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.
Going Round
Herbert Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't know what I'm thinking
All I know is you got me going round
I don't know what I'm hearing
I don't know if you're speaking
All I know is you got me going round
You got me going round
You got me going round
You got me
You got me going round
You got me
You got me going round
You got me
Is it just the way you're looking
Or is it just the way I'm seeing
All I know is you got me going round
Is it just the words you're saying
Or is there another meaning
All I know is you got me going round
You got me going round
You got me going round
You got me going round
You got me going round
You got me going round
You got me
The lyrics of Herbert’s song ‘Going Round’ are open to interpretation. The singer admits to feeling uncertain about what they are doing, thinking, hearing or even if they are hearing anything at all. What is certain is that someone or something has this person going round in circles. The song seems to speak of being under the spell of another, with the mystery person’s presence, look or words keeping the singer in a perpetual state of confusion and disorientation.
At its core, the song is about the power someone can have over another, a sort of hypnotic influence that can leave one feeling unmoored and unsure of themselves. The lyrics emote a sense of surrender, a relinquishing of control, as the singer willingly succumbs to the intoxication of their unknown captor’s pull.
Overall, this song is a haunting and unsettling commentary on the inexplicable and often illogical machinations of the human heart.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't know what I'm doing
I have no idea what my actions are leading to or what my aim is.
I don't know what I'm thinking
I'm lost in my thoughts without any clarity or understanding.
All I know is you got me going round
Your influence on me is so strong that I'm completely turned around and disoriented.
I don't know what I'm hearing
I'm unable to process and comprehend the sounds around me.
I don't know if you're speaking
I'm uncertain whether or not you're talking and what you're saying.
You got me going round
Your mere presence is causing my emotions and thoughts to spin out of control.
Is it just the way you're looking
I'm curious whether the cause of my disorientation is simply the way you appear to me visually.
Or is it just the way I'm seeing
I'm questioning whether or not my own perceptions and biases are skewing my interpretation of things.
Is it just the words you're saying
I'm wondering if your spoken words are responsible for my lost state of mind.
Or is there another meaning
I'm considering whether there could be a hidden or alternate interpretation to what you're communicating.
Writer(s): MATTHEW JOHN HERBERT, DANI SICILIANO
Contributed by Maya O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.