Raised in Cornwall, James began DJing at free parties and clubs in the area in the late 1980s. His debut EP Analogue Bubblebath, released in 1991 on Mighty Force Records, brought James an early following; he began to perform across the UK and continental Europe. James co-founded the independent label Rephlex Records the same year. His 1992 debut album Selected Ambient Works 85-92, released by Belgian label Apollo, garnered wider critical and popular acclaim. James signed to Warp in 1993 and subsequently released charting albums such as ...I Care Because You Do (1995) and Richard D. James Album (1996), as well as Top 40 singles such as "Come to Daddy" (1997) and "Windowlicker" (1999); the latter two were accompanied by music videos directed by Chris Cunningham and brought James significantly wider international attention.
After releasing Drukqs in 2001 and completing his contract with Warp, James spent several years releasing music on his own Rephlex label, including the 2005 Analord EP series under his AFX alias and a pair of 2007 releases as the Tuss. In 2014, he made available a previously unreleased 1994 LP as Caustic Window. He returned later that year with the Aphex Twin album Syro on Warp, winning the Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronic Album. He has since released charting EPs including Cheetah (2016) and Collapse (2018).
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphex_Twin
Studio albums
Selected Ambient Works 85-92 (1992)
Selected Ambient Works Volume II (1994)
...I Care Because You Do (1995)
Richard D. James Album (1996)
Drukqs (2001)
Syro (2014)
ON
Aphex Twin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's perfect, you can't refuse, it's my gift to you, it's your fantasy
Fantasia, having a party is not my idea of a fantasy
Especially right now
The party isn't the fantasy
I know what you'd like, it's the fantasy you once told me about
I don't remember telling you about it
What is it? What's the fantasy?
I'm going to give you a coming-out party, at your house
It's perfect, you can't refuse, it's my gift to you, it's your fantasy
Fantasia, having a party is not my idea of a fantasy
Especially right now
The party isn't the fantasy
I know what you'd like, it's the fantasy you once told me about
Remember?
I don't remember telling you about it
What is it? What's the fantasy?
I'm going to give you a coming-out party, at your house
It's perfect, you can't refuse, it's my gift to you, it's your fantasy
Fantasia, having a party is not my idea of a fantasy
Especially right now
The party isn't the fantasy
I know what you'd like, it's the fantasy you once told me about
Remember?
I don't remember telling you about it
What is it? What's the fantasy?
I'm going to give you a coming-out party, at your house
It's perfect, you can't refuse, it's my gift to you, it's your fantasy
Fantasia, having a party is not my idea of a fantasy
Especially right now
The party isn't the fantasy
I know what you'd like, it's the fantasy you once told me about
Remember?
I don't remember telling you about it
What is it? What's the fantasy?
I'm going to give you a coming-out party, at your house
It's perfect, you can't refuse, it's my gift to you, it's your fantasy
Fantasia, having a party is not my idea of a fantasy
Especially right now
The party isn't the fantasy
I know what you'd like, it's the fantasy you once told me about
Remember?
I don't remember telling you about it
What is it? What's the fantasy?
I'm going to give you a coming-out party, at your house
It's perfect, you can't refuse, it's my gift to you, it's your fantasy
Fantasia, having a party is not my idea of a fantasy
Especially right now
The party isn't the fantasy
I know what you'd like, it's the fantasy you once told me about
Remember?
I don't remember telling you about it
What is it? What's the fantasy?
The lyrics to "On" by Aphex Twin appear to be a conversation between two people, one of whom is trying to give the other a "coming-out party" at their house as a gift. The other person seems hesitant and unsure of what they want, saying that having a party is not their idea of a fantasy, and questioning what the fantasy is that was previously discussed. The first person insists that they know what the other person wants, and that the party is just a means to fulfill that fantasy.
The meaning of the lyrics is somewhat ambiguous, but it could be interpreted as a commentary on the tension between societal expectations and personal desires around sexuality and identity. The idea of a "coming-out party" suggests that the person may be struggling to reveal a previously hidden aspect of themselves, while the reluctance to have a party could represent fears or uncertainties about what that revelation could mean for them. Meanwhile, the insistence that the first person knows what the other person wants could be seen as a comment on the pressure that some people feel to conform to certain expectations, even if they don't necessarily align with their own internal desires.
Overall, "On" is a cryptic but thought-provoking piece of music, with lyrics that could be read in a variety of ways depending on the listener's own experiences and interpretations.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm going to give you a coming-out party, at your house
I want to throw a party for you to come out and express yourself, and I want to have it at your house.
It's perfect, you can't refuse, it's my gift to you, it's your fantasy
The party will be perfect, and you can't say no because it's my gift to you, and I want to make your fantasy come true.
Fantasia, having a party is not my idea of a fantasy
I said fantasy, not party. Having a party isn't exactly what I had in mind for this fantasy.
Especially right now
This isn't the best time for me to throw a big party, but I want to do it anyway.
The party isn't the fantasy
I want to make your fantasy come true, not just throw a party for the sake of it.
I know what you'd like, it's the fantasy you once told me about
I remember you telling me about a fantasy you have, and I want to make it come true for you.
Remember?
I hope you remember telling me about your fantasy.
I don't remember telling you about it
I don't recall telling you about my fantasy.
What is it? What's the fantasy?
Can you remind me what fantasy I told you about?
Contributed by Nicholas C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
SANTIAGO HARDY
The very first song that introduced me to
Aphex Twin was the video for " Come to Daddy ".
It made such an impression on me.
I was completely intrigued. Up to that point,
i had never heard ANYTHING like it.
I was expecting the rest of his sound
to be similar in tone and harshness.
Much to my surprise and delight,
This song "On", was/is such a departure
from what i was expecting.
23+ years forward, this song still compels
me. It's pure nostalgia to me. Thee BEST.
Mike S
When I was a child, my grandmother would sing me aphex twin songs as a lullaby.
bjeffalicious
The first word I learnt when I was two weeks old was Aphextwin, the next was Richardjames.
Xonxt
I always loved it when my aunt would sing me Come To Daddy, so easy to fall asleep to, richard is such a musical genius!
Целлнвдпввшееш Жгажосщну
@Xonxtахахахахаха
qwer8907
@Xonxtthat is disturbing
Chuncite
gonna do this for my kids 💯
birdman 247
As a kid I used to suffer from nightmares, I remember regularly coming downstairs with my mother when I couldn't sleep and putting MTV on late at night and this would regularly be on, it used to fascinate and comfort me at the same time.
Laura Morena
hshshshs this is the reason why you had nightmares
Laura Morena
in the best way possible, of course
birdman 247
@Laura Morena 🤣😜😎