Henry Cow was an English avant-garde rock group, founded at Cambridge Unive… Read Full Bio ↴Henry Cow was an English avant-garde rock group, founded at Cambridge University in 1968 by multi-instrumentalists Fred Frith and Tim Hodgkinson. An inherent anti-commercial bias kept them at arm's length from the mainstream music business, enabling them to experiment at will. They remained in existence for 10 years, breaking up in 1978, and produced a body of music that was challenging, provocative and influential for years to come. Collaborations with the similarly-minded band Slapp Happy led to an eventual but brief merger of the two bands in 1974, and demerging in 1975. Cutler, Frith and Krause also continued on as Art Bears from 1978 as disagreements set in and the band dissolved.
Henry Cow was among the founding members of the movement dubbed Rock in Opposition (RIO).
A number of people passed through Henry Cow over the years:
* Georgie Born - Cello, Bass (1976-1978)
* Lindsay Cooper - Bassoon, Reeds (1974, 1975-1978)
* Chris Cutler - Drums, Percussion (1971-1978)
* Fred Frith - Guitar, Violin, Bass, Piano, Xylophone (1968-1978)
* John Greaves - Bass, Piano (1970-1976)
* Tim Hodgkinson - Keyboards, Reeds (1968 - 1978)
* Dagmar Krause - Vocals (1975 - 1978)
* Geoff Leigh - Flute, Reeds (1972 - 1973)
Henry Cow's repertoire included elaborately scored pieces (often with complex time signatures), tape manipulations, free improvisation and songs. It incorporated elements of jazz, rock, classical music and the avant-garde. Dagmar Krause's vocals added another dimension to their sound, giving it a dramatic, almost Brechtian flair.
Their music was often experimental, making classification all but impossible. However, the following styles (amongst others) are often associated with Henry Cow:
* rock (too general and therefore inadequate)
* progressive rock
* art rock
* avant-progressive rock
* avant-rock
* chamber rock
* experimental rock
* free improvisation
Some of these styles may come closer to describing their music than others, and often it contained elements of all of the above, but in reality, Henry Cow simply remains one of those unclassifiable groups.
Henry Cow's music was challenging, not only to the listener, but also to the band themselves. They often composed pieces to challenge their own capabilities. Some of their music was scored beyond the conventional ranges of their music instruments necessitating that they "reinvent their instruments", learn how to play them in completely new ways. And yet their music may not have been as good as it could have been. Henry Cow conducted their affairs as a committee, having regular, minuted meetings with no decisions being made unless approved by the group. This included their music. Band members brought their ideas to the table but often they ended up being watered down as a result of the collective process, rather than strengthened, and many of their best ideas may not have been fully realised. Who knows what Henry Cow might have produced had individual members been given more free reign.
While their music is a decided "acquired taste", there is much to recommend in it, for as it is often dissonant and challenging, it is also rich and exciting, and yields more insights upon repeated listening.
Henry Cow reunited in November 2014 to celebrate the music of the late Lindsay Cooper for shows in the UK and Italy.
Henry Cow was among the founding members of the movement dubbed Rock in Opposition (RIO).
A number of people passed through Henry Cow over the years:
* Georgie Born - Cello, Bass (1976-1978)
* Lindsay Cooper - Bassoon, Reeds (1974, 1975-1978)
* Chris Cutler - Drums, Percussion (1971-1978)
* Fred Frith - Guitar, Violin, Bass, Piano, Xylophone (1968-1978)
* John Greaves - Bass, Piano (1970-1976)
* Tim Hodgkinson - Keyboards, Reeds (1968 - 1978)
* Dagmar Krause - Vocals (1975 - 1978)
* Geoff Leigh - Flute, Reeds (1972 - 1973)
Henry Cow's repertoire included elaborately scored pieces (often with complex time signatures), tape manipulations, free improvisation and songs. It incorporated elements of jazz, rock, classical music and the avant-garde. Dagmar Krause's vocals added another dimension to their sound, giving it a dramatic, almost Brechtian flair.
Their music was often experimental, making classification all but impossible. However, the following styles (amongst others) are often associated with Henry Cow:
* rock (too general and therefore inadequate)
* progressive rock
* art rock
* avant-progressive rock
* avant-rock
* chamber rock
* experimental rock
* free improvisation
Some of these styles may come closer to describing their music than others, and often it contained elements of all of the above, but in reality, Henry Cow simply remains one of those unclassifiable groups.
Henry Cow's music was challenging, not only to the listener, but also to the band themselves. They often composed pieces to challenge their own capabilities. Some of their music was scored beyond the conventional ranges of their music instruments necessitating that they "reinvent their instruments", learn how to play them in completely new ways. And yet their music may not have been as good as it could have been. Henry Cow conducted their affairs as a committee, having regular, minuted meetings with no decisions being made unless approved by the group. This included their music. Band members brought their ideas to the table but often they ended up being watered down as a result of the collective process, rather than strengthened, and many of their best ideas may not have been fully realised. Who knows what Henry Cow might have produced had individual members been given more free reign.
