Born in Suffolk, Eno studied painting and experimental music at the art school of Ipswich Civic College in the mid 1960s, and then at Winchester School of Art. He joined glam rock group Roxy Music as synthesiser player in 1971. After recording two albums with Roxy Music, he departed in 1973 to record a number of solo albums, coining the term "ambient music" to describe his work on releases such as Another Green World (1975), Discreet Music (1975), and Music for Airports (1978). He also collaborated with artists such as Robert Fripp, Cluster, Harold Budd, David Bowie on his "Berlin Trilogy", and David Byrne, and produced albums by artists including John Cale, Jon Hassell, Laraaji, Talking Heads and Devo, and the no wave compilation No New York (1978).
Eno has continued to record solo albums and work with artists including U2, Laurie Anderson, Grace Jones, Slowdive, Coldplay, James Blake, and Damon Albarn. Dating back to his time as a student, he has also worked in media including sound installations and his mid-70s co-development of Oblique Strategies, a deck of cards featuring cryptic aphorisms intended to spur creative thinking. From the 1970s onwards, Eno's installations have included the sails of the Sydney Opera House in 2009 and the Lovell Telescope at Jodrell Bank in 2016. An advocate of a range of humanitarian causes, Eno writes on a variety of subjects and is a founding member of the Long Now Foundation. In 2019, Eno was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Roxy Music.
Eno is frequently referred to as one of popular music's most influential artists. Producer and film composer Jon Brion has said: "I think he's the most influential artist since the Beatles." Critic Jason Ankeny at AllMusic argues that Eno "forever altered the ways in which music is approached, composed, performed, and perceived, and everything from punk to techno to new age bears his unmistakable influence." Eno has spread his techniques and theories primarily through his production; his distinctive style informed a number of projects in which he has been involved, including Bowie's "Berlin Trilogy" (helping to popularize minimalism) and the albums he produced for Talking Heads (incorporating, on Eno's advice, African music and polyrhythms), Devo, and other groups. Eno's first collaboration with David Byrne, 1981's My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, pioneered sampling techniques that would prove to be influential in hip-hop, and broke ground by incorporating world music into popular Western music forms. Eno and Peter Schmidt's Oblique Strategies have been used by many bands, and Eno's production style has proven influential in several general respects: "his recording techniques have helped change the way that modern musicians;– particularly electronic musicians;– view the studio. No longer is it just a passive medium through which they communicate their ideas but itself a new instrument with seemingly endless possibilities."
Whilst inspired by the ideas of minimalist composers including John Cage, Terry Riley and Erik Satie, Eno coined the term ambient music to describe his own work and defined the term. The Ambient Music Guide states that he has brought from "relative obscurity into the popular consciousness" fundamental ideas about ambient music, including "the idea of modern music as subtle atmosphere, as chill-out, as impressionistic, as something that creates space for quiet reflection or relaxation." His groundbreaking work in electronic music has been said to have brought widespread attention to and innovations in the role of electronic technology in recording. Pink Floyd keyboardist Rick Wright said he "often eulogised" Eno's abilities.
Eno's "unconventional studio predilections", in common with those of Peter Gabriel, were an influence on the recording of "In the Air Tonight", the single which launched the solo career of Eno's former drummer Phil Collins. Collins said he "learned a lot" from working with Eno. Both Half Man Half Biscuit (in the song "Eno Collaboration" on the EP of the same name) and MGMT have written songs about Eno. LCD Soundsystem has frequently cited Eno as a key influence. The Icelandic singer Björk also credited Eno as a major influence.
Mora sti Fotia (Babies on Fire), one of the most influential Greek rock bands, was named after Eno's song "Baby's on Fire".
In 2011, Belgian academics from the Royal Museum for Central Africa named a species of Afrotropical spider Pseudocorinna brianeno in his honour.
Are They Thinking of Me?
Brian Eno Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Unda way uzzun leer
Unda holways around
Who are under the whale
I will hum bay above
Are they over the sea?
Are they hungry above?
In the way of the world
Where they're always a whale
In my humble experience
There ain't no-one to help.
