Born on 9th March 1942 in Garnant, Wales, Cale spoke only Welsh until the age of seven, when he began to learn English at school. He went on to study viola at Goldsmiths College, University of London, where he became involved in avant garde music. He traveled to the U.S. to continue his studies, thanks to the help and influence of Aaron Copland, and met and worked with various avant-garde composers, including John Cage, while becoming fascinated with the new Anglo-American art movements.
In 1965, he co-founded the Velvet Underground with Lou Reed. Though best known for his work with the band, Cale has produced a massive body of work that ranges from tastefully arranged strings and piano over Dylan Thomas poetry to barely-suppressed, nigh-psychotic aggression set to high-energy avant-garde rock. Cale's style is almost impossible to pin down, as almost every album contains new experiments and influences. He is also well known as the producer of such works as the debuts of The Stooges, The Modern Lovers, and Patti Smith (the critically acclaimed 'Horses'). He also played a major role in Nico's 'The Marble Index'.
He's released some compilation works such as 'Seducing Down the Door: A Collection 1970-1990' that attempt to show the range and depth of his music. Cale was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as member of the Velvet Underground in 1996, and he was also appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 2010. As the years have gone by, he's had a wide variety of tours, additionally dealing with his own personal demons.
Entre nous
John Cale Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's not easy to say
The instability of you makes things clear
Continuity of you is motionless
Never want you to change - entre nous
It's the sun and the moon - entre nous
It's the rich and the poor again
And the time in the past with you
It's opening the door and walking through
It's your point of view and you
Clean my slate and trip my wire
Cut the wood and light the fire
Disturb the peace in Heresfordshire - entre nous
The rain in the plain never reached Spain
the traffic is backed up on the Cote d'Azur
You missed your train form there to here - entre nous
The satellite dish will you beam you through
The comedy begins Shakespeare at the zoo - entre nous
There's a silence in you and me too
There 's nothing new back there
Talking about it made is worse - less is more
It wasn't clear at all how the time had passed
The gangs are moving in around the block
Keep your head down it's not going to stop
It's the bridge and the canyon - entre nous
If the weather breaks I'll see you
The lyrics of John Cale's song "Entre Nous" speak of a complicated and unstable relationship. The first verse is addressed to someone, perhaps a lover, and the singer asserts that they never asked them to change. The singer recognizes that the person's instability is what makes things clear, while their continuity is motionless. The second verse seems to be a reflection on the broader condition of the world, with references to the sun and the moon, the rich and the poor, the strong and the weak. The singer acknowledges that they need the person they are addressing, as they are the one that cleans their slate and trips their wire, cuts their wood, and lights their fire. There are some enigmatic lines in the song, such as "Disturb the peace in Herefordshire," and "The comedy begins Shakespeare at the zoo," which add a surreal quality to the lyrics. The song ends on a note of hope, with the singer suggesting that if the weather breaks, they will see the person again.
Line by Line Meaning
I never asked you to change - entre nous
I never requested you to alter your ways between us.
It's not easy to say
It is difficult for me to convey my thoughts.
The instability of you makes things clear
The inconsistency within you makes things apparent.
Continuity of you is motionless
Your state of permanence is inert.
Never want you to change - entre nous
I do not desire you to modify how you are between us.
It's the sun and the moon - entre nous
It is the eternal forces at play between us.
It's the rich and the poor again
It is the social gap between people once more.
It's the strong and the weak without you
It is the contrast between strength and weakness only amplified without you.
And the time in the past with you
And the moments that went by when we were together.
It's opening the door and walking through
It's the simple act of crossing a threshold and moving forward.
It's your point of view and you
It depends on your perspective and your position in our relationship.
Clean my slate and trip my wire
Make a fresh start for me and stimulate my emotions.
Cut the wood and light the fire
Prepare and ignite the passions within me.
Disturb the peace in Herefordshire - entre nous
Disrupt the serenity of our situation in secret.
The rain in the plain never reached Spain
The expected outcome did not occur as planned.
The traffic is backed up on the Cote d'Azur
The traffic is congested on the coastline road.
You missed your train form there to here - entre nous
You failed to catch your transport from there to here.
The satellite dish will you beam you through
The satellite signal will transmit your data.
The comedy begins Shakespeare at the zoo - entre nous
The humor starts while witnessing the Bard's work at the animal park.
There's a silence in you and me too
There is a hush between us both.
There's nothing new back there
There exists nothing novel in that particular history.
Talking about it made it worse - less is more
Discussing it only worsened matters - brevity is better.
It wasn't clear at all how the time had passed
It was unclear how the duration of time went by unnoticed.
The gangs are moving in around the block
The gangs are relocating into our area.
Keep your head down it's not going to stop
Stay low and remain cautious - it will not end soon.
It's the bridge and the canyon - entre nous
It is the chasm and the crossing that separate us in private.
If the weather breaks I'll see you
If the conditions improve, I shall meet you there.
Contributed by Sophie G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@cosmicdrifter287
undiscoverd gem from where i sit.
@madelinemitchell104
My favorite from this album. Goes well with good marijuana.
@PaulA-ys3yr
Disturb the peace in Herefordshire
@scioarete7987
Which album?