I like Giants

When I go for a drive I like to pull off to the side
Of the road, turn out the lights, get out and look up at the sky
And I do this to remind me that I'm really, really tiny
In the grand scheme of things and sometimes this terrifies me

But it's only really scary cause it makes me feel serene
In a way I never thought I'd be because I've never been
So grounded, and so humbled, and so one with everything
I am grounded, I am humbled, I am one with everything

Rock and roll is fun but if you ever hear someone
Say you are huge, look at the moon, look at the stars, look at the sun
Look at the ocean and the desert and the mountains and the sky
Say I am just a speck of dust inside a giant's eye
I am just a speck of dust inside a giant's eye

When I saw Geneviève I really liked it when she said
What she said about the giant and the lemmings on the cliff
She said 'I like giants
Especially girl giants
Cause all girls feel too big sometimes
Regardless of their size'

When I go for a drive I like to pull off to the side
Of the road and run and jump into the ocean in my clothes
And I'm smaller than a poppyseed inside a great big bowl
And the ocean is a giant that can swallow me whole

So I swim for all salvation and I swim to save my soul
But my soul is just a whisper trapped inside a tornado
So I flip to my back and I float and I sing
I am grounded, I am humbled, I am one with everything
I am grounded, I am humbled, I am one with everything

So I talked to Geneviève and almost cried when she said
That the giant on the cliff wished that she was dead
And the lemmings on the cliff wished that they were dead
So the giant told the lemmings why they ought to live instead

When she thought up all those reasons that they ought to live instead
It made her reconsider all the sad thoughts in her head
So thank you Geneviève, cause you take what is in your head
And you make things that are so beautiful and share them with your friends

We all become important when we realize our goal
Should be to figure out our role within the context of the whole
And yeah, rock and roll is fun, but if you ever hear someone
Say you are huge, look at the moon, look at the stars, look at the sun
Look at the ocean and the desert and the mountains and the sky

Say I am just a speck of dust inside a giant's eye
I am just a speck of dust inside a giant's eye
I am just a speck of dust inside a giant's eye
And I don't wanna make her cry
Cause I like giants



“Bigger is better”. “Good things come in small packages”. There are many ideas expressing ideas about size and the role it plays in our lives. Sometimes things of great enormity have a humbling effect on those in their presence. In her song “I like Giants”, Kimya Dawson explains that through our own tiny existences we find purpose in the grand scheme of life.
Dawson relies largely on simplicity to illustrate her complex ideas. There are no large, high-level words in her song, only simple phrases. The claim “I like giants” seems as if it should be followed by some sort of in depth reasoning or explanation. She uses giants as a physical manifestation of bigger ideas such as God, the world, and life itself. In a way it as if she is simply stating, “I like life”. This oversimplification provides contrast by undercutting the listeners’ expectations and implying that maybe things are not so complicated after all.
Instead of feeling overwhelmed or insignificant Dawson is comforted by her place within the world. She uses many examples of concrete imagery to describe differences in size; “I am just a speck of dust inside a giant’s eye”, “I’m smaller than a poppy seed inside a great big bowl”. This outlook varies from the usual stance that in order to be great things must be large. Dawson offers a new direction with the lines “we all become important when we realize our role within the whole”. Her emphasis on interconnectedness contributes to the overall theme of solidarity throughout the song as a whole. Ironically, Dawson feels significant and empowered by her small role in the world.
Another notable reference to size within the song lies in the line “cause all girl giants feel too big sometimes regardless of their size”. This statement says a lot about female mentality as a whole. Dawson addresses the issue head on by boldly stating once again, “I like giants, especially girl giants”. This fact is just another that separates her from society, contradicting the views of women held by the media, men, and women themselves.
Ultimately, Dawson’s song serves as a reminder to us all to step back and look at our lives in order to evaluate what really matters most. This self imposed reality check is both enlightening and humbling in an ironic way.