your parrot told me just how I can make you smile Gonna let you do your thinking if you need a while But what I gave you, and he got mad And isn't it funny how a thing like that Could travel from one mouth in through another and The next thing you know, you gotta hear it from your brother and The words, they sting like a stump of old wasps And remember when I said go throw the rock in there? And we ran through the woods to our good house And you forgot about the things that he could say, like I don't think that I love you anymore And I found new feelings at the feeling store And I can't find you at our kissing place And I'm scared of those new pair of eyes you have [Chorus] So I duck out, go down to find the swimming pool Hop a fence, leave the street and wet my feet to find the swimming pool 'Cause when I'm snuffed out I doubt I'll find a swimming pool Hop a fence, leave the street and wet my feet to find the swimming pool [Verse 2] But I don't wish that I was dead And a very old friend of mine once said That either way you look at it You have your fits and even shits, and feeling is good Confusion's not a kidney stone in my brain And if we're miscommunicating, will we be the same? 'Cause either way you look at it The [?] hit and have your kids and feeling is good [Chorus] When I duck out and down to find the swimming pool Hop a fence, leave the street and wet my feet to find the swimming pool 'Cause when I'm ducked out I doubt I'll find a swimming pool Hop a fence, leave the street and wet my feet to find the swimming pool [Outro] And you can laugh a little And you can laugh a little bit And you can laugh a little And you can laugh a little bit And you can laugh a little And you can laugh a little bit And you can laugh a little And you can laugh a little bit And you can laugh a little And you can laugh a little bit And you can laugh a little And you can laugh a little bit And you can laugh a little And you can laugh a little bit And you can laugh a little bit And you can laugh

Credits

Writers: Avey Tare
Panda Bear
Geologist
Deakin

Banshee Beat (demo)

Banshee Beat (demo)

Lyrics

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Credits