After 2 singles on different labels and a surprise number one hit as part of M/A/R/R/S's "Pump Up the Volume", they made two ground-breaking albums that placed them precariously in the indie scene - however they preferred the term "dream pop". These albums were 69 in 1988 and i in 1989.
Hard to place in terms of genre, 69 was more consciously indie, though that's not saying much, seen by some as part of a continuum that included jimi hendrix' more spaced-out offerings, miles davis and others - musically it asked questions and opened doors that have still to be explored. 'i' was a dramatic change, clearly slicker and smoother, and covering a wide variety of styles over twenty-six tracks (ten of which were short noise interludes). "i" also spawned A.R. Kane's best-known song in "A Love From Outer Space". Both albums achieved wide critical acclaim.
Follow up album New Clear Child (1994), was not received as well, the reasons being a believed lack of coherent direction and a feeling that the ideas were merely (admittedly excellent) re hashes of works that were completed more succinctly in the earlier 2 albums.
Rudy Tambala made ambient and dub influenced music under the name Sufi. Neither is currently involved in the music industry to any great extent. Post-A.R. Kane, Alex Ayuli was (possibly still is) a museum curator in the U.S. Russell Smith still DJ's rare soul 45s in UK and Europe and earns a living as a restorer/ decorator in South West France.
The Madonna Is With Child
A.R. Kane Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the big rain
before we sleep, child
Before we sleep, child
let your arms down, cover my head
Before the big rain comes
we go to sleep forever
There, there he comes, the beginning, child
mother, cover my chest with your pretty breast
You said we're gonna live together
Sleep forever
before the big rain comes
this is not the end
The lyrics of A.R. Kane's song The Madonna Is With Child are enigmatic and open to interpretation. It seems like a song about the end of the world, the big rain being a metaphor for a cataclysmic event that will wipe out humanity. The singers in the song, a child and their mother, seem to be preparing for the end. They are seeking comfort in each other's embrace, with the child asking the mother to cover their head and chest, while the mother promises they will live together forever. The reference to the Madonna being with child, a biblical allusion to the virgin birth of Jesus, adds a layer of religious symbolism to the song.
However, the song can also be interpreted as a song about love and intimacy, with the big rain representing a crisis in a relationship or a personal apocalypse. The child and the mother can symbolize two lovers who are seeking solace in each other's arms before a storm, a fight, or a breakup. In this interpretation, the reference to the Madonna can be seen as a poetic way of describing the transformative power of love.
Line by Line Meaning
In the big rain
Before a significant event or change
Before we sleep, child
Before we face our inevitable end
Let your arms down, cover my head
Provide me with protection and safety
Before the big rain comes
Before something disastrous or catastrophic happens
We go to sleep forever
We face death
There, there he comes, the beginning, child
Death is viewed as a new beginning or rebirth
Mother, cover my chest with your pretty breast
Seeking comfort and security from a maternal figure
You said we're gonna live together
Holding onto the hope of an afterlife or continued existence
Sleep forever
Euphemism for death or eternal sleep
This is not the end
Suggesting the possibility of an afterlife or a continuation beyond physical death
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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