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.
Foreign Bodies
Herbert Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Work it out
Things you hear
Someone's knee
Clicks just here
Foreign bodies
Start to appear
What is this
Revealing?
Who are you what
Concealing?
Is this who
Digesting?
(What is it you're…)
Are you what is
Disturbing?
This who are
Occurring?
You what is this
Recording?
Who are you
Disguising?
What is is this?
Fee ? feel the bones
Nothing broken mobile homes
With each sound
In this skin
Foreign bodies start to begin
Li ? listen here
Hear yourself
In things you hear
Someone's neck
Clicks just here
Foreign bodies
Start to appear
Hide it slowly
Whisper 'show me'
Sink in coldly
Greet with lonely
Cut it open
Cursed by motion
Last half older
Second shoulder
Voices catching
Silence vexing
Brushing closer
Wash it over
Sequence sadness
Smoked to madness
Blood-like lightning
Joy is frightening
The song "Foreign Bodies" by Herbert features insightful, abstract lyrics that require an interpretative approach. The song uses visual and auditory imagery to examine the ways in which foreign entities impact the body. The opening verse, "Be ? bend your ear, Work it out, Things you hear, Someone's knee, Clicks just here, Foreign bodies, Start to appear,” illustrates how the body reacts to strange stimuli. It goes on to delve deeper into the emotional and psychological effects of foreign entities on the body.
The song's repetitive structure and mysterious lyrics suggest that the foreign bodies represent any number of overwhelming and confusing feelings, ranging from unrequited love, creative inspiration, addiction, or more existential angst. In the lines, "Li ? listen here Hear yourself In things you hear, Someone's neck Clicks just here Foreign bodies Start to appear,” the repetition of "Foreign bodies start to appear” several times throughout the song convinces the listener that these intrusive and foreign entities are ever-present, often shifting and mutating in form, just like our emotions and thoughts.
Overall, the lyrics of "Foreign Bodies" invite listeners to ponder the various external and internal forces, be it material or immaterial, that shape our existence and impact our physical and emotional well-being.
Line by Line Meaning
Be ? bend your ear
Listen closely
Work it out
Figure it out
Things you hear
Things that you hear
Someone's knee
The sound of someone's knee clicking
Clicks just here
The sound of clicking is heard here
Foreign bodies
Unfamiliar sensations or experiences
Start to appear
Become noticeable
What
What is happening
What is this
What is causing this sensation or feeling
Revealing?
Is this revealing something
Who are you what
What is causing this unfamiliar sensation or experience
Concealing?
Is this concealing something
Is this who
Is this what is causing this unfamiliar sensation or experience
Digesting?
Is this being digested or processed
(What is it you're…)
What is causing this unfamiliar sensation or experience
Are you what is
Is this what is causing the unfamiliar sensation or experience
Disturbing?
Is this disturbing
This who are
What is causing this unfamiliar sensation or experience
Occurring?
Is this happening
You what is this
What is causing this unfamiliar sensation or experience
Recording?
Is this being recorded or stored
Who are you
What is causing this unfamiliar sensation or experience
Disguising?
Is this disguising something
What is is this?
What is causing this unfamiliar sensation or experience
Fee ? feel the bones
Listen closely to the bones
Nothing broken mobile homes
The feeling is not painful, like a mobile home that is not broken
With each sound
With every noise
In this skin
Within the body
Li ? listen here
Listen carefully here
Hear yourself
Become aware of your own body and sensations
Hide it slowly
Conceal it gradually
Whisper 'show me'
Ask gently to be shown the unfamiliar sensation or experience
Sink in coldly
The sensation feels cold and overwhelming
Greet with lonely
The unfamiliar sensation or experience feels isolating
Cut it open
Examine the sensation or experience further
Cursed by motion
Feeling cursed by the movement of the body
Last half older
The feeling is reminiscent of age
Second shoulder
The other shoulder is also feeling the unfamiliar sensation or experience
Voices catching
Voices around are being muted or caught
Silence vexing
The silence is bothersome or discomforting
Brushing closer
The sensation or experience is becoming more intense
Wash it over
Let the feeling wash over you
Sequence sadness
A sequence of sad or negative feelings
Smoked to madness
Feeling as though you are going insane
Blood-like lightning
A sudden and jarring feeling like lightning
Joy is frightening
Even happiness may be overwhelming or frightening
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, THE ROYALTY NETWORK INC.
Written by: Matthew Herbert
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind