The past is a grotesque animal
And in its eyes you see
How completely wrong you can be
How completely wrong you can be

The sun is out, it melts the snow that fell yesterday
Makes you wonder why it bothered

I fell in love with the first cute girl that I met
Who could appreciate Georges Bataille
Standing at Swedish festival discussing "Story of the Eye"
Discussing "Story of the Eye"

It's so embarrassing to need someone like I do you
How can I explain, I need you here and not here too
How can I explain, I need you here and not here too

I'm flunking out, I'm flunking out, I'm gone, I'm just gone
But at least I author my own disaster
At least I author my own disaster

Performance breakdown and I don't want to hear it
I'm just not available
Things could be different but they're not
Things could be different but they're not

The mousy girl screams, "Violence! Violence!"
The mousy girl screams, "Violence! Violence!"
She gets hysterical because they're both so mean
And it's my favorite scene
But the cruelty's so predictable
It makes you sad on the stage
Though our love project has so much potential
But it's like we weren't made for this world
(Though I wouldn't really want to meet someone who was)

Do I have to scream in your face?
I've been dodging lamps and vegetables
Throw it all in my face, I don't care

Let's just have some fun
Let's tear this shit apart
Let's tear the fucking house apart
Let's tear our fucking bodies apart
But let's just have some fun

Somehow you've red-rovered the gestapo circling my heart
And nothing can defeat you
No death, no ugly world

You've lived so brightly
You've altered everything
I find myself searching for old selves
While speeding forward through the plate glass of maturing cells

I've played the unraveler, the parhelion
But even apocalypse is fleeting
There's no death, no ugly world

Sometimes I wonder if you're mythologizing me like I do you
Mythologizing me like I do you

We want our film to be beautiful, not realistic
Perceive me in the radiance of terror dreams
And you can betray me
You can, you can betray me

But teach me something wonderful
Crown my head, crowd my head
With your lilting effects
Project your fears on to me, I need to view them
See, there's nothing to them
I promise you, there's nothing to them

I'm so touched by your goodness
You make me feel so criminal
How do you keep it together?
I'm all, all unraveled

But you know, no matter where we are
We're always touching by underground wires

I've explored you with the detachment of an analyst
But most nights we've raided the same kingdoms
And none of our secrets are physical
None of our secrets are physical
None of our secrets are physical now



Lyrics submitted by delial, edited by riddlenet

Track duration: 11:53

"The Past Is a Grotesque Animal" as written by Kevin Barnes

Lyrics © BUG MUSIC

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


The Past Is a Grotesque Animal song meanings
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101 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:Just FYI for everyone, these lyrics right here....

    The mousy girl screams, "Violence! Violence!"
    The mousy girl screams, "Violence! Violence!"
    She gets hysterical because they're both so mean
    And it's my favorite scene

    Are a reference to the play Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Watch the movie version, you'll see what I mean.
    Flag SidianMSJoneson April 17, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song has always reminded me of the transference and countertransference struggles within a 'therapeutic relationship' ie. falling in 'love' basically.
    Flag orefanon April 11, 2013   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:The relentless buildup of this song, with basically no release, no expected ending, just a constant tense agitated musing on a messed up, obsessive relationship. It captures that so incredibly well.

    I think the lack of release, just this constant driving, irritated beat, is what makes this song so amazing.
    Flagged Trayceon July 22, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:By the way, I see a lot of people don't like the repetitive beat and the long length, but I completely disagree. The incessant pulsing and droning that lasts for 12 minutes goes along perfectly with the song's deep psychological element. All together, they form a long, sharp, and painful mind-drill. But it still has that quality of sounding "happy" in a totally twisted way despite the lyrics, which is of course a distinctive trademark of this album as a whole.
    Flag dex1lspon July 06, 2012   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:I'd heard this song several times before, and I've struggled with depression my whole life, so it's always made sense to me. But the other day I went through a really painful falling-out with one of my oldest and closest friends, and yesterday this song hit me like a frikin ton of bricks. Holy crap.
    Flag dex1lspon July 06, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:so fucking great when you are feeling horribly depressed "but at least i author my own disaster"
    Flag pelicanraceon March 03, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:The ability to relate to these lyrics is almost overwhelming. Such a powerful song.
    Flag TerraTempus25on December 08, 2010   Link
  • -2
    General Comment:i agree with hyperglitter. haha. the lyrics are so amazing, but i think the sound is soooo repetitive and it goes on for too long. but the lyrics are perfect.
    Flag LorettaDemarkuson October 22, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:this song + winamps full screen visualization = pure bliss. (being stoned/tripping would be awesome too but i'm sober ATM)
    Flag treborron September 26, 2010   Link
  • +4
    General Comment:if i could only listen to one song for the rest of my life, this would be it.
    Flag ERmco23on August 25, 2010   Link

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