My theory is that it's about a romance between a girl and her imaginary boyfriend. Her friends and family "kill" the Phantom when they bury him by the road, or exposing him as a fantasy.

I think this is about sexual liberation. At first she asks her mom if she slept with strangers. By the end her secret mate or love or whatever is dead, and she's stuck with kid, and still a teen("watch me as I lead the way from infancy to grown up babies").
Though women are supposed to be more free sexually now, its still "secret code." The phantom is a girls sexuality, tempting her away from her suffering and leading her right back to it.

so what's the story with the references to this katy person?
in we tigers part of the chorus is "katy did it, katy did it"

poor katy.

ya, whos katy?

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my favorite ac song.

i think that this means that i, difonderbof would rather have sex with animal collective, as a whole, then anything else in the whole world

I am familiar with an entirely different version of the lyrics. Ctc23 from the "Animal Collective Discussion" (http://www.rerz.net/ac/messages/viewtopic.php?t=7&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=30&sid=bb3038d6ff301ee45abebf45c060845a) message board interpreted them as this:

When April passes by, she thinks of playing Bach
She tells her mother, I am not afraid
Of dying in the bath, or swinging on the breeze
She asks her mother if she slept with strangers
Phantom was the bright way out
Of all the things her mother said
A whisper to her scream
An autumn in my green
December, hello frost
Her mother would say "Dad,
I don't know where April went"

She ran out in nature!
She ran out in nature!
She ran out in nature!
She ran out in nature!
She ran out in nature…

I found the Phantom would go
Across the river and hide from suffering
Like the shades of trees
Take off my dress and flow into the stuff we’re in
She ran out in nature
What'd she find?
She ran out in nature
Where'd she go?
She ran out in nature
Phantom light
She ran out in nature
Take her home

Everybody wants it!
Aaah! Can't you see me wastin’?
She ran out in nature…

We've gotta buy land
When they go out and take all the stuff we’re in
We've got neither, reachin' for the stars
And beg and keep us sufferin’
She ran out in nature
What'd she find?
She ran out in nature
Where'd she go?
She ran out in nature
Can't somebody
She ran out in nature
Take her home?

Everybody wants it!
Aaah! Can't you see me wastin’!

I finally see a baby girl,
I’m sorry April, but you'll be fine ‘til then,
I'm the Phantom,
I'm the Phantom,
I'm the Phantom,
And I sneak around, and you're on top,
A frenzy April, let me write it down
I'm the Phantom,
I'm the Phantom,
I'm the Phantom,
And in the end, your mother knows,
I’m sorry April, but a child grows
I'm the Phantom,
I'm the Phantom,
I'm the Phantom,
I am…
Watch me as I lead the way
From infancy to grown up babies

-Phantom, please put on my make-up!
I am breathin’, I’ll keep callin'
-Phantom, you're all white and naked!
Have your baby, I'll keep callin'
-I'm not right, I'm not fakin'!
I am burnin’, and I'm shakin'
-April, no, it's just a spirit!
I am there, end is nearin’

April and the Phantom
They were just like lovers
Always sneakin' kisses for the weekend
Everything's just okay with me
Everything's just alright with…
April and the Phantom spoke in secret code
Until they buried Phantom by the road
Everything's just alright with me...
Everything’s just alright with Phantom…

Kid has got no friends…
Kid has got no friends at all


I have to say I do enjoy this version of the lyrics much better. I also read online that this song is about the death of a pet cat. How, I'm unsure: http://www.sylvanmigdal.com/reviews.php?artist=animal

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When i first herd this song i knew everytime i made a mixtape for a girl from that point out I would put this song on it because this song is sex.
And I agree with difonderbof

creepy pretty

Most under-rated song by Animal Collective!

I'M NOT RIGHT! I'M NOT FAKING!

The screams are just so desperate sounding, and even though it's not 100% coherent and vague, it's an interesting story to try to understand. I think it's about a secret relationship or an imaginary friend or something.

I will always think this song is about a child being molested and in the end her mother knows , im sorry april but a child grows (telling her that shes going to have to live with it and shes sorry.)

kinda like me.

At first i did think this song was about an imaginary friend but there are very direct sexual references.

"Phantom ride
April's hole"
"I sneak around
you're on top
a frenzy April
then we ride again"

the part about the mother knowing is interesting too..not really sure..she say's she sorry. Maybe April regrets her sexual experience/encounter but it's too late to take it back..she's grown up now whether or not she wants to be. The part with the screaming is desperate sounding and could easily be a teenage girl freaking out...

This is one of my alltime favs for sure.
I always thought he was saying

"she ran out to meet ya"
saying it like 'meetcha'

I recall one lsd trip I had I listened to this song, became entranced (after the hysteric laughter subsided from the beginning of the song) and I thought I was speaking to Avey tare in code or something, haha. good times... Truly beautiful song with a tinge of psychosis underlying in there somewhere.