Combining literary, socially engaged texts with innovative and genre-breaking music, she has covered every kind of style, while at the same time maintaining her own identity on each and every recording, whether it be the samples (before sampling became a concept) and electronically treated acoustics of The Sitting Room (1982), to the ground-breaking analogue synth classics of Sleeper In Metropolis (1983) and Our Darkness (1984).
Consistently looking for new ways of expression and communication through the emotion of music and language, Anne seeks to not only challenge herself but her audience also.
Going between extremes of the minimal Scandinavian jazz influences of Unstill Life (1991) to the pastoral and poetic interpretations and translations of Rainer Maria Rilke’s poetry on Just After Sunset (1997), to the full-on electronics and sparse acoustics of The Smallest Acts Of Kindness (2008), very few artists have covered such a wide spectrum over such a long and consistent career.
At the end of 2010, Anne Clark released the first chapter of a vibrant and on-going project Past & Future Tense, the first release on her own label, After Hours Productions.
Rather than turning out yet another compilation or collection of back catalogue, she decided, in this special anniversary year to invite young and innovative musicians, producers and DJs to take her material, all her material, not the most obvious numbers and to not just “remix” them but completely re-interpret them.
The result a fresh, exciting and contemporary view by a new generation of an artist who in her turn influenced them and their development in the endless possibilities of electronic music.
In January 2011 Anne contributed an arrangement of the Charles Baudelaire poem Enivrez-Vous (Be Drunk) to the audio book and radio play Die Künstliche Paradiese, (Hörbuch Hamburg/Radio Bremen).
Abuse
Anne Clark Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With all our wealth
And our vulgarity
Into your land
Carving deep wounds
In our wake
Planting the sharped-edged dreen seed
Deep into your hands
And as you grasp
Gasping
You will thank us
As it takes root
Growing and entangling itself
Around your simple naive lives
It will placate you
We shall come
Hard and fast
Into your under-developed
Un-exploited little world
Tearing away the soil
Beneath your feet where you stand
Scattering the broken gifts it offers up
All around us
Digging the foundations of our own image
Into the raw core belly of the earth
Send spiralling monuments
To our glorious achievements
Into the heavy leaden sky
You will watch from the horizon
Imprisoned by your own pleasures
Bound by the material chains
We will supply
And when we have turned
One side oft he world's face
From the sun into the blackness
The other will then burn
Under the slap of our greed.
The lyrics of Anne Clark's song, Abuse, is a scathing commentary on the exploitative nature of wealth and its impact on underdeveloped nations. The opening line, "We shall come with all our wealth and our vulgarity into your land," sets the tone for the rest of the song, which is a warning against the damaging effects of western capitalism on developing countries. The use of the word "vulgarity" suggests a lack of regard for cultural sensitivity and a tendency towards brash and insensitive behavior.
The following lines describe the seeping influence of money and how it can corrupt even the most innocent of lives. The imagery of "carving deep wounds in our wake" and "planting the sharp-edged dreen seed of money" implies a forceful imposition of capitalist values that are not in tune with the local culture, leading to social and economic disruption. The line "as it takes root, growing and entangling itself around your simple naive lives, it will placate you" is particularly poignant, as it highlights how people often become complicit in their own exploitation due to a lack of alternatives.
The second half of the song is a rallying cry against the exploitation of underdeveloped nations. The phrase "we shall come hard and fast into your under-developed un-exploited little world" suggests a sense of entitlement and a deliberate targeting of weaker nations for economic gain. The lines "imprisoned by your own pleasures, bound by the material chains" underline the debilitating nature of poverty and the way in which capitalism perpetuates inequality. Overall, Anne Clark's song, Abuse, is an insightful commentary on the damaging impact of wealth and capitalism on underdeveloped nations, and a call to action to recognize and resist these influences.
Line by Line Meaning
We shall come
We, the wealthy and vulgar, will invade your land.
With all our wealth
We are bringing our riches to exploit your resources.
And our vulgarity
We will bring our unrefined and tasteless behavior to your culture.
Into your land
We will impose ourselves forcefully into your territory.
Carving deep wounds
Our actions will cause significant harm to your people and environment.
In our wake
We leave destruction and chaos behind us.
Planting the sharp-edged dreen seed
We will introduce our corrupt values and economic systems into your society.
Of money
Our primary goal is financial gain and control.
Deep into your hands
We will make you dependent on our money and support.
And as you grasp
You will eagerly accept our offerings.
Gasping
You will be overwhelmed and desperate for our aid and resources.
You will thank us
You will be grateful to us for our superficial help.
As it takes root
Our influence will become deeply ingrained in your society.
Growing and entangling itself
Our control will become stronger and more constricting over time.
Around your simple naive lives
We will manipulate and exploit your innocent and unsuspecting people.
It will placate you
Our superficial assistance will keep you content and compliant.
We shall come
We will continue to invade and exploit other vulnerable nations.
Hard and fast
Our actions will be aggressive and unrelenting.
Into your under-developed
We will target weaker and less developed countries.
Un-exploited little world
We view your culture and resources as something to be taken advantage of.
Tearing away the soil
We will destroy your environment and homes for our own gain.
Beneath your feet where you stand
We will cause harm to you directly and personally.
Scattering the broken gifts it offers up
We will disregard and damage any natural resources or gifts of your land.
All around us
The harm we cause will be widespread and destructive.
Digging the foundations of our own image
We will create a self-serving legacy and narrative for ourselves.
Into the raw core belly of the earth
Our actions will cause deep and lasting harm to the environment.
Send spiralling monuments
We will build grand structures to glorify our actions and achievements.
To our glorious achievements
We will celebrate our domination and exploitation of your people and land.
Into the heavy leaden sky
Our legacy will cast a dark and oppressive shadow over your culture and society.
You will watch from the horizon
You will witness our harmful impact from afar, powerless to stop it.
Imprisoned by your own pleasures
Your society will be trapped by your own comfort and complacency in the face of our exploitation.
Bound by the material chains
Our financial and cultural influence will control and restrict you.
We will supply
We will continue to provide superficial help and resources to keep you content and obedient.
And when we have turned
Once we have exploited your nation completely.
One side of the world's face
One side of the world will be under our control and influence.
From the sun into the blackness
We will cause darkness and oppression in the places we have exploited.
The other will then burn
Other nations and cultures will suffer and be exploited by us next.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ANNE CLARK, CHARLIE MORGAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
cookie1lu
Thanks for uploading, one of my favourite songs from her.
Hüseyin Kahraman
One of her greatest tracks! Thanks for uploading!
Rael Imperial
my favourite from Anne Clark
Jose Olmos Valencia 80's live
Maravillosa!!!!.....siempre!!!
Sascha Riess
usually the police appeared as soon as I did put up volume to the max sounding this to the world ... the bass line simply is amazing
Sascha Riess
actulally I think the name of the composer related to Anne is Trevor Horn, you may correct me.
Michi
👍, great song, underrated👍.
Erik Müller Meier
this song is like a journey of space!
RicardoDiLago
Thanks! never heard it before, very nice reminds me of other works though
Lee Vuong
"Spacer" from French singer Sheila, composed by Nile Rodger and Bernie Edwards from Chic. ;-)