In the sun of the wold
Is there anyone knows
He'll be hundred before
How could anyone know?
Are they hampered again?
It was over the wold
Are they all this way up?
And the probe in the door.
Are they hungry out there?
Are they thinking of you?
In the rhythms out there
How could anyone know?
Brian Eno's song "Are They Thinking of Me?" is a hypnotic, atmospheric piece that always feels like it is on the verge of revealing something but ultimately remains elusive. The lyrics add to this ethereal feeling as they are deliberately vague and fragmented. The opening lines of "Nay alway ullo, Unda way uzzun leer, Unda holways around, Who are under the whale" create an almost poetic, dreamlike atmosphere, with the words themselves seeming to be more about their sound and texture than their meaning.
As the song progresses, Eno asks a series of questions: "I will hum bay above, Are they over the sea? Are they hungry above? Are they thinking of me?" These lines evoke a sense of longing and isolation, as if the singer is disconnected from the outside world and wondering if anyone is even thinking about them. The repeated question "Are they thinking of me?" adds a level of powerlessness to the lyrics.
The second half of the song is just as cryptic, with lines like "In the sun of the wold, Is there anyone knows, He'll be hundred before, How could anyone know?" The references to the sun and age add a sense of time passing, but there is still a feeling of ambiguity and uncertainty that permeates the lyrics. Eno seems to be exploring the idea of human connection and wondering if it is even possible to truly connect with others.
Line by Line Meaning
Nay alway ullo
In this chaotic world, I constantly feel lost and alone.
Unda way uzzun leer
I am always searching for a path, but can't seem to find one.
Unda holways around
There are so many options and paths I could take, but I am overwhelmed and unsure.
Who are under the whale
I feel like there are people out there who are more successful than me or who have found their purpose in life, while I am still struggling.
I will hum bay above
I try to keep my spirits up, even when I feel lost and alone.
Are they over the sea?
I wonder if there are others out there who feel the same way I do.
Are they hungry above?
Do other people crave success and purpose like I do?
Are they thinking of me?
I wonder if anyone out there cares about me or thinks about me the way I do about them.
In the way of the world
This is just the way things are in the world.
Where they're always a whale
There will always be people who are more successful or seem to have found their purpose.
In my humble experience
From what I've seen and experienced in my life so far,
There ain't no-one to help.
there is rarely anyone who can truly help me find my way or give me purpose.
In the sun of the wold
Even when the sun is shining and things seem positive,
Is there anyone knows
I still feel lost and unsure of what direction to take.
He'll be hundred before
It may take me a long time to find my purpose, and maybe even a lifetime.
How could anyone know?
It's impossible to know what the future holds or what path is the right one for me.
Are they hampered again?
Do other people also face obstacles and challenges in finding their purpose?
It was over the wold
I've tried different paths before, but they haven't led me to true fulfillment.
Are they all this way up?
Do other people also struggle to find their purpose and feel lost, despite appearing successful on the outside?
And the probe in the door.
I continue to search for answers and guidance, even when it seems like there is no clear way forward.
Are they hungry out there?
Do others also feel a deep longing for purpose and meaning in their lives?
Are they thinking of you?
Is there anyone out there who recognizes and understands the struggle of feeling lost and searching for purpose?
In the rhythms out there
In the world around me and the patterns of life,
How could anyone know?
It's impossible to know for sure what the future holds or what path is the right one to take.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jrw60
Haven't heard it in years awesome
@markeaston5026
I'll never understand why this song hasn't had a 'proper' release. It is a wonderful piece, the odd rhythmic time sucks you in.....
@Proteas605
Mark Easton Quite Arabesque in his melodic texture seems like - and vocals as well .
@tartan4turnups
too good
@jrw60
I haven't heard this song in awhile awesome thank you
@carlsedon2571
this compilation bespeaks the genius of Eno.
@stevenlynn3942
This can be found on the 1993 Eno Box II: Vocal
@RobinParmar
That's where I found it, alongside five tracks that made it onto "My Squelchy Life". I can only imagine that this was omitted due to an uncleared sample.
@brianslartibartfastlindsey4545
Yeah, I like it.
@landa-dd6pm
so cool