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.
Golden Hours
Brian Eno Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is flicking dimly up on the screen
I can't see the lines
I used to think i could read between
Perhaps my brains have turned to san
Oh me oh my
I think it's been an eternity
You'd be surprised
How can moments go so slow.
Several times
I've seen the evening slide away
Watching the signs
Taking over from the fading day
Perhaps my brains are old and scrambled.
Several times
I've seen the evening slide away
Watching the signs
Taking over from the fading day
Changing water into wine.
Several times
I've seen the evening slide away
Watching the signs
Taking over from the fading day
Putting the grapes back on the vine.
(simultaneously with the last two verses, another voice sings another melody with different words, as follows:)
Who would believe what a poor set of eyes can show you
Who would believe what an innocent voice could do
Never a silence always a face at the door.
Who would believe what a poor set of ears can tell you
Who would believe what a weak pair of hands can do
Never a silence always a foot in the door.
In Brian Eno's song "Golden Hours," the lyrics depict the passage of time and the uncertainty and confusion that can accompany it. The beginning of the song highlights the difficulty in deciphering the passing moments, with the lines "The passage of time / Is flicking dimly up on the screen / I can't see the lines / I used to think I could read between." These lines suggest that as time passes, it becomes more difficult to understand and make sense of it. This is exemplified even further with the line "Perhaps my brains have turned to sand," which implies that one's mental faculties may deteriorate over time, making it even more challenging to navigate the changing landscape.
As the song progresses, the lyrics become somewhat nonsensical, with repeated references to the evening sliding away and changing water into wine. The repetition of these phrases, along with the disjointed lyrics that follow, seem to symbolize the chaos and confusion that can come with the passing of time. The final lines of the song, sung by a second voice, add another layer to this confusion, with references to poor eyes, innocent voices, and a foot in the door. These lines suggest that even as time passes and things change, there are always new uncertainties awaiting us.
Overall, "Golden Hours" is a poignant and introspective song that speaks to the universal experience of the passage of time and the confusion that can come with it. The lyrics are somewhat abstract and open to interpretation, allowing the listener to apply their own meaning to the words.
Line by Line Meaning
The passage of time
Is flicking dimly up on the screen
Time seems vague and fleeting, like a flickering image on a screen.
I can't see the lines
I used to think i could read between
I'm losing my ability to interpret subtle cues and understand the nuances of situations.
Perhaps my brains have turned to san
Oh me oh my
I think it's been an eternity
I feel like I've been stuck in this state of confusion for a very long time and may never find clarity again.
You'd be surprised
At my degree of uncertainty
I'm more unsure of myself and my judgments than I ever have been before.
How can moments go so slow.
Time seems to be moving at an unbearable pace.
Several times
I've seen the evening slide away
Watching the signs
Taking over from the fading day
Perhaps my brains are old and scrambled.
I feel like I'm losing track of time and reality, and my perception is becoming distorted.
Changing water into wine.
I feel like I have the power to transform and make things better.
Putting the grapes back on the vine.
I feel like I have the ability to restore things to their previous state of beauty and abundance.
Who would believe what a poor set of eyes can show you
Who would believe what an innocent voice could do
Never a silence always a face at the door.
I'm realizing that appearances can be deceiving and that even the most unassuming people or things can have a profound impact on our lives.
Who would believe what a poor set of ears can tell you
Who would believe what a weak pair of hands can do
Never a silence always a foot in the door.
I'm recognizing the power of listening and physical action, even when resources or abilities seem limited.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BRIAN ENO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind