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 The Hour Is Thin
Brian Eno Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Birds and cold black dark
The final famine of a wicked sun
And the web that died yesterday
I was a hard-copy version
I turned my eyes directly to hate
Then, the hammer of toil
Forth, with the women waving at war
And the news that war is faith
Filled with tremendous cheering, leaping, and
Night rings ding, dang, and gongs
Who did not feel any purpose?
The phoenix broods, serene above the moment
You are fighting for, I wonder what, destiny
We waste away our hours and darken
Beneath the velvet of a strong optimism
Britain's most fateful hour is spun
Copy this point on a gong
Choirs, like bells, like a national truce
And the new sun
Where the air is something new
Men dream of a swell so high
Endeavor to get through the lies
And the bees to find
Something that historians can rake
Out of the drums
And all that color and savagery
Boom, the dark
And the web that died yesterday
The phoenix broods serene above
The tower of time, not enough boats
He admitted without shame that he
Had entered into the dreams
Of the named addressee in the velvet of war
Well lad, you've taken my heart away i
Shall miss the heart of the cold, black sea
Before ever there was writing
They were taking
Up stones to hurl at last stroke
But nobody looked back
There were soldiers, there was a cradle
The universe is required please
Notify the sun
The lyrics of "Fickle Sun (iii) I'm Set Free" by Brian Eno are full of evocative imagery and thought-provoking phrases. The song seems to touch upon themes of war, faith, optimism, and the passage of time.
The opening lines describe a calm Trafalgar Square, with birds and darkness prevailing. The mention of the "final famine of a wicked sun" suggests a sense of impending doom or the end of something significant. The line "And the web that died yesterday" could refer to the collapse of information or communication, perhaps symbolizing the loss of truth or the fading of reliable sources.
The following verses allude to a personal transformation or awakening. The singer, described as a "hard-copy version," turns their gaze towards hate, possibly indicating a realization of the negative aspects of the world. The "hammer of toil" suggests weariness or discontent with the current state of affairs. The reference to women waving at war could be a commentary on the active role of women in conflicts and the paradoxical nature of war being celebrated or glorified.
The arrival of a new sun brings hope and a sense of change. There is a desire to uncover the truth beneath the lies and for historians to uncover the significance of past events. The mention of the "dark and the web that died yesterday" could be emphasizing the need for clarity and transparency in a world filled with deception and manipulation.
The phoenix, a symbol of regeneration, is present throughout the song, brooding and watching over mankind's struggle for destiny and its place in time. The mention of Britain's "fateful hour" hints at the country's historical importance or turning point.
In summary, "Fickle Sun (iii) I'm Set Free" explores themes of war, hope, disillusionment, and the need for truth and clarity in a world filled with ambiguity and darkness.
Line by Line Meaning
The hour is thin trafalgar Square is calm
The time feels fragile, Trafalgar Square is peaceful
Birds and cold black dark
Birds flying in the freezing darkness
The final famine of a wicked sun
The severe scarcity caused by a malevolent sun
And the web that died yesterday
And the network that ceased to exist yesterday
I was a hard-copy version
I existed as a physical copy
I turned my eyes directly to hate
I focused my gaze on hatred
Then, the hammer of toil
Then, the relentless burden of labor
Tired of what the world has yet brought
Fatigued by what the world has yet presented
Forth, with the women waving at war
Furthermore, with women signaling involvement in war
And the news that war is faith
And the message that war is a belief
Filled with tremendous cheering, leaping, and
Overflowing with immense applause, jumping, and
Night rings ding, dang, and gongs
Night resounds with ringing, clanging, and gongs
Who did not feel any purpose?
Who felt no sense of meaning?
The phoenix broods, serene above the moment
The mythological bird broods calmly over this time
You are fighting for, I wonder what, destiny
What destiny are you battling for, I wonder?
We waste away our hours and darken
We squander our time and grow gloomy
Beneath the velvet of a strong optimism
Underneath the smoothness of unwavering hope
Britain's most fateful hour is spun
The most decisive hour for Britain is unfolding
Copy this point on a gong
Mark this point on a gong
Choirs, like bells, like a national truce
Choirs singing, resembling bells, like a nationwide peace agreement
And the new sun
And the fresh sunrise
Where the air is something new
Where the atmosphere holds something novel
Men dream of a swell so high
People envision an immense wave
Endeavor to get through the lies
Strive to navigate through the deception
And the bees to find
And the bees to discover
Something that historians can rake
Something that historians can uncover
Out of the drums
From amongst the drums
And all that color and savagery
And all the vividness and brutality
Boom, the dark
Suddenly, the darkness
And the web that died yesterday
And the network that ceased to exist yesterday
The phoenix broods serene above
The mythological bird broods calmly above
The tower of time, not enough boats
The tower of time, insufficient vessels
He admitted without shame that he
He openly confessed, unashamedly, that he
Had entered into the dreams
Had become a part of the dreams
Of the named addressee in the velvet of war
Of the specifically mentioned recipient in the context of war
Well lad, you've taken my heart away
Well, young man, you've captured my heart
Shall miss the heart of the cold, black sea
Will long for the essence of the frigid, dark sea
Before ever there was writing
Before writing even existed
They were taking
They were carrying
Up stones to hurl at last stroke
Gathering stones to throw in the final blow
But nobody looked back
But no one turned their gaze backward
There were soldiers, there was a cradle
There were soldiers, there was an infant's bed
The universe is required please
We need the presence of the universe
Notify the sun
Inform the sun
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind