By 1981, only Stapleton was left from the original trio and he now regards 1982's "Homotopy To Marie", as being the first proper Nurse With Wound release. There are now over 30 full length NWW titles.
Many early albums have been reissued by the french label Rotorelief.
Stapleton's fondness for dada, surrealism and absurdist humor are demonstrated in much of NWW's output, which, though it draws directly on nearly every musical genre imaginable (from cabaret music to nursery rhymes to John Cage to The Beach Boys to krautrock to pop music to ambient music and Captain Beefheart) retains a distinctive and recognizable aura.
Musique concrete may be the most prominent touchstone, due to Stapleton's frequent – and often humorous – use of creative tape loops and editing. Athough NWW has a long and illustrious list of collaborators (most notably David Tibet of Current 93), at time of writing, NWW is effectively a duo of Stapleton and Colin Potter, the latter having first worked with NWW on 1992's "Thunder Perfect Mind" when it was recorded at Potter's ICR studio.
Those interested in learning more should research the 'infamous' Nurse With Wound list" (see also the Nurse With Wound list tag on Last.fm). It is a list of band names of NWW's obscure influences and it has become a kind of guide for those seeking fringe music of all kinds.
Official website: nursewithwound.co.uk
Expanded reissues of essential opuses by the french label Rotorelief (rotorelief.com)
Colder Still
Nurse With Wound Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
These small arms and white belly
And enormous undercarriage
The wax crayon illuminati
Our minds locked in dark sewer
Each finding less than before
Each counting the warm conclusions
Of the six buttons of sex appeal
Sucked into a whole
The ever floating karma of fried blind dog of the street
Our purpose for the one and only
Green form eats small headed breaded shrimp
Allowing several coats of makeshift lolly
On a lolly covered felt
Shook with fear from lightning
Falling several times in the wrong place
Soaking up blindly the wings of our depression
Floating up shiny columns of grey green primrose algae
The piston awakes to a small tiny fire within himself
Forcing the unwanted part of his mind into tiny fractions
Each plied with coconut scissors
All content, yet somehow familiar to Mothers everywhere
It's been days now since my childhood dreams were fulfilled
With crystal canyons and opera myths -
Its thousand legs dribbling oil like may rain
Over all-coloured mortar from way back when
This gorgeous thigh is resting under his elbow
Reminds me of clotted cream
All bloody from strawberry tobbacco juice
Hard halo of polystyrene pillow talk
Mothers' milk cooking in the breat of paisley blue silk
Like a mind in labour
Bursting the waters of afterlife
Drenched in the warm hot river
Containing everything and nothing.
The song "Colder Still" by Nurse With Wound is a surreal and abstract expression of the human psyche. The lyrics are a collection of fragmented imagery, each line representing a vivid yet disconnected image. The opening lines describe crops falling from the earth to the ceiling, a surreal and illogical concept that sets the tone for the rest of the song. The imagery that follows is equally disjointed, with references to small arms, white belly and enormous undercarriage.
The song captures the confusion and disorientation of the human mind, as we struggle to find meaning and purpose in our lives. In the lines "Our minds locked in dark sewer, each finding less than before, each counting the warm conclusions of the six buttons of sex appeal," we see a sense of despair and hopelessness. The "six buttons of sex appeal" become a symbol of the meaningless distractions we use to escape the reality of our existence.
The final lines of the song describe a state of transcendence, where the mind merges with the universe, "Containing everything and nothing." The imagery of "Drenched in the warm hot river" suggests a release from the burdens of the ego, as we immerse ourselves in a cosmic consciousness.
Overall, the lyrics of "Colder Still" are a complex and cryptic exploration of the human psyche, evoking a sense of wonder, confusion, and transcendence.
Line by Line Meaning
Crops falling from the earth to the ceiling
Harvested crops pile up endlessly from floor to ceiling.
These small arms and white belly
The body is frail, with small arms and a white belly.
And enormous undercarriage
But there is a bulky, massive underbelly.
The wax crayon illuminati
A group of childlike figures with influence.
Our minds locked in dark sewer
We are trapped in a murky and oppressive mental state.
Each finding less than before
We are becoming increasingly disillusioned and unfulfilled.
Each counting the warm conclusions
We grasp at fleeting moments of comfort.
Of the six buttons of sex appeal
We fixate on trivial measures of attractiveness.
Knowing full well that ice breaks when smoke rises
We are self-aware enough to know that our actions have consequences.
Sucked into a whole
We are consumed by something greater than ourselves.
The ever floating karma of fried blind dog of the street
A sense of cosmic justice that extends to all beings, even the most marginalized.
Our purpose for the one and only
We have a singular mission that guides us.
Green form eats small headed breaded shrimp
A strange and possibly ominous image, suggesting the consumption of the weak by the powerful.
Allowing several coats of makeshift lolly
We are indulging in cheap and unsatisfying pleasures.
On a lolly covered felt
A tactile and sensory experience that is ultimately unfulfilling.
Shook with fear from lightning
We are paralyzed by a powerful and unpredictable force.
Falling several times in the wrong place
We repeatedly fail to find our footing in a hostile world.
Soaking up blindly the wings of our depression
Our despair envelops and consumes us completely.
Floating up shiny columns of grey green primrose algae
A strange but beautiful image that suggests transcendence through natural beauty.
The piston awakes to a small tiny fire within himself
Something deep within us stirs, some flicker of hope or inspiration.
Forcing the unwanted part of his mind into tiny fractions
We attempt to compartmentalize the parts of our psyche we find disturbing or unacceptable.
Each plied with coconut scissors
A bizarre and perhaps nonsensical image, suggesting a sense of futility in our efforts.
All content, yet somehow familiar to Mothers everywhere
We are complacent with our lot in life, yet feel a universal kinship with all those who have come before us.
It's been days now since my childhood dreams were fulfilled
We feel nostalgia for a time when we believed anything was possible.
With crystal canyons and opera myths -
Our youthful visions were grandiose and fantastical.
Its thousand legs dribbling oil like may rain
A horrific and grotesque image, suggesting corruption and decay.
Over all-coloured mortar from way back when
The past seeps into the present, coloring our memories and experiences.
This gorgeous thigh is resting under his elbow
A sensual image that evokes both beauty and decay.
Reminds me of clotted cream
A sensory association that is both pleasant and uncomfortable.
All bloody from strawberry tobacco juice
A violent and jarring image that contrasts with the previous one.
Hard halo of polystyrene pillow talk
A sense of detachment and superficiality in our relationships.
Mothers' milk cooking in the breast of paisley blue silk
A vivid and surreal image that suggests both nurturing and corruption.
Like a mind in labour
Our thoughts and ideas are in the process of being birthed and brought fully into the world.
Bursting the waters of afterlife
Our creative output has the potential to transcend our own lives and mortality.
Drenched in the warm hot river
A sense of immersion and abundance, a state of being fully present in the moment.
Containing everything and nothing.
The paradoxical nature of existence: everything and nothingness coexist.
Contributed by Emily C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@simoom37
love the sleeve picture!!
..and, the last 5 minutes...............;too beautiful
@sosospacesheep2344
Listening to this music i feel surprised by each following note... I love the feeling of letting go and letting the artist taking me where his imagination is asking him to take me. I guess experimental music is all that is left for true music lovers, who still want to be surprised by the sounds. Even jazz is predictable (maybe except John Zorn). At least with instruments selection. Here we actually don't know what is playing - live instruments, keyboards, samples, computers or nature, objects of daily use. Incredible!!!
@The-Silliest-Billy
Yeah, I just got out of the zeuhl and Canterbury scene rabbitholes so I guess stuff like this is the logical progression for me.
@claudelwashington3725
well if that's you in your avatar pic you look like that guy who murdered his parents to get the insurance money. And I have no doubt this "song" had an influence on your mental state you freak.
@sosospacesheep2344
@@claudelwashington3725 you mean the photo that my girlfriend took on our trip to Thailand where we bought some ‘food’ from the street vendor to only be able to make a photo before chucking it to the bin? Cool. The only freak here is you with your sick way of thinking. Now shut the fuck up and crawl back under the rock where you live.
@aanakiev
@@claudelwashington3725 bro what the fuck
@pognillat2833
awesome. i needed this ! feels like childhood memories
@KokoRicky
3:52 I remember hearing a passage like that in a cartoon, one of those "spooky" phrases. As a kid I'd crumple of leaves in the fall, and imagine that sound playing.
@Helaw0lf
Waterphone does creep the mind out, as though someone menacing is behind you.
@LockedPig
20:06 - i think this is the first appearance of "Yagga blues" rhythm structure that Stapleton would use troughout the 1990s NWW albums