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.
Title
Brian Eno Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The one man show we are water
And return there we go
To the place of the slurry
And berry and bail the smell and the wrinkle
The pulse and the pale thin bone man
Long arm man gristle and cold wind
Make tool man freak out man
With wet oil on down a hairy elemental
Wide eyes pinned round a two lunar myopia
To what we spin round
The lyrics of Brian Eno's song titled "Life Doesn't Start with a Title" touch upon several themes and elements. The opening line, "Life doesn't start with a title," suggests that life cannot be neatly defined or categorized by any specific label or title. Instead, life is a dynamic and ever-changing experience that cannot be easily confined.
The subsequent lines, "The one man show we are water," further explore this idea by alluding to the interconnectedness of all living beings. We are all part of a larger whole, like water molecules in a vast ocean. The lyrics also mention returning to the "place of the slurry," which can be interpreted as a metaphorical representation of our origins, the place from which life emerged.
The following lines evoke a sense of sensory imagery and vivid descriptions, such as "berry and bail the smell and the wrinkle" and "pulse and the pale thin bone man." These phrases create a vivid atmosphere and capture the essence of existence, including its fragility and impermanence.
The lyrics also mention the "tool man" and the concept of dancing like bears and following stars, which can be interpreted as a call to embrace our primitive instincts and instincts for exploration. The song concludes with the line "to what we spin round," emphasizing the cyclical nature of life and the ongoing process of evolution.
Line by Line Meaning
Life doesn't start with a title
The essence of life cannot be captured or defined by a mere title
The one man show we are water
We are all individual participants in the grand theater of life, interconnected like the flowing nature of water
And return there we go
We inevitably go back to our origins or roots
To the place of the slurry
Returning to the chaotic and messy origin where life begins
And berry and bail the smell and the wrinkle
Experiencing the sensual aspects of life, both pleasant and imperfect
The pulse and the pale thin bone man
The vital energy and fragility of human existence
Long arm man gristle and cold wind
A representation of the strength and resilience of humanity in harsh and challenging circumstances
Make tool man freak out man
The advancements and innovations of human civilization can both inspire and unsettle individuals
Dance like the bears follow the stars man
Embracing a carefree and instinctual way of life, guided by celestial influences
With wet oil on down a hairy elemental
Being immersed in the primal and unpredictable aspects of existence
Wide eyes pinned round a two lunar myopia
Seeing the world with a limited perspective and a sense of wonder
To what we spin round
Reflecting on the cyclical nature of life and the continuous rotation of events
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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