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.
Sunflower
Current 93 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
SunFlowers
SunFlowers
SunFlowers
SunFlowers
Shot the hail and frost
I heard the angels breathe them
Out watchers of the bark and boat
HoneySuckle
HoneySuckle
HoneySuckle
HoneySuckle
Blessed Armen eyes
Covered the beauty with the gleams
And vapours of ghosts the dark fang
Shimmered goodbye
Up up up up the Son flowered
Pierced clouds with Godhead
Fell comets smiling like deer
Giraffes in the Sun
Switched horns into thousand eyes
Milked Stars for Starlight
And a thousand birds sang
And gave birth to armies of gods
Twisting dandelions from time into tides
And lay back
Ecstatic exhaling universes
And laughing like a child
Playing at skeleton soldiers
The song "Sunflower" by Current 93 starts with the repetition of the lines "Sunflowers" and "Honeysuckle", creating a sense of ambience and setting up the surreal imagery that follows. In the next line, the sunflowers are said to have "shot the hail and frost", which could represent the power of nature and its ability to overcome harsh climates. Then, the singer describes hearing angels breathe out the hail and frost, which implies a spiritual element to the natural world.
The next few lines refer to "watchers of the bark and boat" singing praises that turn sand into diamonds. This could be interpreted as the power of words to transform the ordinary into something extraordinary, and the idea that even the smallest things can hold great value. The "dark fang" that shimmers goodbye could represent death or the passing of time, and the final lines describe the sunflower blooming and giving way to a world of new possibilities, represented by the birth of armies of gods, time turning into tides, and the creation of entire universes.
Line by Line Meaning
SunFlowers
The repeated phrase SunFlowers serves as a refrain, representing a recurring theme or image throughout the song.
Shot the hail and frost
The singer metaphorically shoots down the harsh, cold elements of nature, suggesting an attempt to bring warmth and light to a dark and unforgiving world.
I heard the angels breathe them
The singer imagines that even celestial beings must struggle against the elements of the world, and yet find a way to persist and survive.
Out watchers of the bark and boat
Those who work on ships and boats must be constantly vigilant, watching for dangers in the water or in the weather that could threaten their safety.
An endless praise sang the sand into diamonds
The natural world has a transformative power, turning something as common and ordinary as sand into something precious and valuable, like diamonds.
HoneySuckle
The repeated phrase HoneySuckle serves as another recurring theme or image throughout the song, evoking a sense of sweetness and beauty in the natural world.
Blessed Armen eyes
This phrase suggests a specific cultural or religious reference, possibly to the Armenians, and implies that their perspective is blessed and enlightened in some way.
Covered the beauty with the gleams
The Armenians, or those who share their blessed perspective, see the world in a way that highlights its beauty and wonder, and may reveal hidden depths and meanings.
And vapours of ghosts the dark fang
This line is more obscure, but may refer to a supernatural or mystical quality in the natural world, which the Armenians are attuned to and can sense even in the darkness or shadows.
Shimmered goodbye
This metaphorical image suggests a kind of farewell or transition, perhaps from one season or era to another, or from one level of consciousness to another.
Up up up up the Son flowered
This line plays on the homophonic similarity between 'sun' and 'son', suggesting a spiritual or religious significance to the sunflower symbol, which is reaching upwards in growth and light.
Pierced clouds with Godhead
The sunflower, via its symbolic power, is able to penetrate the clouds and reach towards the divine or spiritual realm, effectively linking earth and heaven.
Fell comets smiling like deer
This striking image implies that even the most violent or chaotic events in nature can have a serene or peaceful quality, like a deer's gentle demeanor.
Giraffes in the Sun
This image is both whimsical and majestic, suggesting a kind of surreal, dreamlike quality to the world, and also highlighting the sun's role as a vital force in nature.
Switched horns into thousand eyes
This line again plays with symbolism, suggesting that even seemingly incompatible or contradictory things in nature, like giraffes' horns and eyes, can be transformed and harmonized by the sunflower's power.
Milked Stars for Starlight
This imagery is both strange and beautiful, suggesting that the sunflower is somehow able to gather and amplify the light of distant stars, making them visible and radiant on earth.
And a thousand birds sang
Birdsong is a classic symbol of joy, freedom, and vitality, suggesting that the sunflower's power can inspire and enhance life on many levels.
And gave birth to armies of gods
This line suggests a kind of cosmic creation myth, where the sunflower's power brings forth new life and new deities, contributing to the ongoing evolution and expansion of the universe.
Twisting dandelions from time into tides
This line is both poetic and enigmatic, suggesting that the sunflower has a transformative power over time, bending and shaping it like a tide, and also that even humble dandelions can be elevated to new levels of significance and beauty.
And lay back
This line could suggest a kind of relaxation or restfulness, as if the sunflower's work is done and it can now bask in the glow of its achievements.
Ecstatic exhaling universes
Again playing with cosmic imagery, this line suggests that the sunflower's exhalations, or perhaps its very existence, can create entire universes of wonder and mystery.
And laughing like a child
The song ends on a playful, innocent note, implying that whatever cosmic or mystical forces the sunflower may unleash, they are ultimately joyful and life-affirming, and can inspire childlike wonder and curiosity in those who experience them.
Contributed by Alexandra M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
roger ferns
Ernest gibberish