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.
My Squelchy Life
Brian Eno Lyrics
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My squelchy life
My squelchy life
Waits around corners
Nasty wife by sticky gap
My squelchy life
Follows in soft shoes
It's catching up
Stands there grinning
Big white teeth, hairy white fingers (anything, anything)
I'll give it anything to go away, anything
Anything, anything, anything, anything, anything, anything.
My squelchy life
My squelchy life
My squelchy life
My squelchy life
The lyrics to Brian Eno's song "My Squelchy Life" depict a feeling of discomfort and unease. The repeated phrase "My squelchy life" suggests a sense of being stuck or trapped in something unpleasant. The line "waits around corners" adds to this feeling, implying a sense of something ominous lurking or waiting to pounce. The mention of a "nasty wife" and "sticky gap" adds to the feeling of being trapped in an unhappy situation.
The lines "Follows in soft shoes, it's catching up" suggest that whatever is causing this discomfort is always just behind, slowly catching up. The description of "Big white teeth, hairy white fingers" adds to the unsettling nature of the song, bringing to mind images of something unpleasant or perhaps even dangerous.
The repeated refrain of "I'll give it anything to go away" indicates a desire to escape this uncomfortable situation. However, the repetition of "anything, anything" suggests that the singer doesn't know what they want, just that they want to be free from this squelchy life.
Overall, "My Squelchy Life" is a haunting and mysterious song that leaves listeners with a feeling of unease and uncertainty.
Line by Line Meaning
My squelchy life
The singer is referring to their unpleasant, messy existence
My squelchy life
Repetition of the first line, reinforcing the idea of the unpleasant existence
My squelchy life
Repetition of the first line, further emphasizing the idea of the unpleasant existence
Waits around corners
The unpleasantness and challenges of life can be unexpected and may lurk where you least expect them
Nasty wife by sticky gap
The struggles of life can be unpleasant and uncomfortable, like a sticky situation with an unkind spouse
My squelchy life
Revisits the idea of the unpleasant existence, continuing to emphasize it
Follows in soft shoes
Despite efforts to evade it, the unpleasantness of life continues to follow the singer
It's catching up
The negativity is gaining on the artist, becoming harder to shake off
My squelchy life
Another reminder of the unwelcome existence
Stands there grinning
The problems of life seem to take pleasure in causing trouble for the artist
Big white teeth, hairy white fingers (anything, anything)
Metaphorical description of the menacing nature of life's problems
I'll give it anything to go away, anything
The artist would do anything to escape the unpleasantness of their existence
Anything, anything, anything, anything, anything, anything.
Repetition of the word 'anything' signifies the desperation the singer feels to leave their unpleasant life behind
My squelchy life
Final reiteration of the unpleasant existence once again
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BRIAN ENO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind