Current 93 is an eclectic British music group, working since the early 1980… Read Full Bio ↴Current 93 is an eclectic British music group, working since the early 1980s in experimental-based musical forms. The band was founded in London, UK in 1982 by David Tibet (né David Michael Bunting, renamed 'Tibet' by Genesis P-Orridge sometime prior to forming the group).

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.

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Current 93 Lyrics

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Who am I? Who do you say I am? As I hobble on to the land of the dull... Wings or wheels, wings or wheels? Now I'm like a silly boy. Now I'm like the Wandering Jew. He goes on, but I linger. The rain makes

Scythes
And the oil staggers
Over waters
Blue sky may stay
Blue sky or grey
And the rain falls

On life
On life
On life
On life
On life
And once you go beyond
Once you go beyond
The line between
Human
And inhuman
Disappears
Disappears
Disappears...
How the trees stand
Oh how the wind strives
And people to bend
Are we left with nothing?
A Cross appears
Between the horns
Of a stag
And burning light
Blinds the hunter
And firstly I stood proud
Fuelled by white and beast
Then bowed till I...
Almost broken
A row of Christs
Stare down on me
And their several likenesses
Flame and torch my walls
Othal, odal bloody
Then scared and scabbed
Who am I?
Who do you say am?
As I hobble on
To the land of the dull
Wings or wheels
Wings or wheels
Now I'm like a silly boy
Now I'm like the Wandering Jew
And he goes on
And thus I linger

And anyway
People die

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Anyway People Die" by Current 93/HöH have a profound and introspective quality to them, as they explore the nature of identity and life's impermanence. The first lines pose the questions, "Who am I? Who do you say I am?" which reflect a sense of confusion and uncertainty about one's place in the world. The imagery of "hobbling on to the land of the dull" suggests a feeling of aimlessness or lack of purpose.

The repeated refrain of "Wings or wheels" further emphasizes this sense of being torn between different choices or possibilities. The singer compares themselves to a "silly boy" and the "Wandering Jew," both figures associated with wandering and restlessness.

As the song progresses, the lyrics become increasingly surreal and abstract. The rain becomes "scythes" and "oil," and the line between human and inhuman disappears. The image of a cross appearing between the horns of a stag is particularly striking, as it suggests a merging of religious and pagan symbolism.

The final lines of the song, "And anyway / People die," serve as a reminder of the transience and fragility of life. The song seems to be grappling with big questions about the meaning of existence and the difficulty of finding answers.

Line by Line Meaning

Who am I? Who do you say I am? As I hobble on to the land of the dull...
I am questioning my identity and asking for your perception of me as I continue on a pointless journey towards a mundane destination.

Wings or wheels, wings or wheels? Now I'm like a silly boy. Now I'm like the Wandering Jew.
I cannot decide between two choices and feel like a foolish child. I relate to the myth of the Wandering Jew, who roams the earth endlessly and aimlessly.

He goes on, but I linger. The rain makes Scythes and the oil staggers Over waters.
Others continue on with their lives, but I am stuck in this moment. Heavy rain transforms into sharp blades, and oil appears to stumble over the water's surface.

Blue sky may stay. Blue sky or grey. And the rain falls On life. On life. On life. On life. On life.
The sky may be clear or cloudy, but rain falls relentlessly on everything. Life is being constantly affected by this natural force.

And once you go beyond The line between Human And inhuman Disappears. Disappears. Disappears...
Once you cross a certain threshold, the boundary between humanity and otherness dissolves completely.

How the trees stand. Oh how the wind strives. And people to bend. Are we left with nothing?
The resilient trees stand tall, but the wind still tries to break them. People strive to achieve their goals, but are left with nothing in the end.

A Cross appears Between the horns Of a stag. And burning light Blinds the hunter.
A religious symbol appears in an unexpected place, and it overpowers someone who was not expecting it to be there.

And firstly I stood proud Fuelled by white and beast Then bowed till I... Almost broken.
I started off confident and driven, but now I am on the brink of breaking down completely.

A row of Christs Stare down on me And their several likenesses Flame and torch my walls Othal, odal bloody Then scared and scabbed.
Images of Christ seem to be judging me, and their fiery presence consumes me completely. A symbol of ancient Germanic culture appears, followed by a sense of fear and decay.

Who am I? Who do you say am? As I hobble on To the land of the dull Wings or wheels Wings or wheels Now I'm like a silly boy Now I'm like the Wandering Jew And he goes on And thus I linger And anyway People die.
My confusion about my identity is still present as I continue on this pointless journey towards an unremarkable place. I feel like a silly child and a wandering figure. Others keep living their lives, but death is inevitable for us all.

Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY

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