Tibet has been the only constant in the group, though Steven Stapleton (of Nurse With Wound) has appeared on nearly every Current 93 release. Michael Cashmore has also been a constant contributor since Thunder Perfect Mind. Douglas P. of Death In June has played on well over a dozen Current 93 releases, and Steve Ignorant of Crass (using the name Stephen Intelligent), Boyd Rice, runologist Freya Aswynn , Nick Cave, Björk, Andrew W.K., Will Oldham, Ben Chasny, Rose McDowall, Tiny Tim, Tony Wakeford of Sol Invictus, Marc Almond, John Balance of Coil, Antony Hegarty of Antony and the Johnsons, Baby Dee and Ian Read of Fire + Ice have also lent their talents over the years. Tibet is fond of the works of American writer Thomas Ligotti, and invited him to collaborate with Current 93.
Current 93 have released over twenty albums and many singles as well as having been a guest on many of the above listed artists' records. Tibet has also collaborated with Nature and Organisation and The Hafler Trio.
Much of Current 93's early work was similar to late 1970s and early 1980s industrial music: abrasive tape loops, droning synthesizer noises and Tibet's distorted, excoriating vocals. This early work became influential with the goth scene. Later works found Tibet mostly casting off such trappings in favor of a more organic sound, labeled by some as "apocalyptic folk" music, occasionally featuring his sinister nursery rhyme-influenced singing and primarily acoustic folk-styled music.
Tibet's lyrics have been fairly consistent, regardless of delivery: The earlier recordings reflect his preoccupation with death, Christ, mysticism, Aleister Crowley (Tibet borrowed the term "93 Current" from Crowley - the 93 Current being the current of Thelema or Agape), Tibetan Buddhism, Gnosticism, runes, swastikas, Noddy, The Wicker Man, and a variety of occult notions. The later to present-day period of Current 93's recordings increasingly reflect Tibet's interest in Christian mysticism. Tibet has stated that he identifies as a Christian.
Literary influences include Lautreamont's Les Chants de Maldoror, the Bible, The Poetic Edda, Hildegard von Bingen, John Dee, Heptarchia Mystica, The Thunder, Perfect Mind, William Blake, Louis Wain, writer Thomas Ligotti, occult British author Arthur Machen (originator of the title "The Inmost Light"), M.R. James's various ghost stories, The Cloud of Unknowing, Count Eric Stenbock, and Russell Hoban's Riddley Walker.
Musical influences include religious chants, traditional folk music, The Tam Lin ballad, The Incredible String Band, Sand, Comus, Blue Öyster Cult, Black Sabbath, Love, Shirley Collins, some progressive bands such as Yes, King Crimson, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, and the British composer Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji.
David Keenan's book England's Hidden Reverse - A Secret History of the Esoteric Underground (SAF Publishing 2003) extensively covers Tibet's musical evolution along with that of Coil, Stephen Stapleton, and others.
Lucifer Over London
Current 93 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the greatgape of He who fell
Makes darkened shadows over pointed spires
Little children point and sing
And little children run and dance
Over there the setting sun
And under that the silent stars
And under they the weeping sky
And under Her the laughing world
(Balance sits in western parts
And piles spare Spares in his gabled room)
Great Anarch and Monarch of Not
The Flight of Lucifer over London
And my little grandson
Wrinkled son forehead
All tiny blue pain
As the Mother Blood emerges
Then the Mother Grief
And the Blue Gates of Death
Open arms wide
Open teeth wide
All dead like the leaves
Old times shiver
Old dead calendar
Past blurred sunsets
Cinders flying in His heart His heart
His fingers punch holes in the sky
(And all the little Christs I count
Are covered in the breathwhite snow
And all the little Christs I call
Are laughing through the green green fields)
Some of those angels have the face of God
And some of them have the face of dogs
(By the Tower of Moad see the sky's Green angel form)
And Lucifer flickers all around me
His hooded eyes alight
In the smoky musk
Look into Him just a little longer
See the true face of the Moon
So He wheels there through the heavens
His eyes are dotted bright lights
Licked with dust
A golden seabird
Half dead with spray
His banners broken flags in the wind
Devouring life he breaks at walls
The glint of dead fruits glint
And then the Moon
And then the Moon
And then the Moon
And sixsixsix
It makes us sick
We're sicksicksick
of 666
The lyrics of Current 93's song "Lucifer Over London" describe the flight of Lucifer over the city of London. The song speaks about the twisted wings, clouds, and shadows that cover the city, and the way little children point and sing as they observe the scene. The lyrics also mention the setting sun, the silent stars, and the weeping sky, all of which contribute to a sense of darkness and chaos.
