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).
Moss
News From Babel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I grasped the grass
I bit the earth
I pressed myself against
The Earth.
I held it tightly.
Nothing stirred
I waited.
The air moved, slightly,
The grass moved
The leaves moved in the trees
A thousand insects moved –
I moved and
The World moved,
Lightly.
I was not
Deceived.
The lyrics of News From Babel's song Moss depict a deeply introspective moment where the singer has fallen into the moss and connects with the earth in an almost primal way. The act of grasping the grass and biting the earth is symbolic of the singer's desire to feel connected to nature and to let go of their worries and problems. The repetition of the phrase "I moved" is indicative of the idea that the singer's actions are influencing the environment and, in turn, the environment is influencing the singer. The last line, "I was not deceived," is significant as it represents the singer's realization that their connection with nature is honest and true.
The use of nature imagery throughout the lyrics gives the song a contemplative tone, and the repetition of certain phrases adds to the dreamlike and introspective quality of the song. While the lyrics may seem simple, the message behind them is profound: that it is important to connect with nature in order to find peace and contentment.
Line by Line Meaning
I fell in the moss
I stumbled and landed on some soft moss on the ground
I grasped the grass
I held onto the long blades of grass around me
I bit the earth
I took a bite of the moist soil beneath me
I pressed myself against
The Earth.
I leaned my body against the cool surface of the ground
I held it tightly.
I clung onto the Earth with my hands
Nothing stirred
I waited.
There was no movement or sound around me, so I waited patiently
The air moved, slightly,
The grass moved
The leaves moved in the trees
A thousand insects moved –
After some time, small movements started to occur such as the breeze blowing, the grass swaying, the leaves rustling, and insects scurrying
I moved and
The World moved,
Lightly.
As I made my own movements, the rest of the world also moved in a gentle manner
I was not
Deceived.
I was not tricked or fooled by the stillness and quietness that surrounded me
Contributed by Madison P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.