In the wake of English avant-garde rock group Henry Cow (1968-1978), Art Bears (1978-1981), a song-oriented group, was formed by three of Henry Cow's members, drummer Chris Cutler, multi-instrumentalist Fred Frith and singer Dagmar Krause. In Art Bears' wake, News From Babel emerged in 1983, comprising Cutler, Krause, Henry Cow woodwind player Lindsay Cooper, and United States harpist Zeena Parkins. It was Parkins' first "rock group" and the first time she had recorded with her harp. This new group followed the song-oriented approach of Art Bears, but with a different musical emphasis. Cooper composed all the music and Cutler wrote all the song texts.
News From Babel was purely a studio group. The name was derived from the title of George Steiner's book After Babel, and some of the songs on their albums relate directly to Steiner's books. In 1983 they recorded Work Resumed on the Tower, the title referring to the Tower of Babel, with guest vocalist Phil Minton. In 1986 they recorded Letters Home, named after the title of one of Sylvia Plath's books, with guest vocalists Robert Wyatt, Sally Potter and Phil Minton. Cooper's music on both albums is a blend of jazz and cabaret, while Cutler's lyrics are literate, exploring Marxist themes and personal alienation.
The group disbanded in 1986 after recording their second album. However, in 2014 they reformed as part of the larger ensemble that performed the music of Lindsay Cooper. These were their only live performances (with John Greaves deputising for Robert Wyatt).
Auschwitz/Babel
News From Babel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
the impediment of
flesh is
skimmed away –
All ambiguity
removed – the
residue – a core
of speech made
silence –
enter History
as
Truth.
The lyrics of News From Babel's song "Auschwitz/Babel" are heavy with meaning and intense emotion. The opening lines "In lime-pits the impediment of flesh is skimmed away" references the practice of using lime to dispose of the bodies of those who perished in Nazi concentration camps. The lime would dissolve the flesh, leaving only bones behind. This macabre imagery sets the tone for the rest of the song, as it speaks to the horrors of the Holocaust.
The lyrics then go on to describe the "residue" left behind after the flesh is dissolved. This residue is "a core of speech made numenous by silence," which can be interpreted as the lasting impact of the victims' lives and stories. Despite being silenced by their oppressors, the memory of their experiences continues to speak to future generations. The lyrics suggest that this silence is what gives the victims' stories meaning and power.
Finally, the lyrics state that this residue "enter[s] History as Truth." This emphasizes the importance of acknowledging and remembering the atrocities of the Holocaust as a way of ensuring that they are not repeated in the future. The song as a whole is a poignant reflection on the weight of history and the necessity of bearing witness to the darker moments of humanity.
Line by Line Meaning
In lime-pits
Within the lime-pits
the impediment of
The obstruction made by
flesh is
Human bodies are
skimmed away –
Removed and disposed of
All ambiguity
All vagueness or uncertainty
removed – the
Eliminated - the
residue – a core
Remaining substance - a fundamental essence
of speech made
Of language turned into
numenous by
Sacred or divine by
silence –
Silence, which empowers it
enter History
Becoming an element in history
as
Representing
Truth.
Absolute, irrefutable truth
Contributed by Alaina T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.