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.
Still Standing
Brian Eno Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wanna keep my fingers clean
This dirt beneath my nails
Clean from the way you sail
All your sanctity
And talk of victory
Lies beneath our feet
Dead in the dust we breathe
Dima waqaf
Li difer
Hella houriya
Li difer
Ana dima hel'houriya
Hella lehena
Li difer
Li difer
Hella houriya
Waqaf
Stay away from me
Wanna keep my conscience clean
This dirt beneath my nails
Clean from the trouble you sell
All your dirty deeds
And talk of victory
Lies beneath our feet
Dead in the dust we breathe
Waqaf
Hel' houriya
Hel' lehena
Hel' houriya
Ana daiman waqaf
Li difer hel' houriya
Waqaf
Toui
We will not roll over
Hayeti
Toui
We will not roll over
Hayeti
Toui
We will not roll over
Hayeti
Papa's gonna get a brand new breed
They're gonna be the death of me
Papa's gonna get a brand new crush
He's gonna be the death of us
Toui
We will not roll over
Hayeti
Toui
We will not roll over
Hayeti
Toui
We will not roll over
Hayeti
Dima waqaf
Li difer
Hella houriya
Dima waqaf
Li difer
Hella houriya
Li difer
Ana dima hel'houriya
Hella lehena
Li difer
Li difer
Hella houriya
Waqaf
The lyrics of "Still Standing" by Brian Eno Skin & Rachid Taha express a desire to stay away from those who engage in dirty deeds and talk of victory at any cost. The singer wants to keep their fingers and conscience clean, and not be tainted by the lies and deceit of those who they perceive to be below them. The repeated line of "Waqaf" and "Li difer" in Arabic means "stop" and "different" respectively, and reinforces the theme of maintaining a distance from those who do not share the same values.
The lyrics also touch upon the impact of these dirty deeds on the environment, as they mention the dust that they breathe that is dead in the wake of the actions of others. The chorus of "Toui We will not roll over Hayeti" in Arabic means "yes we will not give up my life" and is a message of hope and determination to stay true to oneself despite the challenges faced.
The final verses shift to a more personal level, as the singer laments the actions of their father, who is described as bringing trouble and potentially causing their own demise. The repeated line of "Hella houriya li difer" means "all freedom is different" and can be interpreted as a reflection of the differences in values held by the singer and their father.
Overall, the lyrics of "Still Standing" are a call to keep one's values and integrity intact, even when faced with adversity and opposition.
Line by Line Meaning
Get away from me
Stay away from me
Wanna keep my fingers clean
Wanna keep my conscience clean
This dirt beneath my nails
This dirt beneath my nails
Clean from the way you sail
Clean from the trouble you sell
All your sanctity
All your dirty deeds
And talk of victory
And talk of victory
Lies beneath our feet
Lies beneath our feet
Dead in the dust we breathe
Dead in the dust we breathe
Dima waqaf
Toui
Li difer
We will not roll over
Hella houriya
Hayeti
Ana dima hel'houriya
I'm always free
Hella lehena
Hayeti
Waqaf
Toui
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: Brian Eno, Deborah Dyer, Rachid Taha, Steve Hillage
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Tommy Gets Stupid
I cannot believe I am just discovering this song. I'm obsessed!
Dylan Potter
Rachid Taha also took part in a two-album set called 1,2,3 soleils which is a masterwork of modern Rai (Algerian) music.
Barry Coad
just follow ENO to the treasure - wonderful track
Richard Price Elliott
One day the world will appreciate this.
Sophia Seeker
THANK YOU ❤
E Vs
today i do
어른사이다
Me,too in 2019, Dec.