Miike Snow album cover

Miike Snow – Animal Lyrics

Rock

There was a time when my world was filled with
Darkness, darkness, darkness
Then I've stopped dreaming now
I'm supposed to fill it up with
Something, something, something

In your eyes I see the eyes of somebody I knew before
Long, long, long ago
But I'm still trying to make my mind up
Am I free or am I tied up?

I change shapes just to hide in this place
But I'm still, I'm still an animal
Nobody knows it but me when I slip, yeah I slip
I'm still an animal

There is a hole and I tried to fill it up with
Money, money, money
But it gets bigger 'til your hopes is always
Running, running, running

In your eyes I see the eyes of somebody of who could be strong
Tell me if I'm wrong
And now I'm pulling your disguise up
Are you free or are you tied up?

I change shapes just to hide in this place
But I'm still, I'm still an animal
Nobody knows it but me when I slip, yeah I slip
I'm still an animal
I change shapes just to hide in this place
But I'm still I'm still an animal
Nobody knows it but me when I slip, yeah I slip
I'm still an animal

I change shapes just to hide in this place
But I'm still, I'm still an animal
Nobody knows it but me when I slip, yeah I slip
I'm still an animal
I change shapes just to hide in this place
But I'm still, I'm still an animal
Nobody knows it but me when I slip, yeah I slip
I'm still an animal

About This Song

"Animal" is a haunting exploration of primal instincts lurking beneath civilized facades, wrapped in Miike Snow's signature blend of indie pop and electronic elements. The song delves into the psychological tension between our evolved, rational selves and the raw, untamed impulses that still drive us-examining how we wear masks and "change shapes" to fit into society while struggling with an inner wildness that refuses to be domesticated. The lyrics capture a profound sense of existential confusion, with the narrator questioning their autonomy ("Am I free or am I tied up?") while grappling with a darkness that once consumed their world. Musically, the track features a hypnotic, pulsing rhythm that mirrors the song's central metaphor, with Andrew Wyatt's ethereal vocals floating over a backdrop of synthesizers and electronic beats that create an almost tribal, ritualistic atmosphere. The production cleverly uses space and restraint, allowing the tension to build through repetitive hooks that feel both modern and primitive. The song resonated with listeners because it articulated a universal human experience-the feeling of being caught between who we think we should be and who we actually are at our core. Its success helped establish Miike Snow as masters of crafting pop songs with psychological depth, using the "animal" metaphor as a lens through which to examine authenticity, identity, and the masks we wear in our daily lives.

Comments (44)

