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.
The Harness
Brian Eno Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Turning brightness to day
Spur the horns of discerning
Scout the world along the way
And in their firm terms of warning
They return to the sea
And at the first sign of morning
They beat on his disease
So they wail
As their lies warn them
Not to fail in the harness
Not to fall at the shore
They are lost where the robe is
Sailors on southern more
And though they wail with the bonemen
Farther there somewhere inside
It doesn't show nights are warning
Beggars change so you'll burn
So they go
There's no way through there to show
In bar ways under
Not to fail in the harness
Not to rage at the shore
Not to rail in the darkness
When surrounded by roar
When to know there's a river
Some of them walk
Some of them fall
In the wars they
(fade)
The lyrics in Brian Eno's The Harness are heavily metaphorical and open to interpretation. The first few lines of the song talk about the rose in all its learning, turning brightness to day. The rose can be interpreted as a symbol of beauty and knowledge, and its ability to turn brightness to day could represent its potential to bring light and understanding to the world. The horns of discerning could be seen as representing those who are able to see through falsehoods and lies and scout the world along the way. The firm terms of warning may be a reference to the harsh truths that these discerning individuals must impart to others, before they return to the sea.
The chorus of the song seems to be a warning to those who would try to take on the world and its challenges, represented by the idea of "not to fail in the harness, not to fall at the shore." The sailors on southern more are those who are lost and directionless, and the "robes" they are looking for could represent a sense of purpose, or perhaps a spiritual quest. The bonemen are another mysterious metaphor, possibly representing the forces of death or decay that threaten us all. The final verse suggests that some people are able to navigate life's challenges, while others fall by the wayside. Ultimately, the song seems to be a meditation on the struggle to make sense of the world and one's place in it, a theme that runs throughout much of Brian Eno's work.
Line by Line Meaning
Will the rose in all their learning
Will knowledge and wisdom equip them with the ability to create beauty?
Turning brightness to day
Transforming darkness to light?
Spur the horns of discerning
Inspire people to better understand and perceive the world?
Scout the world along the way
Explore and learn about the world as they journey through it?
And in their firm terms of warning
Expressing their concerns and cautions strongly?
They return to the sea
They come back to where they began?
And at the first sign of morning
When dawn first breaks?
They beat on his disease
They keep attacking the same lingering issues?
So they wail
So they cry out in anguish?
As their lies warn them
Even in their falsehoods, they feel the truth?
Not to fail in the harness
To stay strong in the face of challenges and remain true to oneself?
Not to fall at the shore
Not to give up after reaching the penultimate goal?
They are lost where the robe is
Even when the answer is right in front of them, they feel directionless?
Sailors on southern more
They are lost at sea, searching aimlessly?
And though they wail with the bonemen
Even in their suffering, they find camaraderie with others in pain?
Farther there somewhere inside
Despite the distances they've covered, they still feel lost?
It doesn't show nights are warning
Even when the darkness warns of danger, they can't see it?
Beggars change so you'll burn
Material desires distract people and lead them to ruin?
So they go
Despite the challenges, they continue forward?
There's no way through there to show
There seems to be no solution in sight?
In bar ways under
Trapped and oppressed?
Not to fail in the harness
To stay strong in the face of challenges and remain true to oneself?
Not to rage at the shore
Not to give up immediately after reaching the ultimate goal?
Not to rail in the darkness
To not lash out in anger during tough times?
When surrounded by roar
In the midst of chaos and noise all around?
When to know there's a river
When to recognize that there are changes coming?
Some of them walk
Some people adapt smoothly to change?
Some of them fall
Others struggle and are left behind?
In the wars they
The song abruptly fades out
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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