The lyrics go on to describe a birth scene, where a little blue grandson is born amidst pain, grief, and death. The Blue Gates of Death are opened wide, and old times shiver. The lyrics then speak of angels with the face of God and dogs, and Lucifer, who flickers all around the singer. The song ends with a reference to the number of the beast, 666, which the singer is sick of.
The song is full of mystical and mythological references, and it uses vivid imagery to paint a picture of chaos and darkness. It speaks of birth and death, light and darkness, good and evil, and the nature of angels and demons. The lyrics are open to interpretation, and they can be seen as an allegory for the human condition, the nature of reality, or the battle between good and evil.
Line by Line Meaning
The twisted wings and clouds unfold
The sky becomes dark and ominous with clouds that seem to twist and turn.
And the greatgape of He who fell
The jagged opening where Lucifer fell from heaven casts long shadows.
Makes darkened shadows over pointed spires
The shadows cover the pointed towers and spires of the city.
Little children point and sing
Innocent children are amused and singing.
And little children run and dance
Children are playful and having fun.
Over there the setting sun
The sun is setting in the distance.
And under that the silent stars
The stars are shining brilliantly in the sky.
And under they the weeping sky
The sky seems to be crying with tears.
And under Her the laughing world
The world seems to be enjoying happiness and laughter.
(Balance sits in western parts
The balance of life seems to be maintained in the western parts of the world.
And piles spare Spares in his gabled room)
In his room, he stores extra items that he might need later.
Great Anarch and Monarch of Not
The notion of anarchy and ruling are contrasted.
The Flight of Lucifer over London
Lucifer is represented as flying over the city of London.
And my little grandson
The singer is thinking about his grandchild.
Wrinkled son forehead
His grandchild seems to be in pain with a wrinkled forehead.
All tiny blue pain
The pain of his grandchild is small, but still present.
As the Mother Blood emerges
His grandchild's mother (his daughter) is giving birth.
Then the Mother Grief
The sadness of birth is contrasted with the happiness of new life.
And the Blue Gates of Death
The beginning of life is contrasted with the end of life.
Open arms wide
Death is accepted with open arms.
Open teeth wide
Death seems to be devouring everything.
All dead like the leaves
Death is omnipresent and everything is dying.
Old times shiver
Memories of past times are being revisited and shivering.
Old dead calendar
The artist is reminded of a dead calendar, or perhaps time that's already passed.
Past blurred sunsets
Memories of sunsets seem to be fading away.
Cinders flying in His heart His heart
There is a burning sensation, perhaps of grief or melancholy, in the singer's heart.
(And all the little Christs I count
The singer is thinking about Jesus Christ and his followers.
Are covered in the breathwhite snow
The pure and innocent followers of Christ are covered in pure white snow.
And all the little Christs I call
The artist is calling out to the followers of Christ.
Are laughing through the green green fields)
The followers of Christ are happy and having fun in the green fields.
Some of those angels have the face of God
Some angels are almost godlike in appearance.
And some of them have the face of dogs
Some angels are more bestial in appearance, like dogs.
(By the Tower of Moad see the sky's Green angel form)
Close to the Tower of Moad, the green angel's form is visible in the sky.
And Lucifer flickers all around me
The dark lord is omnipresent and all around.
His hooded eyes alight
His eyes are hooded and mysterious, and they flicker with light.
In the smoky musk
There seems to be a smoky haze surrounding him.
Look into Him just a little longer
The singer is encouraging listeners to look more closely and observe the devil.
See the true face of the Moon
The true face of the moon is obscured, and only Lucifer can reveal it.
So He wheels there through the heavens
Lucifer is flying through the sky with a majestic wheeling motion.
His eyes are dotted bright lights
His eyes are bright and full of sparkling lights.
Licked with dust
The dust seems to be collecting on his eyes as he flies.
A golden seabird
Lucifer is often represented as a bird, although a bird that is golden in color.
Half dead with spray
He seems to have some tiredness, half-dead with spray.
His banners broken flags in the wind
His banners and flags are being blown and battered by the wind.
Devouring life he breaks at walls
He seems to be impatient and is breaking down walls to get what he wants.
The glint of dead fruits glint
The dead fruits glint in the light that is emanating from him.
And then the Moon
And then the Moon seems to be repeating again.
And sixsixsix
666 is a number often associated with the devil.
It makes us sick
The thought of the devil and this ominous number make the singer ill.
We're sicksicksick
The repeated word 'sick' emphasizes just how bad the thought is.
of 666
The devil and this number are inextricably linked, no matter how much they make the singer sick.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind