Originally coming to fame in the mid-1960s singing orchestral pop ballads as the frontman of The Walker Brothers, Walker went on to a solo career balancing a light entertainment/MOR ballad approach with increasing artistic innovations in arrangement and writing. Despite a series of acclaimed albums, a disastrous drop in sales forced him back into straight Middle of the road recordings with little of his own artistic input. This in turn eventually led to a Walker Brothers reunion in the mid-1970s (although the latter eventually moved, by mutual consent, into more avant-garde areas).
From the mid-1980s, Walker revived his solo career while drastically reinventing his artistic and compositional methods, via a series of acclaimed and vividly avant-garde albums. These combined his iconic voice with an unsettling avant-garde approach which owed more to modernist and post-modernist classical composition than to his pop singer past. This change in approach has been compared to "Andy Williams reinventing himself as Stockhausen".
Walker has been a continuing influence on other artists, in particular The Last Shadow Puppets, Marc Almond, Goldfrapp, Douglas Pearce of the band Death in June, Billy MacKenzie of The Associates, David Sylvian, Julian Cope, Antony Hegarty, Thom Yorke, Steven Wilson, David Bowie, Leonard Cohen, Trey Spruance, Perry Blake, Radiohead, Noah Lennox, Mikael Åkerfeldt, and the Divine Comedy/Neil Hannon.
Walker continued to release solo material until his death, and was signed to 4AD Records. As a record producer or guest performer he worked with a number of artists including Pulp, Ute Lemper, Bat For Lashes and Sunn O))).
CUE
Scott Walker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Both start with an S
Deep as a virus
Little Mary
Little Mary
From scratchless I ascend
Stamps tongue-swabbed
Now embark for the Ivory Coast
BAM BAM BAM BAM
BAM BAM BAM BAM
At the birth of a vermin Holy Ghost
Stars led to sky
Lash led to eye
Herpes to clit
Then stopped
Expect
I'm carried by lanterns
Expect
I will follow the aerosol patterns
Immunity won't feed on the bodies
Bones closing
Too soon at the tips
Won't feed on the bodies
From the fat black crocodile on the sand bar
Can't swallow it then bury it
From the voice flooded semen clotting to paste
Can't swallow it then bury it
And the jigger raps pits
Darkness long
Jigger raps pits
BAM BAM BAM BAM
BAM BAM BAM BAM
Shoes had to shine
Splicing to swine
Strain after strain after strain after strain
Immunity
Immunity
Through the dominant wards and nurseries
A flugleman moves
In the lung-smeared slides and corridors
A flugleman moves
And his tune rises on the harvest clouds of dust
Trading the wah-wah's for
BAM BAM BAM BAM
BAM BAM BAM BAM
Stars led to sky
Toe led to thigh
Rumor to breast
Then stopped
The lyrics of Scott Walker's song "Cue" cannot easily be interpreted as it appears to be a surrealistic, almost stream-of-consciousness series of images and ideas. The song draws on a variety of stylistic influences and cultural references, including African music and mythology, medical terminology, and religious imagery, among others. The first stanza of the song seems to describe a journey or a process of transformation, as the singer says that he ascends "from scratchless" and is carried by lanterns. The use of medical terminology, such as "virus" and "tongue-swabbed," suggests a scientific or clinical context, but it is unclear how this relates to the other images in the song. References to Sudan and Seoul and the repetition of "Little Mary" may suggest a global, interconnected perspective.
The next few stanzas of the song contain more surreal and enigmatic imagery, including references to "vermin Holy Ghost" and "herpes to clit." The use of strong, percussive sounds in the lyrics, especially the repeated "BAM BAM BAM BAM," creates a sense of urgency and intensity. The final stanza of the song again includes medical terminology and references to the body, but it is framed in a more abstract and symbolic way. The lines "Immunity won't feed on the bodies / Bones closing / Too soon at the tips" suggest a kind of fatalism, as if the body is inevitably deteriorating or dying.
Line by Line Meaning
What do Seoul/Sudan have in common?