While their music is a decided "acquired taste", there is much to recommend in it, for as it is often dissonant and challenging, it is also rich and exciting, and yields more insights upon repeated listening.
Henry Cow reunited in November 2014 to celebrate the music of the late Lindsay Cooper for shows in the UK and Italy.
Fair as the Moon
Henry Cow Lyrics
We have lyrics for these tracks by Henry Cow:
Bad Alchemy I dream Hermaphrodite and I sit up all night Our eyes…
Deluge Don't disturb me while I'm dreaming Walk softly on my peace…
Gloria Gloom Like so many of you I've got my doubts about how…
Living in the Heart of the Beast Situation that rules your world (despite all you've said) I…
Lovers of Gold Lovers of Gold Give All you own To bats and spiders and t…
Nine Funerals of the Citizen King Down beneath the spectacle of free No one ever let you…
Nirvana for Mice Sweet mystery of life I will remember Sweet mystery of life…
Ottawa Song You and I could sail away to distant lands. In a…
Teenbeat Reprise Instrumental…
Viva Pa Ubu Here is a song for all you Ubists Fat & loathsome, Rich…
War Tell of the birth Tell how war appeared on earth Thunder an…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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Mehefinheulog1
Careworn and all alone - First days
Charon the unborn - Days erased
Death: Venus unfurled -
The world we lost we found - spoiled
No sun, no birds, no stars, no form
Evened we are fallen all before time
Lief lorn we unlearn all crime
Lives - levelled as lies
A star mourns souls ungraved - ignored
Slow wheels: Mira. Algol. Maia
Rose Dawn Daemon Rise Up
And seize the morning - your due
Love solves worlds - with words
Arise Amidnight and heaven
Stumbles - as time ends
Last days hollow souls view
Glass maze a science sees us through
History moulds men
Selves men made
Its tyrannies end when
Its ghosts are laid
Dark Class marches past to war
Class cause carries all before
Capital steals Fire
Fools no more
His factories free dreams
His Kings expire
Rose Dawn Day Moon
Take Care! Banners of Crimson
Are raised
Time solves words - by deeds
Arise work men and seize
The future. Let Ends Begin
Harsh Mishra
Dard mein aur sabse akele
LYRICWIKI
LYRICWIKI
Henry Cow:Beautiful As The Moon - Terrible As An Army With Banners


Beautiful as the Moon – Terrible as an Army with Banners
This song is by Henry Cow and appears on the album In Praise of Learning (1975).
Careworn and all alone - First days
Charon the unborn - Days erased
Death: Venus unfurled -
The world we lost we found - spoiled
No sun No birds No stars No form
Evened we are fallen all before time
Lief lorn we unlearn all crime
Lives - levelled as lies
A star mourns souls ungraved - ignored
Slow wheels: Mira. Algol. Maia
Rose Dawn Daemon Rise Up
And seize the morning - your due
Love solves worlds - with words
Arise Amidnight and heaven
Stumbles - as time ends
Last days hollow souls view
Glass maze a science sees us through
History moulds men
Selves men made
Its tyrannies end when
Its ghosts are laid.
Dark Class marches past to war
Class cause carries all before
Capital steals Fire
Fools no more
His factories free dreams
His Kings expire
Rose Dawn Day Moon.
Take Care! Banners of Crimson
Are raised
Time solves words - by deeds
Arise work men and seize
The future. Let Ends Begin.
gb5uq
Lindsay Cooper was stunningly beautiful and incredibly talented. Her sad loss was a tragedy. Henry Cow are undoubtedly one of the most under rated bands of their time. Amazing.
Richard Hewlett
She blew a good bassoon!
Kev Maher
Disagree about them being one of the most under-rated bands; I would say probably THE most under-rated band
Robin Blackmore
She is the only woman I know of who wrote Prog, she wrote half of the album Western Culture by herself! (one of the songs was co written with Tim Hodgkinson who also written the other half).
Syfoll
@Kev Maher For how eclectic their sound is, they did pretty well in terms of commercial success and especially in critical success, so much so that a 19 year old romanian like myself has heard about them, just by browsing a few wikipedia articles on prog.
Montana Dan
which planet are you on?
Jordan Owen
Chris Cutler steals the show, as always. He is, without a doubt, one of the most versatile, distinctive, and dynamic drummers to ever get behind the kit.
nige
I would say Christian Vander of magma is another but yes I cannot argue with your words!
Bob Green
I could watch Chris play drums all day - the concentration, fluidity, inventiveness and sheer artistry is staggering.
J. P. Hughes
I couldn't agree more: he is indeed staggering.