Four Tet is the name used by Kieran Hebden (born 1977 in Putney, London, UK… Read Full Bio ↴Four Tet is the name used by Kieran Hebden (born 1977 in Putney, London, UK) for his experimental electronic music-oriented solo efforts, to differentiate from his work with post-rock band Fridge.

Hebden's solo work typically utilises samples lifted from various sources including hip-hop, electronica, techno, jazz, and folk mixed with his own guitar playing. Four Tet shares some stylistic similarities with other musicians, such as Prefuse 73, who use computer editing techniques that give the music a staccato, cut-up feel. Hebden's music is notable for its rich, organic sounds and harmonious melodies as well as for eschewing the traditional pop-song format in favour of a more abstract approach.

Kieran Hebden began releasing material as Four Tet in 1998 with the 36 minute and 25 second single "Thirtysixtwentyfive" on Trevor Jackson's Output Recordings label. Later that year, he released a second single, the jazz-influenced "Misnomer". 1999's "Dialogue", again on Output, was Four Tet's first full-length album release and fused hip-hop drum lines with dissonant jazz samples. This was followed by the double A-side single "Glasshead"/"Calamine", which was to be Four Tet's last release on Output.

In late 1999, Warp Records released a tenth-anniversary compilation of remixes of Warp tracks; Hebden contributed a remix of "Cliffs", the opening track of Aphex Twin's "Selected Ambient Works, Vol. II". This relatively high profile exposure attracted a lot of new interest in Four Tet from fans of electronica and IDM, genres in which the Warp brand had a preeminent status.

In 2001, Four Tet's second album "Pause" was released on Domino and found Hebden using more folk and electronic samples, which was quickly dubbed "folktronica" by the media & press in an attempt to label the style (often also applied to artists such as Isan, Gravenhurst and some of Canabrism's later work). The acoustic guitar track "Everything Is Alright" is the theme music for the National Public Radio talk show On Point, produced at WBUR in Boston, Massachusetts; it was also featured in a US Nike commercial in 2001-2002 and in the Sony Bravia commercial in 2005.

"Rounds" was released in May 2003. It was Hebden's most ambitious album to date, incorporating diverse samples such as the mandolin on "Spirit Fingers", and even a rubber duck on the closing track "Slow Jam". Three singles were released from the album: "She Moves She", "As Serious as Your Life", and "My Angel Rocks Back and Forth". This last single was released as an EP featuring remixes by electronica duo Icarus and Isambard Khroustaliov along with additional Four Tet tracks "I've Got Viking in Me" and "All the Chimers". An accompanying DVD featured all of Four Tet's videos to date.

At the beginning of 2003, Four Tet opened for Radiohead on their European tour. A remix of the song Scatterbrain from Radiohead's latest album "Hail to the Thief" was included on their 2004 EP "COM LAG (2plus2isfive)".

A live album named "Live in Copenhagen 30th March 2004" was released in April 2004 as a limited edition, available only through the Domino Records website.

In March and April of 2005, Four Tet performed two shows of improvisational music, in collaboration with jazz drummer Steve Reid, in Paris and London. He also appears on Steve Reid Ensemble 2005 album "Spirit Walk". This collaboration was extended into a series of international tours, and the release of two albums, "The Exchange Session Vol. 1" and "The Exchange Session Vol. 2" over the course of 2005 and 2006.

His fourth studio album "Everything Ecstatic" was released on Domino on 23 May 2005. The video for the lead single, "Smile Around The Face", features actor Mark Heap. The album brought with it another shift in style, leaving behind the breezy "folktronica" of "Pause" and "Rounds" for a darker, more complex sound. On 7 November 2005, Domino has released a DVD version of "Everything Ecstatic" featuring video clips for each track of the album plus a CD with new material.

Hebden has also remixed, under the Four Tet name, tracks by a wide range of artists including Madvillain, Bloc Party, Super Furry Animals, Beth Orton, Badly Drawn Boy, The Notwist, Boom Bip, Kings of Convenience, Explosions in the Sky, Radiohead, and Doves.

If I Were Only a Child Again
Four Tet Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

If I were only a child again
No one's ever been, oh, good to me since then
Everywhere I looked it seemed so color bright
There were never such things to me as black and white

Remember when we were part of that special few
Everything it seemed was so pure and true
I guess we were just too young to understand

The unselfish cause of death and war and roles of man

Only, only, only a child
Only, only, only a child
Only, only, only a child
Only a child again, hey, hey

If I were only a child again
I would never want to venture life like this again
People of the world hurling sticks and stones
Like the sore fates of one come up and break my bones

Only, only, only a child

If I were only a child again
And have the ability to understand
I'd speak for little people from the date of birth
And ask the grown ups, when will there be peace on earth?

Grown ups, when will there be peace on earth?
Brother, when will there be peace on earth?

Only, only, only a child
Only, only, only a child

Only, only, only a child
Only a child again, hey, hey

Overall Meaning

The song "If I Were Only a Child Again" by Four Tet, is a nostalgic track about the innocence of childhood and how the world changes as one grows older. The lyrics present a yearning to go back to the simplicity of those early years before the complexities of life took hold. It reflects on the complications of being an adult and the dissatisfaction it brings. As the singer longs for the innocence of youth, they observe the bleakness of reality, where people are fighting and wars are being waged. The chorus reiterates the singer's desire to be young once again, as he repeats the line "Only a child again."

The verse "Everywhere I looked it seemed so color bright, there were never such things to me as black and white" shows that the singer remembers the world as full of hope, without the ideologies that can divide society. The chorus line "Only, only, only a child" is significant as it represents the simplicity of childhood and how uncomplicated it was, without the need for personal accomplishments, social expectations, or worldly possessions.

The song has a melancholic tone as it reminisces and highlights the hopes and desires for a world of peace. The verse "I'd speak for little people from the date of birth, and ask the grown-ups, when will there be peace on earth?" demonstrates the burden of adulthood and its responsibility to work for and create a better world for future generations.

Overall, the song is a reflection of the disparity between the innocence of youth and the harsh realities of adulthood, calling for an end to conflict and asking for a more peaceful world for everyone.

Line by Line Meaning

If I were only a child again
Expressing a desire to go back to a time of innocence and simplicity

No one's ever been, oh, good to me since then
No one has ever been as kind and caring towards me as they were when I was a child

Everywhere I looked it seemed so color bright
Everything seemed vibrant and full of life and joy

There were never such things to me as black and white
Things were not categorized as good or bad, right or wrong, in my innocent perspective

Remember when we were part of that special few
Recalling a time when the artist felt part of a close-knit community

Everything it seemed was so pure and true
Everything appeared to be genuine and honest

I guess we were just too young to understand
The singer acknowledges that they did not have the capacity to comprehend complex issues

The unselfish cause of death and war and roles of man
The artist refers to the underlying reasons behind tragic events and conflicts

Only a child again, hey, hey
Ending the verse with a nostalgic repetition of the song's title

I would never want to venture life like this again
If given the choice, the artist would choose not to re-experience the harsh realities of life

People of the world hurling sticks and stones
Referring to the senseless violence and hatred present in the world

Like the sore fates of one come up and break my bones
Comparing the pain and harm inflicted by others to physical injury

And have the ability to understand
Expressing a desire to comprehend complex issues

I'd speak for little people from the date of birth
Advocating for the rights and well-being of children

And ask the grown ups, when will there be peace on earth?
Questioning the actions and inactions of adults and their impact on creating a peaceful world

Brother, when will there be peace on earth?
Addressing humanity as a whole and calling for unity towards a common goal

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CURTIS MAYFIELD

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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