  • Anonymous
    The crookers remix is okGet the treasure fingers remix - WAY BETTER!!Still love miike snow tho
  • Anonymous
    both rmxs are boring get the fake blood remix!!!
  • Anonymous
    Punks Jump Up mix is the best. :E Screw other remixes.
  • Anonymous
    I think both remixes blow...
  • Anonymous
    No remixes, the original rules...................... ;) trust me :D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D
  • ginjaht
    song is quality and the fake blood remix is the business too ....but can anyone tell me where i can get a copy of the fake blood remix????
  • Anonymous
    fake blood remix is class, but original is good nice and catchysomehow it reminds me of flobots - handlebars.. haha
  • Anonymous
    Peter Bjorn and John remix is great too....http://rcrdlbl.com/artists/Mii...
  • Anonymous
    I do the cha cha like a sissy girl. Khasikstan is the greatest country in the world, all other countries are run by little girls
  • Anonymous
    everyone check out the version on you tube where young Sky Ferreira sings this song. She is gonna be BIG!!! 17 and just signed with Capital Records!!
  • Anonymous
    mark ronson remix is soooo gooood
  • TahliaEbony
    I like this songs lyrics theyy are goood (: the beat of the song rocks too , i love it haa .
  • Anonymous
    This song is awesome!! crookers remix rules
  • Anonymous
    the peter, bjorn and john remix is the best though...this song is awesome!! does miike snow reminds you of somebody? the guy on the cross, maybe??
  • Anonymous
    The meaning of the song is strong. It's about breaking free of the chains of humanity, about trying to fill his life up with social conventions yet in the end he's still an animal. free and instinctual with no real need for a meterialistic value. Why bring up remixes, respect the song for what it is originally
  • Anonymous
    ii love this song i was playin it on tap tap revenge three & fell in love w. it : )
  • Anonymous
    we all know the original is dope, and as far as the remixes go, the Treasure Fingers and Mark Ronson are light years ahead of the others. When ever the TF remix comes on I cannot help but turn the volume to the max and start dancing. With the Mark Ronson remix, is the ultimate spliff track.
  • Anonymous
    This is song is amazing! I just recently heard it from a friends ipod and I couldn't stop listening it :)
  • Anonymous
    Too much talk about remixes... who cares. Either leave a comment about the original or move on. Bottom line, if it wasn't for the original being made, no one would have any damn remixes.
  • Anonymous
    I felt like this song was talking about me and the hypocrisy I see in my own life sometimes. I try so hard to convey an image to those around me, but underneath it, when no one is around, I am animalistic. The song is not about embracing animalness. Its about the angst I feel, because try as I might, I cannot break free from sin and my depravity. This life is bleak and hopeless without some promise of salvation.
  • Anonymous
    i think this song is about battling addiction. he can't control his urges, so he's an animal when he slips and relapses. he goes from talking about himself to talking to himself in the end. "in your eyes i see the eyes of somebody i knew before" ... the person he was before the addiction. he thinks he can be that person again but deep down he knows he will always be fighting the addiction. even if i'm totally wrong, this song is amazing and deep with meaning.
  • Anonymous
    I think the song is about how we are all animals originally, but we as humanity believe we are better. We are indebted to nature for life, but we destroy it everyday. But this song conveys the feeling of being an animal. It's a feeling that isn't explained through words, but feelings. We watch sports because we feel the want to be athletic, but we aren't because that's how we live today. We have hunting because it's a way to get back to that natural feeling of animosity. "I change shapes just to hide in this place" is probably meaning that we aren't actually 'sophisticated beings' we are the same as animals, we prefer the enjoyment of nature and feeling free. 'Humane' is a strange word as well, how can you be 'Humane' if humanity is the only disrupting factor in this planet, it's all a balance, but we think we can change the balance to suit our desires. But now we have changed it too much, and we feel the desire to go back. it's all a cycle.
  • Anonymous
    Well, I think this song has different meanings for each one of us. Of course, it highly depends on how do you see the song. Maybe he means on how he has treated people, maybe coldly or being just a jerk with everyone, or he can mean all those things about humanity, and how does he see the world today.See it from your own point of view, although it may not be the correct meaning of the song, it may also mean that this song was made for people to see it from different points of view.Excelent song, a song to think about
  • Anonymous
    He's numb and empty and he tries to fill himself up with "humane" things but in the end he's still his rustic, animalistic self. We all wear disguises.He also suggests fate vs. free will when he asks "am I free or am I tied up?" are we all fated to be fakes and animals, or do ee choose to hide and disguise ourselves?
  • Anonymous
    Love it! It an amazing song and it's meaning really hits home. - DirtyTheFiasco
  • Anonymous
    Everyone that commented must be soo stoned.. not say I'm not.. but the songs about a guy who's inlove but doesn't know if she's there.. there not together and they both kind of see other people.. both of them are not sure whether or not they're together either. they both might have known about it which is why he's talking about hiding and being an animal. and he might still be inlove and afraid of growing even further apart from which is why he wants to hide. but why hide
  • Anonymous
    This song is awsome and we need to give sky credit for doing the song justice and btw remixes are never better than the original
  • Anonymous
    LOL !!!!!!!!!!!!I liked too
  • Anonymous
    I love this song. i feel like an animal when i listen to it. my mom nearly tweaked out-she though it was better than her usual Pends.
  • Anonymous
    i love this song. I think its about someone who hides from the world but is happy. no one knows who this person really is except for that person them self. he "changes shape" to stay ambiguous and distant. Its almost comes off as this person changes shape once someone finds out who they really are or gets close to finding out more. He doesn't get close to people and no one really knows the animal that lies deep inside.
  • Anonymous
    I think this song is beautiful and is poetic in its lyrics and meaning. It really speaks to me about material wealth vs hopes and dreams. For me the song is how he substituted his dreams for money...He begins in the first verse talking about a "world filled with darkness" So he stops dreaming and starts being held back, not fulfilling his dream. He needs to fill his hole left from his lost dreams with something: Which is money he later reveals; infering he has sold his soul. He talks about feeding the horse. In his song "a horse is not a home" a horse is a metaphor for a car and his frustration over consumerism. So now he does not recognise himself and has to change shapes (not being who he wants to be) to stay in this place of unrequented dreams and get money. Something most of us feel on Monday morning! But every now and then he slips, but only he notices. "am I free or am I tied up"; He feels like a slave to money. Spending money just to make money; "horse is always running". He sees "the eyes of somebody that could be strong" (the fake self he doesn't recognise) "that could be strong": Strong enough to follow their dreams and let the material wealth go, but he pulls up his disguise and continues his charade... Why? Because underneath it all he is still an animal with hopes and dreams beyond material wealth, even if he only knows it.
  • Anonymous
    I think its about him maybe cheating? he lived in a world of darkness and he sees someone different in the eyes of people looking at him. He changes shapes to blend in. Not to stand out. He slipped and hes still an animal. How society views guys as "pigs" (animals)? He is pulling up his disguise and becoming a new person. Is he free by blending in? or tied up by not communicating with people? This song requires a lot of thought and is a great song. Reminds me of MGMT.
  • Santiago Jimenez Gomez
    I like it.
  • Jasmine Preston
    love this song and this artist!
  • Joe Curcio
    What a jam.
  • Ahmed Abu Saliem
    Singer's voice wonderful.Also Tune
  • Cody Hardin
    Nobody knows but me when I slip.Yeah I slip, I'm still an animal.
  • Danny Delifresh Phillips
    you mean "i shit chips"
  • Naomi Ashauer
    When he says "Animal" I always thought he said "Man at heart".
  • None
    I hate remixes. The original is the best. The song was in the movie "Crazy, Stupid, Love" and I think it fits in perfectly. Gosling's and Carell's characters are the definition of this song.
  • Tylerloeper1
    Lyric Correction: "that could be strong" is supposed to be, "that could be sold", im pretty sure. If you think about it, it also makes more sense with the rest of the lyrics.
  • amy-beth angel drath
    i like this song
  • HarryCrew07
    I agree to some extent, but I also believe this has to do with his exploration of himself as a primal being. Money filed the whole in him, but where did the hole come from? I believe he is pointing to the idea that this hole came from the fakeness and the "civilization" that he is being asked to embody, while really he knows deep down he is still just an animal.
  • Whadup
    Is it only me who believes he tries to keep his true nature (animal) from coming out?