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.
Magritte
John Cale Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He's been much on my mind these days
Often we saw Magritte
Inside a canvas of blue saturated with beauty
In a web of glass
Pinned to the edges of vision
There's a car-horn in the street outside
Often we saw Magritte
Running with the legends of conspicuous men
And how often we forgot Magritte
How we remembered him then
And worshiped at his feet
Pinned to the edges of vision
Somebody's coming that hates us
Better watch the art
Upstairs there's a canvas stretched
For umbrellas and bowler hats
Everybody knows Rene did that
Often we saw Magritte
Pinned to the edges of vision
Often we saw Magritte
We all know Rene did that
Often we saw Magritte
The lyrics to John Cale's song Magritte express a meditation on the power of art to expand our perception and to make us see the world in new ways. Magritte, the Belgian surrealist painter, is presented as a figure who embodies this idea, as Cale reminisces about how oftentimes he and other people would see Magritte's work and feel helpless but to be drawn into it. The first stanza of the song beautifully describes the experience of witnessing one of Magritte's paintings: "Inside a canvas of blue saturated with beauty / In a web of glass / Pinned to the edges of vision." Here, Cale evokes a sense of almost mystical power radiating from Magritte's artwork, as if the images he created had the power to transfix the viewer and transport them into another realm.
However, the song doesn't simply celebrate the beauty of Magritte's art, but also acknowledges the challenges that artists like him face. In the second stanza, Cale shifts the focus from Magritte himself to the society around the artist, which sometimes fails to recognize his genius: "And how often we forgot Magritte / How we remembered him then / And worshiped at his feet." This sentiment expresses a sense of regret for not fully valuing the artist while he was alive, and for taking his art for granted. The song ends on a ominous note, with the line "Somebody's coming that hates us / Better watch the art", suggesting that the very powers that make art like Magritte's so alluring also make it a target of hostility from those who seek to control or suppress it.
Overall, Magritte is a song that captures the magic and beauty of visual art, while also pointing to the challenges and dangers that artists face. Cale's lyrics are poetic and evocative, conjuring up vivid images in the listener's mind and inviting us to contemplate the relationship between art and society.
Line by Line Meaning
I forgotten how often we saw Magritte
My memory of the number of times we saw Magritte has faded
He's been much on my mind these days
Recently, I've been thinking a lot about Magritte
Often we saw Magritte
We saw Magritte frequently and regularly
Inside a canvas of blue saturated with beauty
We saw Magritte's beautiful paintings, which were often filled with blue tones
In a web of glass
The paintings seemed tangled up in a delicate and fragile material, like a web of glass
Pinned to the edges of vision
The paintings were always on the periphery of our sight, but never fully out of view
There's a car-horn in the street outside
There's noise coming from outside, disrupting our current thoughts about Magritte
And a museum with its windows open
The museum is offering a glimpse into the art world and its possibilities
Running with the legends of conspicuous men
Magritte was one of the notable artists of his time, and his artwork deserves recognition to this day
And how often we forgot Magritte
It's easy to overlook the smaller details of life, such as the appreciation of Magritte's art
How we remembered him then
Recalling the ways in which we appreciated Magritte's art in the past
And worshiped at his feet
We admired and revered Magritte's work as if he were a god-like figure
Pinned to the edges of vision
Although we didn't always remember to appreciate him, Magritte's work always remained visible to us
Somebody's coming that hates us
There's a sense of impending danger or unease that's making us feel threatened
Better watch the art
We need to protect and safeguard the things we hold dear, such as Magritte's art
Upstairs there's a canvas stretched
There's a painting displayed in another part of the building
For umbrellas and bowler hats
The painting features these common items that are everyday objects
Everybody knows Rene did that
It's common knowledge that Magritte painted this artwork
Often we saw Magritte
We frequently encountered Magritte's artwork and it always left an impression on us
Pinned to the edges of vision
Magritte's work never fully fades from our memory, but rather remains in the background of our thoughts
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOHN DAVIES CALE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
MisAnnThorpe
Perhaps this is the best thing Cale has ever recorded. Hobosapiens is a masterpiece in my opinion.
Clear Spot 12
You're so right. I adore this track - in fact everything he does is magnificent. Just hope he stays on the planet for as long as possible - we all need more of Mr Cale
Chris Smith
Yeah fabulous album
dallexandro
agree
Boris Tabare Ag
Art of the highest quality. A real master of our time.
Walt Waters
I really love his universe ! Like a surrealist dream ! It makes me think about "Niko Laetailleurs" (you can find his music by writing his name in the you tube search bar).
Rui Morais
Big fan of both here, but Walker is more experimental.
Jordie Forest
ça me fait penser à Sting par moment...
Gilles Masson
Fort.
BOB
👁 El ojo