Blank frank is the messenger of your doom and your destruction
Yes, he is the one who will set you up as nothing
And he is one who will look at you sideways
His particular skill is leaving bombs in people's driveways.

Blank frank has a memory that's as cold as an iceberg
The only time he speaks is in incomprehensible proverbs
Blank frank is the siren, he's the air-raid, he's the crater
He's on the menu, on the table, he's the knife and he's the waiter

Overall Meaning

“Blank Frank” by Brian Eno is a song about a mysterious and dangerous character named Blank Frank who represents disaster and destruction. He is described as the messenger of doom who will leave bombs in people's driveways. He is a siren who calls out to draw people in but ends up causing destruction like an air-raid or a crater. He has a memory that is just as cold as an iceberg and he only communicates in incomprehensible proverbs. The song creates a feeling of unease and danger in the listener, as if Blank Frank could be anyone, anywhere, waiting to strike.

The lyrics of the song suggest that Blank Frank is not just one person but an archetype of danger and destruction. He could represent anything from a natural disaster to a human-made catastrophe. The way he communicates in proverbs that are difficult to understand suggests that he is an enigma, impossible to fully comprehend. The song could be interpreted as a warning about the dangers that lurk in the world and the importance of being aware of them.

Line by Line Meaning

Blank frank is the messenger of your doom and your destruction
Blank Frank is the harbinger of your downfall and destruction

Yes, he is the one who will set you up as nothing
He will reduce you to nothingness

And he is one who will look at you sideways
He will observe you with a sideways glance

His particular skill is leaving bombs in people's driveways.
His specific talent is planting bombs in driveways

Blank frank has a memory that's as cold as an iceberg
Blank Frank has an icy cold memory

The only time he speaks is in incomprehensible proverbs
He only speaks in cryptic proverbs

Blank frank is the siren, he's the air-raid, he's the crater
He is the warning siren, the air-raid, and the aftermath of destruction

He's on the menu, on the table, he's the knife and he's the waiter
He is a part of the menu as well as the one serving it, both the knife and the server

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