A hieroglyph (Greek for "sacred carving") is a character of the ancient Egyptian writing system. Partially pictographic logographic scripts reminiscent of ancient Egyptian are also sometimes called "hieroglyphs". In Neoplatonism, especially of the Renaissance, a hieroglyph was an artistic representation of an esoteric idea, which actual Egyptian hieroglyphs seemed to the Neoplatonists to be. The word hieroglyphics (τὰ ἱερογλυφικά [γράμματα]) may refer to writings in a hieroglyphic system.

Avey Tare (born David Michael Portner, April 24, 1979) is a musician and founding member of Animal Collective currently residing in Los Angeles.

Avey Tare met Animal Collective's Deakin (Josh Dibb), Panda Bear (Noah Lennox), and Geologist (Brian Weitz) in high school. For years, the four of them swapped homemade recordings, shared musical ideas and performed in different group configurations. Avey Tare recorded the Spirit They're Gone, Spirit They've Vanished album with Panda Bear, and initially released the recording on the band's own Animal label in 2000. The album is commonly referred to as the first official Animal Collective release, with Tare writing the music and Panda Bear providing the 'perfect percussion' (as cited in the album's credits).

After high school, Avey Tare and Geologist moved to New York City to attend New York University and Columbia University, respectively. Panda Bear and Deakin eventually moved to New York City, and the band became more collaborative in nature. They finally settled on the name "Animal Collective".

"The Man" is a slang phrase that may refer to the government or to some other authority in a position of power. In addition to this derogatory connotation, it may also serve as a term of respect and praise.

The phrase "the Man is keeping me down" is commonly used to describe oppression. The phrase "stick it to the Man" encourages resistance to authority, and essentially means "fight back" or "resist", either openly or via sabotage.

The earliest recorded use^{[citation needed]} of the term "the Man" in the American sense dates back to a letter written by a young Alexander Hamilton in September 1772, when he was 15. In a letter to his father James Hamilton, published in the Royal Dutch-American Gazette, he described the response of the Dutch governor of St. Croix to a hurricane that raked that island on August 31, 1772. "Our General has issued several very salutary and humane regulations and both in his publick and private measures, has shewn himself the Man." ^{[dubious – discuss]} In the Southern U.S. states, the phrase came to be applied to any man or any group in a position of authority, or to authority in the abstract. From about the 1950s the phrase was also an underworld code word for police, the warden of a prison or other law enforcement or penal authorities.