Dilate

[pixiestick_cc]

Maybe I am missing something terribly obvious, but in Ani's song - Dilate - what exactly does she mean when using that word? In what context is it used? It's something that has always bugged me as the song is one of her best performances and therefore I listen to it often, but what does she mean when she sings -

I'll see you when I Dilate ...

Comments

[pixiestick_cc]

My husband had a similar theory ... dilate as in expand or explode from anger or frustration.

[sifted]

The lyrics are actually "I see you and I dilate", so it might make a little more sense that way :)

[emmmjay]

The lines go, "I see you and I'm so unsatisfied, I see you and I dilate."

Dilate means to "open up"...my interpretation of this song is that she sees someone she needs to fix. She is opening her heart to him. Her heart is dilating.

[madame_liscious]

oh - i love that there are so many interpretations of this song! my theory is that it is about sex...anger...love. dilation can be for the eyes, the heart, the vagina. it's kind of brilliant, really. but aren't most of her songs? ha.

[xiayu]

It really depends on the music. Some music is written in a way that you have no choice but to interpret it but I would say Ani's music is about as litteral as metaphors could ever be. She says I see you, I see you. Clearly she's talking about the physical dilation of her pupils (begin metaphor) and the paralel of her eye dilation to and looking for something more, that coincidentally isn't even there (end metaphor).

For music that intentionally has abstract lyrics I could see relishing the various interpretations, I just don't see it for lyrics that are pretty black and white and I've never heard an Ani song that wasn't.

[xiayu]

When your eyes dilate you physically take in more light. When it's dark outside your eyes react by dilating, when it's bright your eyes react by constricting. When you look at something of interest, focus on or analyze something yours eyes also react by dilating.

Also it could be a slight drug refference double entendre. I believe Ani was dropping acid during the years of 1995-1997. The artwork and directional change of her music would seem to indicate so, as well as various comments I've heard listening to recordings of her shows during that period. A common aspect of LSD and various other hallucinogens is the dilation of pupils which allows you to take in more visual information. You also get a hightened sense of hearing.