Joseph Budenholzer grew up in Nebraska, immersed in the rural lore and reli… Read Full Bio ↴Joseph Budenholzer grew up in Nebraska, immersed in the rural lore and religious traditions of the region. As a boy he attended parochial school where he was taught by nuns to play guitar for folk Mass. In addition to leading a string of local bands, he also joined The Omaha Magic Theatre, an offshoot of The Open Theatre in New York, as composer in residence. He eventually left Nebraska and set out for New York City arriving in the East Village in the mid-1980s. Soon after he began participating in readings at St Mark's Poetry Project and before long he was collaborating with dance performer, Brian Moran (Blood Boy) creating sampled soundscapes for confrontational Actionist assaults. This led into the Cinema of Transgression scene where he worked with filmmakers Richard Kern, Beth B, and Tessa Hughs-Freeland, and musician J.G. Thirlwell (Foetus). Eventually a series of live collaborations with Lydia Lunch resulted, culminating in the double CD, Matrikamantra, a work of psycho-acoustic theatre in the form of a homage to Romanian philosopher/poet EM Cioran. In 1990 he enrolled in NYU's Gallatin Division, focusing on Eastern European theatre, traveling to study in Russia and Bulgaria, and later touring Poland and the Czech Republic.

Backworld was formed in 1993 owing to Budenholzer's growing passion for English folk music, minimalist classical composition, Christian mysticism, and a desire to make music that could reflect these interests and hopefully be as spiritual and beautiful.

Since joining forces with World Serpent Distribution (London) in 1995 four studio albums have resulted, Holy Fire (1996), Isles of the Blest (1997), Anthems from the Pleasure Park (1999), Of Silver Sleep (2001) and a live album, The Fourth Wall, recorded at the Bloomsbury Theatre, London 2001. And 2 moreLPs Good Infection (2007) and Come The Bells (2011) on his own Discalucla label

Backworld's albums and early performances at CBGB's 313 Gallery and the NYU Experimental Theatre Wing and more recent concerts at House Leipzig, Germany; Grandson Castle, Switzerland; Bloomsbury Theatre, and St. Olave's Church, London, have featured a changing roster of players but the course is still steered by Budenholzer's constant vision. Arrangements of guitar, strings, percussion, flutes, electronics, revolve around lyrics concerned with ecstatic religious yearnings and tales of otherworldly visions. Notably Jarboe (Swans) has been a recurring figure in this story as well. Her presence can be felt lurking around certain tracks on the second and third albums. Recently, while recording the upcoming album, Good Infection, he enlisted the talents of Isobel Campbell (Belle & Sebastian, Gentle Waves), David Tibet (Current 93) and Drew McDowall (Coil) to contribute vocals and other textures to the new songs.

The Desert Has 12 Things
Backworld Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You must love nothingness
You must flee something
You must remain alone
And go to nobody

You must be very active
And free of all things
You must deliver the captives

And force those who are free

You must comfort the sick
And yet have nothing for yourself
You must drink the water of suffering

And light the fire of love with the wood of the virtues
Thus you live in the true desert

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Backworld’s song “The Desert Has 12 Things” can be interpreted as a call to a life of asceticism and selflessness. The first stanza emphasizes the importance of embracing nothingness and cutting off ties with the outside world. The second stanza highlights the need to be active and free, delivering captives and helping the sick. The final line ties these concepts together, stating that living in the true desert is the ultimate goal.

The desert is often seen as a place of solitude and reflection in different cultures, and the song's lyrics seem to be inspired by this idea. The phrases “drink the water of suffering” and “light the fire of love with the wood of the virtues” are particularly powerful, evoking images of transformation and self-discovery. The song's lyrics invite the listener to ponder the concept of nothingness and contemplate what living a life of service and sacrifice might truly mean.

Line by Line Meaning

You must love nothingness
You must relinquish all attachments and desires.

You must flee something
You must resist the urge to stay in your comfort zone and push yourself to change.

You must remain alone
You must embrace solitude and seek inner peace.

And go to nobody
Without the need for external validation or dependence on others.

You must be very active
You must constantly work to progress and improve yourself.

And free of all things
You must not be bound by material possessions or worldly desires.

You must deliver the captives
You must help those who are trapped in unfavorable conditions or negative mindsets.

And force those who are free
You must motivate and empower those who already have the ability to succeed.

You must comfort the sick
You must show compassion and offer support to those who are suffering.

And yet have nothing for yourself
You must not seek personal gain or recognition for your actions.

You must drink the water of suffering
You must experience pain and hardship as a means of learning and growth.

And light the fire of love with the wood of the virtues
You must use your positive qualities and values to ignite a passion for helping others.

Thus you live in the true desert
Living in this manner, without worldly attachments or distractions, is how one can experience a true sense of internal peace.

Contributed by Molly H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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