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.
Flames
Herbert Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The young and the free
There for all to see
Entranced
Burned by the flame
Have your senses taken leave
Into the fire of true belief
It's the orgy of the free
It was at first as
If they were shadows
Shimmering visions
By the light of the dancing flame
Bodies in motion
The sound of the ocean
Came into vision
On the night of the dancing flame
What of your own free will
Bodies are writhing still
There in the moonlight
With my head up help high
Wish I could keep on walking by
But I
Find myself drawn to you
I let you do what you want to do
You had your wicked way
There on the site of the dancing flame
It was at first as
If they were shadows
Shimmering visions
By the light of the dancing flame
Bodies in motion
The sound of the ocean
Came into vision
On the night of the dancing flame
To dance around the fire
On the night of the dancing flame
To make the flame grow higher
In the light of the dancing flame
To dance around the fire
On the night of the dancing flame
To make the flame grow higher
In the light of the dancing flame
On that starry night
Lost my sense of time
I don't know how I
Got my fingers burned
Maybe I got too close
To the light of the
(To the)
To the light of the
(To the)
To the light of the light of the dancing flame
(To the)
To the light of the
(To the)
To the light of the
(To the)
To the light of the dancing flame
(To the)
In Herbert's song "Flames," the lyrics explore themes of curiosity, freedom, and desire. The singer is drawn towards a group of people who are caught up in a wild, uninhibited dance around a flickering flame. The dancing and writhing bodies are described as shimmering shadows, and the hypnotic atmosphere of the dance is captured by the sound of the ocean, which seemingly becomes part of the vision.
The lyrics reflect the singer's own internal struggle as they are both repulsed and attracted by the scene. They feel as if they have lost control of their senses and are drawn towards the flame, as if hypnotized or entranced by its flickering light. They describe themselves getting too close to the fire and getting burned as a result.
The song can be interpreted as a commentary on the allure of temptation and its destructive power, as well as the fear and excitement of losing oneself in wild abandon. The ideas of the song are reflected through the imagery of the dancing and the flame, which serve as metaphors for the uncontrollable passions of human desire.
Line by Line Meaning
Curiosity
The desire to know more about something or someone
The young and the free
Young people who are not restrained by obligations, rules, or responsibilities
There for all to see
Visible to everyone
Entranced
Completely fascinated or absorbed by something
Burned by the flame
Hurt or affected by the intense passion or belief of others
Have your senses taken leave
Have you lost touch with reality or become overwhelmed by the situation
Into the fire of true belief
Embracing a passionate and unwavering belief, regardless of the consequences
It's the orgy of the free
A wild and uninhibited celebration of freedom and desire
It was at first as
If they were shadows
Shimmering visions
By the light of the dancing flame
At first, the people appeared as if they were not fully there, mere illusions dancing under the light of a captivating flame
Bodies in motion
The sound of the ocean
Came into vision
On the night of the dancing flame
The sight of people dancing and moving to the beat was accompanied by the comforting hum of the nearby ocean
What of your own free will
Bodies are writhing still
There in the moonlight
With my head up help high
Wish I could keep on walking by
But I
Find myself drawn to you
I let you do what you want to do
You had your wicked way
There on the site of the dancing flame
Despite my desire to leave, my curiosity and attraction to you led me to give into your desires in the moonlight, under the allure of the dancing flame
To dance around the fire
On the night of the dancing flame
To make the flame grow higher
In the light of the dancing flame
The desire to dance around the fire and ignite passions higher and higher under the spell of the dancing flame
On that starry night
Lost my sense of time
I don't know how I
Got my fingers burned
Maybe I got too close
To the light of the
(To the)
To the light of the
(To the)
To the light of the light of the dancing flame
(To the)
To the light of the
(To the)
To the light of the
(To the)
To the light of the dancing flame
(To the)
That fateful night, I lost track of time and was hurt by the intensity of the dancing flame. Maybe I got too close and was drawn into the fiery passion of those around me.
Lyrics © THE ROYALTY NETWORK INC.
Written by: MATTHEW HERBERT, MURPHY ROISON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind