Tibet has been the only constant in the group, though Steven Stapleton (of Nurse With Wound) has appeared on nearly every Current 93 release. Michael Cashmore has also been a constant contributor since Thunder Perfect Mind. Douglas P. of Death In June has played on well over a dozen Current 93 releases, and Steve Ignorant of Crass (using the name Stephen Intelligent), Boyd Rice, runologist Freya Aswynn , Nick Cave, Björk, Andrew W.K., Will Oldham, Ben Chasny, Rose McDowall, Tiny Tim, Tony Wakeford of Sol Invictus, Marc Almond, John Balance of Coil, Antony Hegarty of Antony and the Johnsons, Baby Dee and Ian Read of Fire + Ice have also lent their talents over the years. Tibet is fond of the works of American writer Thomas Ligotti, and invited him to collaborate with Current 93.
Current 93 have released over twenty albums and many singles as well as having been a guest on many of the above listed artists' records. Tibet has also collaborated with Nature and Organisation and The Hafler Trio.
Much of Current 93's early work was similar to late 1970s and early 1980s industrial music: abrasive tape loops, droning synthesizer noises and Tibet's distorted, excoriating vocals. This early work became influential with the goth scene. Later works found Tibet mostly casting off such trappings in favor of a more organic sound, labeled by some as "apocalyptic folk" music, occasionally featuring his sinister nursery rhyme-influenced singing and primarily acoustic folk-styled music.
Tibet's lyrics have been fairly consistent, regardless of delivery: The earlier recordings reflect his preoccupation with death, Christ, mysticism, Aleister Crowley (Tibet borrowed the term "93 Current" from Crowley - the 93 Current being the current of Thelema or Agape), Tibetan Buddhism, Gnosticism, runes, swastikas, Noddy, The Wicker Man, and a variety of occult notions. The later to present-day period of Current 93's recordings increasingly reflect Tibet's interest in Christian mysticism. Tibet has stated that he identifies as a Christian.
Literary influences include Lautreamont's Les Chants de Maldoror, the Bible, The Poetic Edda, Hildegard von Bingen, John Dee, Heptarchia Mystica, The Thunder, Perfect Mind, William Blake, Louis Wain, writer Thomas Ligotti, occult British author Arthur Machen (originator of the title "The Inmost Light"), M.R. James's various ghost stories, The Cloud of Unknowing, Count Eric Stenbock, and Russell Hoban's Riddley Walker.
Musical influences include religious chants, traditional folk music, The Tam Lin ballad, The Incredible String Band, Sand, Comus, Blue Öyster Cult, Black Sabbath, Love, Shirley Collins, some progressive bands such as Yes, King Crimson, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, and the British composer Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji.
David Keenan's book England's Hidden Reverse - A Secret History of the Esoteric Underground (SAF Publishing 2003) extensively covers Tibet's musical evolution along with that of Coil, Stephen Stapleton, and others.
Lily
Current 93 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The mouth of the Moon kissed me
I looked face full into Him most beautiful pool
Souled in gold and grace
Diamond deep He spoke to me
CHRIST the MIRROR
Of All the First
The Fist and Sword
Slept in her millions of ages
Dreamed lions' faces
Held agate and sung like arcs
The SleepFace hung Stars
Trembling bit the hail and frost
In nights I shed smiles
Worshipped rhymes
Books of Law
Misrule killed angels
Conjured Nazareth out of mounds
Crept in twilight
England dreamt dead
Except in the keys
In the casket
The corn kept its secret
The lyrics of this song by Current 93, titled "Lily," are highly abstract and poetic, and as such, their meanings may be open to a variety of interpretations. At its core, the song seems to be a meditation on spiritual themes, with the singer encountering various symbols and archetypes that represent different facets of their inner world. For example, the image of the "breastnight" and the unfolding lilies may suggest a sense of femininity and growth, while the Moon is a common symbol of the subconscious mind. The singer then beholds a vision of Christ, described as a "mirror" of all things, which may represent a moment of spiritual clarity or insight. The references to bloodshed and mythological creatures like lions suggest a sense of violence and chaos that is eventually transformed into a more peaceful state symbolized by the stars. Overall, the lyrics of "Lily" are impressionistic and enigmatic, leaving the listener to draw their own conclusions about what they mean.
Line by Line Meaning
BreastNight: the lilies unfold
The dark night is like a woman's body, and the blooming lilies represent the unfolding of something beautiful.
The mouth of the Moon kissed me
The singer had a mystical experience where they felt that the moon kissed them.
I looked face full into Him most beautiful pool
The singer looked at their reflection in a beautiful pool and saw someone they thought was beautiful.
Souled in gold and grace
The artist feels they have a soul or spirit that is valuable and graceful.
Diamond deep He spoke to me
The artist had a profound spiritual experience where they felt like they were spoken to by a divine presence.
CHRIST the MIRROR
The singer sees the divine in the reflection of themselves, or in others.
Of All the First
This line refers to the creation of the universe and everything in it being a part of a divine plan.
The Fist and Sword
The divine presence is sometimes seen as both a powerful, protective fist and a sharp, cutting sword.
Swept BloodFace over Egypt
This is a reference to a time in history, possibly the ten plagues in the Bible, where there was great suffering and bloodshed in Egypt.
Slept in her millions of ages
The divine presence has existed for millions of years and has seen the rise and fall of civilizations.
Dreamed lions' faces
The divine presence has vivid and powerful dreams where they see the face of a lion.
Held agate and sung like arcs
The divine presence held a beautiful gemstone and sang a lovely tune that resembled the shape of an arc.
The SleepFace hung Stars
The divine presence is responsible for the stars in the sky.
Trembling bit the hail and frost
The singer is using poetic language to describe a divine force that can cause natural disasters like hail and frost.
In nights I shed smiles/Worshipped rhymes/Books of Law/Misrule killed angels/Conjured Nazareth out of mounds/Crept in twilight/England dreamt dead/Except in the keys
These lines are more difficult to parse, but they seem to refer to the singer's experiences with religion and prayer. They may be describing a journey through different belief systems, and the singer ultimately finds solace in music and song.
In the casket/The corn kept its secret
This final line is cryptic, but it could be interpreted as a metaphor for death and the secrets that people take to the grave. The 'corn' might represent the knowledge or wisdom that was never shared with the world.
Contributed by Luke W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.