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.
Been There Done That
Brian Eno Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's a hundred and ninety degrees
We were crawling around on our knees
Till the sun came up at quarter to three
But the time we had
Dirty clothes and dirt on our walls
Swinging on the bathroom doors
Until somebody said they'd
Been there, done that
Been there, don't wanna go back
Been there, done that
Been there, don't wanna go back
Yesterday I called you on the telephone
To tell you I was feeling alone
Where you been for the last few days?
I want you back
Put my feet back on the ground
I don't need the lost and found
I need somebody to tell me when I've
Been there, done that
Been there, don't wanna go back
Been there, done that
Been there, don't wanna go back
A broken heart
Won't get you much further than a cold heart
We're getting, getting better, we're running back
Running back, back to you and I'm feeling that
You're the money or the good times
When I've been there
The lyrics of "Been There Done That" by Brian Eno and John Cale talk about the experiences of young adults living wild, sometimes reckless lives. The singer recounts a time when they were out with friends, partying until the wee hours of the morning, until they realized that they were merely doing things that everyone else had done before. The lyrics "Been there, done that, don't wanna go back" indicate the feeling of disillusionment with the lack of originality or excitement in their activities.
As the song progresses, the singer begins to feel the emptiness of their actions and attempts to reach out to a loved one, looking for emotional support. The lyrics "Where you been for the last few days? I want you back, put my feet back on the ground," convey the hope that their loved one will be able to bring them back to reality and ground them.
The song's lyrics ultimately contrast the excitement of youth with the reality of having a broken heart and how it evokes the need for love, comfort, and stability. It conveys a message of needing someone to rely on emotionally after experiencing situations that may have led to disappointment.
Line by Line Meaning
I was dreaming
I was imagining a situation that wasn't real
It's a hundred and ninety degrees
It's very hot
We were crawling around on our knees
We were moving around on our knees
Till the sun came up at quarter to three
We stayed up all night until the sun rose at 2:45 am
But the time we had
Although we had a good time, it was brief
Dirty clothes and dirt on our walls
Our clothes were soiled and our walls were dusty
Swinging on the bathroom doors
We were playing on the bathroom doors
Thinking we were having a ball
We thought we were having a lot of fun
Until somebody said they'd
But then somebody informed us that they
Been there, done that
had already experienced the same situation and didn't consider it as enjoyable
Been there, don't wanna go back
had already experienced the same situation and didn't want to do it again
Been there, done that
had already experienced the same situation and didn't consider it as enjoyable
Been there, don't wanna go back
had already experienced the same situation and didn't want to do it again
Yesterday I called you on the telephone
Yesterday, I called and talked to you on the phone
To tell you I was feeling alone
I was trying to communicate to you that I was lonely
Where you been for the last few days?
I was asking where you had been for the past several days
I want you back
I desire your return in my life
Put my feet back on the ground
I need somebody's guidance to bring me to reality
I don't need the lost and found
I am not looking for things that are lost and unattainable
I need somebody to tell me when I've
I need somebody to inform me the moment when
Been there, done that
I have already experienced a similar instance and perhaps it's best to move on
Been there, don't wanna go back
I have already experienced a similar instance and I don't wish to repeat it
Been there, done that
I have already experienced a similar instance and perhaps it's best to move on
Been there, don't wanna go back
I have already experienced a similar instance and I don't wish to repeat it
A broken heart
A state of emotional pain or distress
Won't get you much further than a cold heart
Having a broken heart won't move you any further than having no emotions
We're getting, getting better, we're running back
We are making improvements in our situation and returning back to where we were before.
Running back, back to you and I'm feeling that
Returning to you, I am experiencing a sense of satisfaction.
You're the money or the good times
You represent wealth or enjoyable experiences
When I've been there
In moments when I have gone through similar experiences.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BRIAN ENO, JOHN DAVIES CALE, John Cale
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind