The Amsterdam-based group is a blend of European improvised music, jazz and the Dutch irreverent attitude, in general, which all combine into a highly sophisticated yet enjoyable music that has astonished and impressed music lovers for several decades.
ICP was founded as a label and group concept in the late '60s when reedist Willem Breuker and drummer Han Bennink self-released a duo recording on a label they named ICP. Fellow Dutch musician and collaborator, pianist Misha Mengelberg became the third equal member of ICP, having recently come up with the term "instant composing" to use in "improvising's" stead. The name ICP quickly became an umbrella for a wide variety of line-ups during its first decade of existence. It wasn't too long before these groups included either Breuker or Mengelberg but not both, as the two musicians had clashing opinions on approaches to live performance, what ICP should be and many other musical issues. Breuker wanted tunes and rehearsals, Mengelberg wanted instant composing. Breuker wanted more people admitted who would have equal voting rights, Mengelberg wanted the core three members to have final say. Both also had different takes on music theater, which ICP got involved in the late '60s. So, both led their own ICP gigs, with Bennink (who didn't choose sides) performing in both, although more often with Mengelberg. Breuker's group included such musicians as bassist Maarten Altena, trombonist Willem van Manen, saxophonist Peter Bennink (Han's younger brother), pianist Leo Cuypers and keyboardist Michel Waisvisz. Mengelberg and Bennink first had a trio with the frequently-visiting British saxophonist Evan Parker starting in 1969, followed by a quartet line-up with reedsman John Tchicai and guitarist Derek Bailey, which had a brief tour and two recordings from 1970-71, including a classic of European improvisation, Fragments. Months before this, the core duo and Parker were joined by Bailey, saxophonist Peter Brotzmann, trombonist Paul Rutherford and Peter Bennink to record a septet album, Groupcomposing (1971). During this time, Mengelberg and Bennink also recorded an untitled duo for the ICP label.
By 1973, the inevitable split came and musicians went with one or the other, resulting in Breuker's still-thriving theatrical and fun-loving Willem Breuker Kollektief, while Mengelberg continued with the name ICP, which was, again, a continuously changing line-up for several years, during which only Misha, Han Bennink and American tubist Larry Fishkind were mainstays. Rotating members included Brotzmann, Tchicai, cellist Tristan Honsinger, saxophonist Keshavan Maslak, trombonist George Lewis and saxophonist Paul Termos. The first recording of ICP in its later, larger size came in early 1977, as ICP-Tentet in Berlin (SAJ, 1978). The first of the lasting members came three years later, when trombonist Wolter Wierbos joined. Reedsman Michael Moore came on board not too long after, first appearing on Japan Japon (DIW, 1982), as did violist Maurice Horsthuis, who was soon followed by his Amsterdam String Trio bandmates, bassist Ernst Glerum and cellist Ernst Reijseger (Reijseger, Moore and Bennink also formed another group together, the Clusone 3). Horsthuis eventually left (and the violist chair was filled a couple more times before being retired) but Reijseger and Glerum stayed. Due to the larger roster, the "instant composing" tenet shifted slightly to "conducted improvisation." By the 1990s, the band also included saxophonist Ab Baars and trumpeter Thomas Heberer, with Honsinger returning by the mid-'90s.
The ICP Orchestra recorded relatively little, but achieved international acclaim for its sophisticated improvisations, ingenious interpretations of landmark composers such as Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk and for the band members' extraordinary level of musicianship.
ICP Orchestra has recorded tributes to Thelonious Monk and Herbie Nichols (ICP 026) in 1984 and 1986, respectively. Mengelberg has also led the group in many brilliant (but unrecorded) programs of Duke Ellington's music. In addition to the Monk/Nichols release, and the early '80s DIW Japan Japon, ICP also recorded two volumes of Bodspaadje Konijnehol (Forest Path Rabbithole) from 1989-90 (ICP 028,029). The ICP Orchestra didn't record again until 1997, this time for HatArt, resulting in the critically hailed album Jubilee Varia. The line-up by then consisted of Mengelberg, Moore, Baars, Wierbos, Reijseger, Honsinger, Glerum and Bennink, but by the time the group toured for the album's 1999 release, Reijseger had left the group permanently.
The Witch
ICP Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The Witch jumped on my back last night
I couldn't breathe in it's clutch, I was frozen with fright
It went on for what seemed like hours of terror
To see the Witch's face stare in the dark at the mirror
[Violent J]
The Witch told me my girlfriend was a demon
And it's pain to the angels if I don't deliver
I sealed her off in a barrel and rolled her in the river
[Shaggy 2 Dope]
The Witch told me my left arm is possessed
So I broke it at first and then I went and confessed
But they put me in a home, the arm still wouldn't leave me alone
Finally had to chew it off at the bone
[Violent J]
The Witch told me to crawl under my house and just wait
Don't panic if I suffocate
I bit the tail off a possum down there at one point
It's so boring and it's dark but the Witch is my life
[Hook]
Something is standing in between me and my sanity
They say my Witch is a dream, morbid fantasy
I say wake the dead, wake the dead, wake 'em!
(WAKE THE DEAD! WAKE THE DEAD! WAKE 'EM!)
I say wake the dead, wake the dead, wake 'em!
(WAKE THE DEAD! WAKE THE DEAD! WAKE 'EM!)
[Verse - Shaggy 2 Dope]
The Witch taught me how to cut up a body
It's nasty and wretched and hella of bloody
But it's gotta get done and somebody's gotta do it
I kicked the fuckin' face in and put my knife through it
[Violent J]
The Witch jumped on me again, here we go
Layin' in my bed, I can't breathe anymo'
Layin' in my bed, I can't move anymo'
There's a demon floating in my face, clampin' my jaw
[Shaggy 2 Dope]
The Witch told me I gotta murder this one kid
'Kay well maybe the witch didn't then, but I did
With a ninja suit, crept through like a black widow
with a crossbow, stuck him in the neck like ditto
[Violent J]
The Witch told me about blood that rains
Out of the neck and what particular veins
And about murder, witnessin' death settin' in
And it ain't no Heaven that's lettin' me in
[Hook]
Something is standing in between me and my sanity
They say my Witch is a dream, morbid fantasy
I say wake the dead, wake the dead, wake 'em!
(WAKE THE DEAD! WAKE THE DEAD! WAKE 'EM!)
I say wake the dead, wake the dead, wake 'em!
(WAKE THE DEAD! WAKE THE DEAD! WAKE 'EM!)
[Verse - Shaggy 2 Dope]
The Witch told me to put my feet in the fire and hold on
Until everything below the knees gone
Now I'm in a wheelchair with only an arm but don't care
I can still throw my hatchet in the air
[Violent J]
The Witch got me in a predicament, it ain't good
I got somebody head posted on my hood
4:30 a.m. and we rollin' through the ghetto
Shaggy ridin' shotgun and the Witch is in the middle
[Hook]
Something is standing in between me and my sanity
They say my Witch is a dream, morbid fantasy
I say wake the dead, wake the dead, wake 'em!
(WAKE THE DEAD! WAKE THE DEAD! WAKE 'EM!)
I say wake the dead, wake the dead, wake 'em!
(WAKE THE DEAD! WAKE THE DEAD! WAKE 'EM!)
I say wake the dead, wake the dead, wake 'em!
(WAKE THE DEAD! WAKE THE DEAD! WAKE 'EM!)
I say wake the dead, wake the dead, wake 'em!
(WAKE THE DEAD! WAKE THE DEAD! WAKE 'EM!)
I say wake the dead, wake the dead, wake 'em!
(WAKE THE DEAD! WAKE THE DEAD! WAKE 'EM!)
I say wake the dead, wake the dead, wake 'em!
(WAKE THE DEAD! WAKE THE DEAD! WAKE 'EM!)
The ICP Orchestra's song "The Witch" depicts the disturbing experiences of two individuals who are under the control of a witch. The song portrays the consequences of giving into evil and the lack of control an individual feels when they give in to the darkness. The first verse sung by Shaggy 2 Dope describes how the Witch jumps on his back, leaving him frozen with fright, and tortures him for hours. The second verse performed by Violent J describes how the Witch told him that his girlfriend was a demon and he needed to dispose of her. In a fit of rage and desperation, he sealed her in a barrel and rolled her into the river. The Hook declares an ongoing theme of the song where something is standing in between the singer's sanity, and people say that his witch is a dream, and that he is in a morbid fantasy.
The third verse sung by Shaggy 2 Dope explains how the Witch insists that he needs to amputate his left arm as it was possessed. He confesses to his remaining arm, but the left one wouldn't leave him alone. He finally had to chew it off at the bone. The fourth and final verse performed by Violent J describes how the witch tells him to murder a child. In a display of blind loyalty, he kills the child with ninja-like precision with a crossbow. The song symbolizes a cry for help as the individuals surrender their lives to the will of the Witch, making them do unimaginable things.
Line by Line Meaning
The Witch jumped on my back last night
I felt overwhelmed and suffocated by my anxieties and fears
I couldn't breathe in it's clutch, I was frozen with fright
I was paralyzed with fear and unable to take action to escape my anxieties and fears
It went on for what seemed like hours of terror
My anxiety and fear felt like it lasted forever and was unbearable
To see the Witch's face stare in the dark at the mirror
I saw my anxieties and fears reflected in me like a monster in the darkness
The Witch told me my girlfriend was a demon
My anxieties and fears convinced me that my loved ones were harmful and destructive
And all this fallin' in love shit, I'm dreamin'
I question the authenticity and validity of love in the midst of my anxieties and fears
And it's pain to the angels if I don't deliver
I feel an immense pressure to rid myself of these anxieties and fears or risk hurting those around me
I sealed her off in a barrel and rolled her in the river
I tried to rid myself of my anxieties and fears by burying them and hoping they would disappear
The Witch told me my left arm is possessed
My anxieties and fears convinced me that my own body betrayed me
So I broke it at first and then I went and confessed
I first attempted to hurt myself to rid myself of these anxieties and fears, but ultimately needed to seek help
But they put me in a home, the arm still wouldn't leave me alone
Even when I sought help, my anxieties and fears still haunted me
Finally had to chew it off at the bone
I reached a point where I felt like I needed to sacrifice a part of myself to escape my anxieties and fears
The Witch told me to crawl under my house and just wait
My anxieties and fears convinced me to hide and avoid facing my problems
Don't panic if I suffocate
I was taught to remain calm and collected even in the face of suffocating anxieties and fears
I bit the tail off a possum down there at one point
I resorted to extreme and abnormal behaviors to cope with my anxieties and fears
It's so boring and it's dark but the Witch is my life
Despite the horror and darkness of my anxieties and fears, I have become dependent on them for my sense of identity and purpose
The Witch taught me how to cut up a body
My anxieties and fears taught me destructive and violent coping mechanisms
It's nasty and wretched and hella of bloody
My destructive coping mechanisms are gruesome and disturbing
But it's gotta get done and somebody's gotta do it
In the midst of my anxieties and fears, I feel an obligation to continue engaging in destructive behaviors
I kicked the fuckin' face in and put my knife through it
I gave into my destructive urges and acted out on them
The Witch jumped on me again, here we go
My anxieties and fears resurfaced and took control of me once again
Layin' in my bed, I can't breathe anymo'
I feel trapped and suffocated by my anxieties and fears
Layin' in my bed, I can't move anymo'
My anxieties and fears have paralyzed me into inaction
There's a demon floating in my face, clampin' my jaw
My anxieties and fears have materialized into a demonic entity that has control over me
The Witch told me I gotta murder this one kid
My anxieties and fears convince me that I need to hurt others to alleviate my distress
'Kay well maybe the witch didn't then, but I did
My anxieties and fears drove me to take drastic actions on my own
With a ninja suit, crept through like a black widow
I went to great lengths and employed sneaky tactics to carry out my violent urges
with a crossbow, stuck him in the neck like ditto
I acted on my violent impulses and caused serious harm to another person
The Witch told me about blood that rains
My anxieties and fears became my guide and taught me horrifying new things
Out of the neck and what particular veins
My anxieties and fears became so specific and detailed that they taught me medical and biological knowledge
And about murder, witnessin' death settin' in
My anxieties and fears became so intense and violent that they taught me about death and murder
And it ain't no Heaven that's lettin' me in
My destructive behaviors have created a deep sense of guilt and shame that prevents me from feeling worthy of forgiveness or redemption
The Witch told me to put my feet in the fire and hold on
My anxieties and fears convinced me to cause myself extreme pain to try and rid myself of them
Until everything below the knees gone
I was prepared to endure extreme physical harm if it meant escaping my anxieties and fears
Now I'm in a wheelchair with only an arm but don't care
My destructive behaviors have resulted in permanent physical harm, but my anxieties and fears still consume me to the point where I don't even care about my own well-being
I can still throw my hatchet in the air
My violent urges and destructive coping mechanisms are still a part of me, even though they have caused me irreparable harm
The Witch got me in a predicament, it ain't good
My anxieties and fears have put me in a situation that is dangerous or harmful to myself and/or others
I got somebody head posted on my hood
My violent and destructive urges have caused me to do something incredibly disturbing and abnormal
4:30 a.m. and we rollin' through the ghetto
I am engaging in dangerous and questionable behavior in the middle of the night, in a location that is known for its danger and violence
Shaggy ridin' shotgun and the Witch is in the middle
My anxieties and fears are a constant presence, even when I am with others or engaging in high-risk behaviors
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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