The Art Ensemble embodied the AACM motto "Great Black Music, Ancient to the Future" with their use of costumes and face paint in performance plus the adventurous improvisation, the use of folk music and instruments, swing, and a variety of musical expression that made them hard to pin down to a specific genre.
The listener is engaged by the Ensemble's multi-instrumentalism, especially the use of what they term "little instruments" in addition to the traditional jazz lineup; "little instruments" can include bicycle horns, bells, birthday party noisemakers, wind chimes, and a vast array of percussion instruments (including found objects). These two characteristics combine to make the ensemble's performances as much a visual spectacle as an aural one, with each musician playing from behind a large array of drums, bells and other instruments.
The newest additions to the Art Ensemble are Corey Wilkes on trumpet and Jaribu Shahid on bass. The group is clear in saying that the two are in no way meant to replace the late Lester Bowie or Malachi Favors, but that they felt that the sounds, voices, timbres and rhythms of these two are consonant with the overall inegrity of the Art Ensemble.
Joseph Jarman died on January 9, 2019.
Thème De Yoyo
Art Ensemble Of Chicago Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Your neck is like the string,
Your body's like camembert
Oozing from its skin, yeah.
Your fanny's like two sperm whales
Floating down the Seine,
Your voice is like a long fuck
Your eyes are two blind eagles
That kill what they can't see,
Your hands are like two shovels
Diggin' in me.
And your love is like an oil well,
Dig, dig, dig, dig it,
On the Champs-Élysées, yeah.
Your head is like a yoyo,
Your neck is like the string,
Your body's like camembert
Oozing from its skin, yeah.
Your fanny's like two sperm whales
Floating down the Seine, yeah,
Your voice is like a long fuck
That's music to your brain.
Your eyes are two blind eagles
That kill what they can't see,
Your hands are like two shovels
Diggin' in me, yeah.
And your love is like an oil well,
Dig, dig, dig, dig it,
On the Champs-Élysées, yeah
The song "Thème De Yoyo" by Art Ensemble Of Chicago is a surrealist exploration of sexuality and identity with a slightly humorous twist. The lyrics metaphorically describe the subject's different body parts and bring them to life as if they were objects with their own characteristics. The opening lyrics compare the subject's head to a yoyo and the neck to the string, suggesting a lack of control over their own thoughts and actions. The description of their body as camembert oozing from its skin is a vivid and slightly disturbing image, suggesting both softness and intensity.
The lyrics take a more suggestive turn when the subject's fanny is compared to two sperm whales floating down the Seine river, and their voice is described as a long fuck that's music to their brain. The use of blind eagles to describe the subject's eyes implies an intense focus on their own desires, even if they can't always see clearly. The reference to hands as shovels digging into the singer again conjures a vivid and slightly uncomfortable image. The song concludes with the repeated refrain that compares the subject's love to an oil well, urging them to dig deeper in their exploration of it.
Line by Line Meaning
Your head is like a yoyo,
Your mind is constantly bouncing and unstable, switching back and forth between different thoughts and ideas.
Your neck is like the string,
Your thoughts are the string that keeps your head together.
Your body's like camembert
Your physical form is soft and squishy, like the French cheese Camembert.
Oozing from its skin, yeah.
Your body emits a certain cheesy scent, maybe even makes you ooze too.
Your fanny's like two sperm whales
Your rear end is as large and majestic as two sperm whales.
Floating down the Seine,
Your buttocks seem to glide elegantly down the river Seine in France.
Your voice is like a long fuck
Your speech is like a long and satisfying experience, just like sex.
That's music to your brain, yeah.
What you say to others kind of gets you high.
Your eyes are two blind eagles
Your eyes are like eagles who are unable to see properly, even though they are predators, their sight is not sharp.
That kill what they can't see,
You hurt and attack, even when you are not completely aware or have a clear perception of what is going on.
Your hands are like two shovels
Your hands are as efficient and destructive as if they are made to dig up dirt or get rid of things.
Diggin' in me.
Your hands or body's touch creates a feeling of emptiness or destruction in the other person.
And your love is like an oil well,
Your love seems to be a source of abundance, but it is just something that continues to fire up the anxiety of the people involved.
Dig, dig, dig, dig it,
This love is not good for you, and yet, you dig deeper and deeper in yourself or the situation.
On the Champs-Élysées, yeah.
You are dancing shamelessly and singing loud on Champs-Élysées, Paris, where all the world can see you.
Writer(s): Roscoe Mitchell, Noreen Beasley, Malachi Favors, Lester Bowie
Contributed by Penelope D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@erickborling1302
I really love that two-bar chaos break. This gave me a religious experience as a young musician. Decades ago.
@mosko1988
I feel like the entire piece is a vehicle for those 2 bar breaks
@alessiobasciani2515
Religious?! Aaaa!!! No Dogma. No Numbers. No Yep in Free Jazz!!!
@meckel1271
I heard that it MJPK U of Chicago in 1971, when I was 18 years old, and it changed my life. I worked on a student group that presented AACM musicians at Chicago.
@salvadorgomez3247
same here, so goooooodddddddddd
@meckel1271
MHPK 😁
@stonecuttr4948
I love and miss you Auntie Fontella.. always can hear your voice and remember the times we had... Love you, sweetheart.. R.I.P, love...
@dougsmith7083
Phenomenal vocalist and, righteous, strong woman!
💖
@kurtralske4026
A gloriously beautiful mix of love and righteous anger
@sawtoothiandi
THE drumming on this is out of this fucking world!!!