In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
My secret wish ...in this sacred place
Is to relinquish needs
The great constant is perpetual change
So when we leave, as we know we will
Some of us remains, consecrated and unchanged
Circles in stars they bind us now - we're pretty animals
Colors around are bled of love - we're hopeful animals
Kiss me now so we can feel alive - we're conscious animals
Circles in stars they bind us now - we're sacred animals
From blood we came ...to ash we return again
These carbon hearts, and terrestrial hopes
From our first goodbye ...to the last hello
Pray we carve our paths ...from God's sacrosanct
Circles in stars they bind us now - we're pretty animals
Colors around are bled of love - we're hopeful animals
Kiss me now so we can feel alive - we're conscious animals
Circles in stars they bind us now - we're sacred animals
The love we crave
that binds
bends
but never change
feeds faith in faith
that I search for in everything
Circles in stars they bind us now - we're pretty animals
Colors around are bled of love - we're hopeful animals
Kiss me now so we can feel alive - we're conscious animals
Circles in stars they bind us now - we're sacred animals
The love we crave
that binds
bends
but never change
feeds faith in faith
that I search for in everything
Stars they bind us now
Around are bled of love - we're conscious animals
Kiss me now so we can feel alive - we're conscious animals
Circles in stars they bind us now - we're sacred animals
Circles in stars they bind us now - we're pretty animals
Colors around are bled of love - we're hopeful animals
Stars they bind us now - we're sacred animals
Is to relinquish needs
The great constant is perpetual change
So when we leave, as we know we will
Some of us remains, consecrated and unchanged
Circles in stars they bind us now - we're pretty animals
Colors around are bled of love - we're hopeful animals
Kiss me now so we can feel alive - we're conscious animals
Circles in stars they bind us now - we're sacred animals
From blood we came ...to ash we return again
These carbon hearts, and terrestrial hopes
From our first goodbye ...to the last hello
Pray we carve our paths ...from God's sacrosanct
Circles in stars they bind us now - we're pretty animals
Colors around are bled of love - we're hopeful animals
Kiss me now so we can feel alive - we're conscious animals
Circles in stars they bind us now - we're sacred animals
The love we crave
that binds
bends
but never change
feeds faith in faith
that I search for in everything
Circles in stars they bind us now - we're pretty animals
Colors around are bled of love - we're hopeful animals
Kiss me now so we can feel alive - we're conscious animals
Circles in stars they bind us now - we're sacred animals
The love we crave
that binds
bends
but never change
feeds faith in faith
that I search for in everything
Stars they bind us now
Around are bled of love - we're conscious animals
Kiss me now so we can feel alive - we're conscious animals
Circles in stars they bind us now - we're sacred animals
Circles in stars they bind us now - we're pretty animals
Colors around are bled of love - we're hopeful animals
Stars they bind us now - we're sacred animals
Lyrics submitted by thewhitepony33
Animals Lyrics as written by Brian Transeau
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
Thursday
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
No matter how complicated life is, no matter all the excess fame and fortune/whatever, we all end up leaving this earth... by leaving the mark of love on the world, we will always remain in some way....
Life, broken down in to its most simplistic state
Life, death, love, lust. Regardless... We are nothing but conscious animals, fated to return to the earth from which we came from.
I feel this song very deeply... Great track imo
consecrated - solemnly dedicated to or set apart for a high purpose
"My secret wish in this sacred place Is to relinquish needs The great constant is perpetual change So when we leave, as we know we will Some of us remains, consecrated and unchanged..."
His inner core says to give up all attachment because nothing is forever, so that when he dies or we die all that is left within is solely pure love.
sacrosanct - absolute: not capable of being violated or infringed, or having a most holy or sacred character
"From blood we came to ash we return again These carbon hearts, and terrestrial hopes From our first goodbye to the last hello Pray we carve our paths from God's sacrosanct..."
The from our first goodbye line is an interesting way of saying we are born and die in someones presence. Then he suggests you pray for us that we carve our life out of God's unchanging pureness. in other words pray for forgiveness.
"The love we crave that binds, bends but never change feeds faith in faith that I search for in everything..."
The love that is so beautiful is found in everything hence the feeding faith in faith. a perfect circle for him
What a great, atmospheric song.
For me, the Space, and the huge and eternal (and yet tiny and transient) ball that is our planet - are closely linked to our selves – to our skins, cells, blood, eyes. When I contemplate (as I often do) the “bigger picture”, it always unfolds in my mind as an enormous fractal, from quarks up to molecules and cells and brain processes and birds and societies up to the huge forests and cities – all is a part of a single system. Very finely tuned, and infinitely, painfully beautiful. So the radio talk with Atlantis in the beginning makes a lot of sense here. This small endeavor – space exploration – is the single most important thing that our species can do. Because what else matters, actually? And to do this right, we need peace and collaboration. And peace and collaboration bring with them freedom and love and music – and yes, sex and caring and love to all aspects and forms of life; and ultimate synergy between a spirit (emotion) and mind (technology) and body (health and senses).
So, this song kind of brings it all together; by talking about “animals” (which we are) in the most sublime terms (sacred, sacrosanct, hopeful, conscious) – it highlights the paradox that underlies it all – that we are at once “just” animals, and at the same time we are conscious, and that we cherish beauty (“pretty”). Really, deep down it’s not a paradox at all. Being an animal, contrary to how the word MIGHT be perceived, is NOT actually humiliating in any way. This song is about this connection of all levels.
Does anyone know what they are talking about in the beginning?
Every time I here this song I wonder what they are saying.
@Hipo It's obviously an excerpt from the radio communication with the space shuttle Atlantis, but I'm not sure the transcript can be found on the web.