Album: Oracular Spectacular (2007)

Charted: 22

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Songfacts®:

• This song is often misinterpreted to be about sex, but it's really about drugs. When MGMT performed it on the David Letterman Show, lead singer Andrew VanWyngarden said: "This song is not about eels, its about drugs." >>

  Suggestion credit:
  Keagan - Spokane, WA
• In an interview with Crossfire, Ben Goldwasser discussed MGMT's song writing: "A lot of times when we write songs we have had some kind of influence or a style that we really want to put into our music. Like, we'll say let's have that part sound like this and that part sound like that and then we piece it all together. We didn't plan anything, it was more of a song by song thing. We tend to be inspired a lot by artists that switch genres each album. Each song is different. (Anglo-Dutch experimental Rock band) Legendary Pink Dots are like that. When we were writing the album they were a big influence. We literally just wrote whatever came to us. There is a weird combination on the album because it has a couple of older tracks on it which were originally electronic with a more dancey feel. 'Electric Feel' was one of the first songs we wrote, well the first actual song with lyrics."
• A remix of this song by the French production team Justice won a Grammy in the category Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical.
• This was one of the first songs MGMT wrote. It was concocted by the duo (Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser) in their dorm room at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, where they were music students. They had no dreams of grandeur, but the songs they worked on in college got them a deal with Columbia Records, and Oracular Spectacular became a surprise hit, selling over 500,000 copies in a America and leading to many festival appearances.
• The director Ray Tintori created an interactive video for this song that was posted on the band's website in 2007. By noodling with the controls, users could change the effects and compositing, creating many different looks. Tintori assembled the footage into a proper video (a jungle dance party) that was released in 2008 and included on enhanced versions of the CD.

Comments: 24

• Seth from BaltimoreWhen they say "All along the eastern shore" it makes me think of the Eastern Shore of Maryland, though that is a pretty unlikely place for MGMT to party. Except maybe Ocean City? ¯\(°_o)/¯
• Paxterdux from ItaliaThe global fiber optic network comes to my mind when I hear "All along the eastern shore, put your circuits in the sea"
• Star from Long Beach CaI think it's about Scaler Wave Frequencies. Hence Electric Feel. "This is what the world is for making electricity."
• Bobby West from Boston, MaFirst times I heard this, I thought "Sex". Then I had an Acid Trip. So when I listened to after that, I thought "LSD" a.k.a. LUCY. Therefore, my final conclusion will be that they're talking about Lucy (Acid, LSD, L, Blotters, etc.) and the Electric Feel she gives off during a Trip because I myself have had that feeling.
  
  P.S. Watch the video again, they're clearing tripping as you can tell by the hallucinations and some other things
• Courtney from Gulfport, MsDefinitely about drugs but who cares??? i <3 this song
  
  
  oooh girl!!
• Molly from Florence, Cai'm pretty sure the song is about sex. andrew said in an interview that the song is to be taken literally but considering that nearly everythign he says is sarcastic and considering that the original non-album lyric is "jerk me off w/ you electric feel," i'll take that with a grain of salt. and florentino daaaamn you read way too into it.
• Nkechinyem from Toronto, PeHey if you haven't heard MGMT wants to confuse us with the meanings of their lyrics.
  they want you to take how you like if your offended too bad
  if you love it thats good!
• Garlicbred from Adelaide, AustraliaCould it be about a sexy girl called Renewable Energy?
  
  "all along the eastern shore
  put your circuits in the sea"
  - Off shore wind farms along the east coast?
  
  "oh you can do it all the time
  plug it in, change the world
  you are my electric girl"
  
  I have no idea really, but it works for me.
  
  Strange how it seems we can read into it different things - for some its sex, others drugs or relationships. For me renewables ... hehe
• Brittany from ???????, OhR u kidding me?? lol I'm an MGMT expert and their biggest fan! this song is reffering to drugs. The "girl" in the song is being used as a reference to drugs. :))
• Britt from Boston, MaVery, Very good song. MGMT has a lot of groovy and psychedelic kind of songs. Try 'Time to Pretend'. It's a Beautiful song. OOOOHHHH Girlllll. Shock me like an electric eel..... :)
• Jack from Brookfield, WiLOL @ Tyler,
  You're telling me that this song ISN'T about sex, but about a girl who's getting electrocuted?
  
  @ Florentino,
  I read another of your comments, and not everything is about the entire world dude. This song is about how people are living for experiences like sex and drugs ("This is what the world is for, making electricity").
• Tyler from San Diego, Cahaha just to let you guys know this song is meant to be taken literally. in an interview the lead singer says its actually about a girl who has electricity running through her skin. not every song has some deep meaning about porn or oil.
• Cliff from Burkesville, KyThis sounds a lot like it could be on JT's "FutureSex/LoveSounds" album. Am I right?
• Ben from Ocean City, NjLove love love this song! very groovy. Is this a cover or remix of an older song or did MGMT write it?
• Rahul from Brsivegas, Australiayeh i agree with ryan and its about internet pornography cause its obviously sexual and it deals with nudity combined with obsesive tendacies / addictions with computures.
  "standing there with nothin on, cause ur gonna teach me how to swim" aka hes surfing for porn
• Nady from Adelaide, Australiathis was like the anthem for schoolies 08
• Eric from Manhattan, NyThis song is just being poetic about a girl having a touch that can be described as electric. ACID
• Ryan. from Saint Clair Shores, MiI think this song is about cybersex. The "electric feel" is what a good cyberer has - just that ability to turn you on, even through the screen. The sexual innuendo is quite obvious, and it the song has plenty of references to 'electricity usage'. "You can feel in your mind, or you can do it all the time" shows how easily you can become addicted to the thought of having someone at your fingertips to fool around with.
• Brittany from Townsville, AustraliaThis song is so... um... so... random, thats it random, but thats me for ya i like this song i even got it on my phone???
• Joey from Los Angeles, CaPossibly talking bought America but it seems more like a hot girl he wants and is after. She does shocking things...
• Pol from Victoria, BcThis song is about making love!
• Sigourney from Auckland, New Zealandor maybe they just have a remix of it..
• Sigourney from Auckland, New Zealandisn't this song like a J.U.S.T.I.C.E dance song? my dad just told me.. but i don't know the name of the justice song so i can download it lol
• Florentino from Athens, GaThe first verse is talking about America and how everyone here uses electricity because we think we have plenty of it. The second verse is about where the electricity comes from (the oil in the East). "This is what the world is for, making electricity" is talking about how oil and energy is their main source of revenue and we're responsible for it hence the line "Plug your circuits in the sea" (and send it to us).

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