Herbert began creating music with found objects whilst at Exeter University (UK) in the 1990s, where he studied Drama. From bottles, books, and pepper pots he progressed to recording places and experiences, effectively using the sampler as an instrument on many of his Doctor Rockit and Herbert releases. This style evolved into the overtly political when he began sampling objects from McDonald's and The Gap as a protest against corporate globalism on the The Mechanics Of Destruction album. The CD was distributed free at concerts and available as a free download and has never been available in stores.
His 2003 Big Band album, Goodbye Swingtime combined the political commentary of Radioboy with the song structure of his Herbert albums. Recorded with sixteen musicians from the British jazz world, including saxophonists Dave O'Higgins and Nigel Hitchcock and bassist Dave Green, the band is complemented on stage by long-term vocal partner Dani Siciliano and occasionally Arto Lindsay and Warp recording artist, Jamie Lidell. Recently he has provided music for a number of films, including Dogme director Kristian Levring's The Intended along with original music for TV. Herbert's newest album Plat du Jour addresses world famine.
Can
Herbert Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Anyone can whistle, any old day-easy.
It's all so simple.
Relax, let go, let fly.
So someone tell me, why can't I?
I can dance a tango, I can read Greek-easy.
I can slay a dragon, any old week-easy.
What's hard is simple.
What's natural come hard.
Maybe you could show me how to let go,
Lower my guard,
Learn to be free.
Maybe if you whistle,
Whistle for me
The lyrics to Herbert's song "Can Can" speak to the idea of simplicity and the difficulty of achieving it. The opening lines state that "anyone can whistle" and that it's "easy" to do so. The singer seems to be searching for guidance on how to access this simplicity, as they ask for someone to "show [them] how to let go." The singer goes on to list other skills they possess, such as dancing a tango and reading Greek, but implies that achieving simplicity is much more difficult than any of these tasks.
The chorus repeats the idea that simplicity is not easy to come by, and suggests that maybe if someone were to whistle for them, it could help them learn to be free. The idea of whistling as a form of liberation is interesting because it's not something that requires any particular skill or talent, and yet it can be meaningful and powerful.
Overall, the lyrics to "Can Can" speak to the human desire to achieve simplicity and freedom, and the struggle that often comes with trying to do so. The singer seems to be searching for guidance and hoping that someone else can help them unlock these qualities within themselves.
Line by Line Meaning
Anyone can whistle, that's what they say-easy.
According to popular belief, anybody can learn to whistle effortlessly.
Anyone can whistle, any old day-easy.
People can whistle any day without any difficulty.
It's all so simple.
Whistling is not a complex task.
Relax, let go, let fly.
Just relax, let loose and whistle with ease.
So someone tell me, why can't I?
Despite people claiming it's easy, the singer can't seem to whistle effortlessly.
I can dance a tango, I can read Greek-easy.
The singer is capable of doing difficult things like dancing tango and reading Greek with ease.
I can slay a dragon, any old week-easy.
The singer can even slay dragons easily without any difficulty.
What's hard is simple.
Things that are typically considered hard can be made easy with determination and effort.
What's natural come hard.
Tasks that are considered natural to people can still be challenging to perform.
Maybe you could show me how to let go,
The singer is seeking guidance and help in order to master the skill of whistling.
Lower my guard,
The singer needs to relax and not feel self-conscious in order to whistle with ease.
Learn to be free.
Whistling with ease creates a sense of freedom and liberation in the singer.
Maybe if you whistle,
One way to learn how to whistle effortlessly is through imitation or repetition.
Whistle for me
The singer is requesting someone to whistle in order to learn from them.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEPHEN SONDHEIM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@hannekirkeb6087
The scariest part is not Herbert himself, but the fact that there are millions of Herberts in the world
@l4xensu954
Herbit is the best!
@Shamonwhitehurst252
Most are women especially teachers
@anixes
@@Shamonwhitehurst252 really?
@Yeahimman32
@@anixes yes
@mightymollyfan
Plasma Master Don is Herbert.
@Astrojoy79
We all know that pedophilia is no laughing matter but Herbert is one of the funniest animated characters ever
@lightningandodinify
Pedophilia is the least of our problems. It only seems like a problem because it seems that pedophiles would be to blame for the mostly unrelated problem of child porn, trafficking, and sexual predators. The definition of pedophilia is very narrow and in most cases, the culprit doesn't actually have this condition. Pedophiles need help too but the extreme stigma has them live in the shadows instead of seeking treatment like they should be. Kinda sad imo.
@themysteriouscatperson9483
Rogue-Spear
That’s a very serious accusation, you can’t just be going around calling people pedophiles, I know it destroys a child’s life but just because someone has differing opinions it doesn’t mean they are apart of a pedophile ring.
@JudahMaccabee_
@@themysteriouscatperson9483
The only people who protect pedophiles are pedophiles themselves.