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.
Put a Straw Under Baby
Brian Eno Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Your good deed for the day
Put a straw under baby
Keep the splinters away.
Let the corridors echo
As the dark places grow
Hear superior's footsteps
On the landing below.
Where no one dare go
The last nun who went there
Turned into a crow.
Turned into a crow-crow
Turned into a crow
The last nun who went there
Turned into a crow.
There's a brain in the table
There's a heart in the chair
And they all live in Jesus
It's a family affair.
The lyrics to Brian Eno's song "Put a Straw Under Baby" may seem cryptic and somewhat unsettling at first glance, but they allude to a complex web of themes centered around oppression, religion, and the human psyche. The titular line "put a straw under baby" suggests an act of protection or comfort, but it's unclear who exactly "baby" is or what they need protecting from. The following line "keep the splinters away" adds an eerie twist, as if suggesting that there are dangerous elements in the environment that could harm "baby". This could be interpreted as a metaphor for a child growing up in a harsh or oppressive world, with the "splinters" representing systemic oppression or prejudice.
The second stanza adds more layers to the song's themes, as the singer hears "superior's footsteps on the landing below", implying that they are confined to some sort of institution or hierarchical system. The line "let the corridors echo as the dark places grow" suggests a growing sense of unease or claustrophobia, as if the singer is becoming more aware of the unfairness of their situation. The stanza ends with a macabre twist, where we learn that there is a forbidden area in the orchard where the last nun who ventured there "turned into a crow". This could be interpreted as a metaphor for the dangers of defying authority, or even as a literal supernatural occurrence.
The final stanza continues the cryptic imagery, with "a brain in the table" and "a heart in the chair" suggesting the presence of disembodied organs. The line "they all live in Jesus" could be interpreted as a way of rationalizing the unnerving imagery by placing it within a religious context, or it could be seen as a commentary on the often-overlooked dark side of religious dogma. Overall, "Put a Straw Under Baby" is a thought-provoking song that invites multiple interpretations and speaks to the complexity of the human experience.
Line by Line Meaning
Put a straw under baby
Help the baby avoid getting splinters by placing a straw under them.
Your good deed for the day
This small act of kindness is a way to do something positive and helpful today.
Keep the splinters away.
Ensuring that the baby is protected from splinters is important to avoid potential injury.
Let the corridors echo
Allow the sound of the corridors to reverberate through the space, creating a sense of openness and freedom.
As the dark places grow
In contrast to the open corridors, the darker, hidden parts of the space seem to expand and become more ominous.
Hear superior's footsteps
Listen for the sounds of someone in charge walking nearby.
On the landing below.
This person is likely on a lower floor or level than where the singer is currently situated.
There's a place in the orchard
There's a specific location in the orchard that is notable or significant.
Where no one dare go
This location is dangerous or off-limits, and no one is willing to venture there.
The last nun who went there
The last person who dared to enter this forbidden area was a nun.
Turned into a crow.
After going to this place, the nun was transformed into a crow, potentially as a result of a curse or supernatural force.
Turned into a crow-crow
Repeating the previous line for emphasis.
The last nun who went there
Repeating the previous line.
There's a brain in the table
The table seems to contain or be associated with a human brain.
There's a heart in the chair
Similarly, the chair is linked to a human heart.
And they all live in Jesus
Both the brain and the heart are said to be part of Jesus, perhaps indicating that this is a religious or spiritual setting.
It's a family affair.
All of these elements seem to be connected and part of a larger family or group in this space.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BRIAN ENO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind