Father Time

Animal Collective · Centipede Hz [2012]

Open up your locket

Does solidarity breed from a good foundation?

Things speed out of date

Now you can be falling

And when you're up it's blown up

With all new buildings painted they're not your colors

And all the places you went to you don't get what they offer

And hey that's Nathan and didn't he pass a long time ago?

Where'd he go?



We exorcised the weekend

Now all the demons can't play but they snuck into Thursday

Looking out for panthers from the road again

But didn't they pass a long time ago?



Luck

It's not real

Oh it's real

No it's not real

Maybe it's only real when lightning landed and hit

you right where you were standing

Or when your imagination shows you what only time is supposed to tell you

And then I imagine time he's got real big hands and bigger plans

From a long time ago



And did I remember suitcase and all the things in my head

And all the expectations if doing something special

I could be gone today

But where do they take me?



Luck

I's not real

Though my feelings say its real

Maybe it's only real when someone blinds you

When they had always been so kind to you

Imagination won't get moldy can't wait for time to unfold me

And then I imagine time he's got real big hands and bigger plans

From a long time ago



(I've got an internship)

(But they're... space)

(There are none too small)

(No one...)

About Father Time

"Father Time" by Animal Collective serves as a haunting centerpiece on their 2012 album *Centipede Hz*, exemplifying the group's signature blend of psychedelic rock and experimental pop. Recorded during a pivotal era for the band, the track utilizes their signature multi-vocal harmonies and intricate, shifting rhythms to explore themes of mortality and the relentless passage of time. The song's production features lush, swirling textures that define the album's atmospheric sound, distinguishing it from their earlier, more jangly work on *Sung Tongs* or the raw energy of *Strawberry Jam*. As a key component of their discography, "Father Time" reflects the band's evolution into a more mature, introspective style while maintaining their unique sonic identity within the indie and psychedelic genres.