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.
Fickle Sun
Brian Eno Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To the memories of yesterday's clouds
I've been set free and I've been bound
And now I'm set free i'm set free
I'm set free to find a new illusion
I've been blinded but now I can see
The prince of stories who walk right by me
And now I'm set free i'm set free
I'm set free to find a new illusion
I've been set free and I've been bound
Let me tell you people what I found
I saw my head laughing rolling on the ground
And now I'm set free i'm set free
I'm set free to find a new illusion
The lyrics to Brian Eno's song "Fickle Sun I'm Set Free" contain a reflection on liberation, transformation, and the pursuit of new experiences. The repeated phrases "I've been set free and I've been bound" suggest a cycle in which the singer has experienced both freedom and constraint. The memories of past experiences, represented by the metaphor of "yesterday's clouds," have both liberated and restrained the singer. The repetition of the phrase emphasizes the alternating nature of these states.
The chorus, "And now I'm set free, I'm set free, I'm set free to find a new illusion," suggests a sense of liberation from past illusions and a quest for new ones. It implies a desire to break free from limited perspectives and explore new possibilities. The lyrics express a realization that the singer has been blinded in some way, but now they can finally see and understand what has happened to them. The mention of the "prince of stories" who has walked by unnoticed may suggest missed opportunities or overlooked insights.
Towards the end of the song, the line "Let me tell you people what I found, I saw my head laughing rolling on the ground" captures a moment of self-discovery and reflection. It implies a sense of detachment and self-amusement, as if the singer has gained a new perspective on their own experiences. Overall, the lyrics convey a profound sense of personal transformation, the search for new meaning, and an acceptance of the impermanent nature of illusions.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been set free and I've been bound
I have experienced both liberation and confinement
To the memories of yesterday's clouds
To the reminiscences of fleeting moments
And now I'm set free, I'm set free
Now, I am liberated, completely liberated
I'm set free to find a new illusion
I am free to pursue a different false belief or perception
I've been blinded but now I can see
I was once blinded, but now I possess clarity
What in the world has happened to me
What transpired that has transformed me
The prince of stories who walk right by me
The leading figures with captivating narratives who disregard my presence
Let me tell you people what I found
Allow me to divulge what I have discovered, my fellow individuals
I saw my head laughing rolling on the ground
I witnessed my own detached head merrily tumbling on the earth
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
wvx
I've been set free and I've been bound
To the memories of yesterday's clouds
I've been set free and I've been bound
And now I'm set free
I'm set free
I'm set free to find a new illusion
I've been blinded but
Now I can see
What in the world has happened to me
The prince of stories who walk right by me
And now I'm set free
I'm set free
I'm set free to find a new illusion
I've been set free and I've been bound
Let me tell you people
what I found
I saw my head laughing
rolling on the ground
And now I'm set free
I'm set free
I'm set free to find a new illusion
Bob Oz
Eno's comments:
THE FIRST TIME I EVER HEARD [THE VELVET
UNDERGROUND] WAS ON A JOHN PEEL RADIO SHOW… IT WAS WHEN THEIR FIRST
ALBUM CAME OUT AND I THOUGHT “THIS I LIKE! THIS I WANT TO KNOW ABOUT!”. I
WAS HAVING A HUGE CRISIS AT THE TIME. AM I GOING TO BE A PAINTER OR AM I
SOMEHOW GOING TO GET INTO MUSIC. AND I COULDN’T PLAY ANYTHING SO MUSIC
WAS THE LESS OBVIOUS CHOICE. THEN, WHEN I HEARD THE VELVET UNDERGROUND I
THOUGHT, “YOU CAN DO BOTH ACTUALLY”. IT WAS A BIG MOMENT FOR ME.
THAT PARTICULAR SONG ALWAYS RESONATED WITH ME BUT IT TOOK ABOUT 25 YEARS
BEFORE I THOUGHT ABOUT THE LYRICS. “I’M SET FREE, TO FIND A NEW
ILLUSION”. WOW. THAT’S SAYING WE DON’T GO FROM AN ILLUSION TO REALITY
(THE WESTERN IDEA OF “FINDING THE TRUTH”) BUT RATHER WE GO FROM ONE
WORKABLE SOLUTION TO ANOTHER MORE WORKABLE SOLUTION.
SUBSEQUENTLY I THINK WE AREN’T ABLE AND ACTUALLY DON’T PARTICULARLY CARE
ABOUT THE TRUTH, WHATEVER THAT MIGHT BE. WHAT WE CARE ABOUT IS HAVING
INTELLECTUAL TOOLS AND INVENTIONS THAT WORK. [YUVAL NOAH HARARI IN HIS
BOOK “SAPIENS”] DISCUSSES THAT WHAT MAKES LARGE-SCALE HUMAN SOCIETIES
CAPABLE OF COHERING AND CO-OPERATING IS THE STORIES THEY SHARE TOGETHER.
DEMOCRACY IS A STORY, RELIGION IS A STORY, MONEY IS A STORY. THIS
CHIMED WELL WITH “I’M SET FREE TO FIND A NEW ILLUSION”. IT SEEMS TO ME
WHAT WE DON’T NEED NOW IS PEOPLE THAT COME OUT WAVING THEIR HANDS AND
CLAIMING THEY KNOW THE RIGHT WAY.”
MB S
Eno's vocal talents are underrated, So deep and rich on this song (which is a favorite VU song of mine, sung by the even more underrated Doug Yule). Eno sang as a member of a gospel choir when he lived in NYC from 1978-84. He loves harmony and collective singing. See the clip of him singing the great Bill Withers'' Lean on Me with Stephen Colbert and Michael Stipe. Eno is the only one of the three who looks out to the audience the whole time. He in interested in a collective experience, not back slapping with stars. An incredible and unique talent.
Sara Duncan
This song got me through a tough time and I’m back to listen just for the beauty. Agree with so many comments on here!
Jose Antonio Duclaud
Eno is a master of "atmosphere". He can actually take someone else's tune and turn it into some atmospheric peaceful dream. What a talent!
Ceefax Ballard
Brian's voice is excellent.
Brian White
+Ceefax Ballard its back to the albums years ago.
Kelvin Smith
Well the 'auto tuning' helps.
TRANZEURO
It's really great to hear Eno doing melodic music again like he did on his 70's pop albums.
EnosEverything
There are many melodic songs on his collaboration with David Byrne - EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS WILL HAPPEN TODAY and you should check out the beautiful song HOW MANY WORLDS from the vastly underrated album ANOTHER DAY ON EARTH - I've played that song to death...
Don Crouch
THIS! :)
Edward mulholland
He has really grown as a singer. Well done Brian, love it.