Both have names that begin with the letter S
Deep as a virus
Something is very profound or impactful, like the spread of a viral illness
Little Mary
A person named Mary, likely a small child
Little Mary
A person named Mary, likely a small child
From scratchless I ascend
I am able to rise up or succeed without any prior success or resources
Stamps tongue-swabbed
Postage stamps have been moistened and applied to envelopes using the tongue
Now embark for the Ivory Coast
Prepare to travel to the Ivory Coast
Chiming like mouse bells
Something is making a delicate, high-pitched sound like the ringing of small bells
BAM BAM BAM BAM
Four loud, sudden impacts, perhaps representing a physical or emotional outburst
BAM BAM BAM BAM
Four loud, sudden impacts, perhaps representing a physical or emotional outburst
At the birth of a vermin Holy Ghost
A new, unwelcome entity or idea is coming into being
Stars led to sky
The stars served as a guide to the sky or a destination
Lash led to eye
A whip or punishment led to injury or suffering in the eye
Herpes to clit
A sexually transmitted disease is affecting the genitals
Then stopped
Something has come to a halt or ended
Expect
Anticipate or prepare for something
I'm carried by lanterns
I am guided or illuminated by lanterns or lights
Expect
Anticipate or prepare for something
I will follow the aerosol patterns
I will follow the patterns of the spray or mist in the air
Immunity won't feed on the bodies
The immune system cannot survive off of dead or decaying tissue
Bones closing
The bones are coming together or healing
Too soon at the tips
An action was taken too early or without enough preparation
Won't feed on the bodies
The immune system cannot survive off of dead or decaying tissue
From the fat black crocodile on the sand bar
A large, dark crocodile sitting on a sand bar
Can't swallow it then bury it
The crocodile cannot swallow something whole and instead buries it
From the voice flooded semen clotting to paste
A graphic description of a bodily fluid that has become thick or coagulated
Can't swallow it then bury it
The crocodile cannot swallow something whole and instead buries it
And the jigger raps pits
A burrowing insect is causing discomfort or problems in the skin of the armpits
Darkness long
A period of darkness or despair has lasted for a long time
Jigger raps pits
A burrowing insect is causing discomfort or problems in the skin of the armpits
BAM BAM BAM BAM
Four loud, sudden impacts, perhaps representing a physical or emotional outburst
BAM BAM BAM BAM
Four loud, sudden impacts, perhaps representing a physical or emotional outburst
Shoes had to shine
The shoes needed to be polished or cleaned
Splicing to swine
Mixing or combining something of high quality (spliced) with something low (swine)
Strain after strain after strain after strain
A repetition of hardship or difficulty
Immunity
The body's ability to resist or fight off diseases
Immunity
The body's ability to resist or fight off diseases
Through the dominant wards and nurseries
Passing through areas where people are being cared for in medical settings
A flugleman moves
A leader or conductor is directing movement or action
In the lung-smeared slides and corridors
In areas where lung tissue or fluids may be present
A flugleman moves
A leader or conductor is directing movement or action
And his tune rises on the harvest clouds of dust
There is a hopeful or optimistic feeling despite difficult circumstances
Trading the wah-wah's for
Exchanging one sound or type of music for another
BAM BAM BAM BAM
Four loud, sudden impacts, perhaps representing a physical or emotional outburst
BAM BAM BAM BAM
Four loud, sudden impacts, perhaps representing a physical or emotional outburst
Stars led to sky
The stars served as a guide to the sky or a destination
Toe led to thigh
A physical movement or activity that is happening from the toe to the thigh
Rumor to breast
A piece of information or gossip that relates to the breast
Then stopped
Something has come to a halt or ended
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
MaliciousChickenAgenda
This is absolutely bloody terrifying. Its like a gothic nightmare made into music. Its not just the atmosphere in it, his voice is genuinely creepy in this too. Truly original, i love it! O_O
Poser Nosebleed Records
Thank you MaliciousChickenAgenda
TheHotFalafel
Goin right in my party playlist.
lyon smith
Wow when so many of his peers are playing casino's or sleeping on their back catalog this man creates this. Stunning.
Dekion Plexis
Tilt and The Drift are both masterpieces, music from another dimension. Scott really is hundred's of years ahead of his time. Also, best listened to on your own in a dark room. I did many years ago, hard to listen to these tracks now, they're so dark and dense but also beautiful.
lyonslaforet
The Drift = one of the finest albums released in 2006.
Wally Toynbee
This and Jolson and Jones (track 4) are the two best tracks on the Drift. (always play this after). On a half decent player and loud, just unbelievable.
shango02005
+Wally Toynbee Those are two of my favorites, but also Jesse and Clara. And Cossacks Are. And The Escape. Hell, they're all incredible!
Jeff Tedtalk
shango02005 It’s almost as if the “lesser” tracks don’t exist without those bangers in the “better” positions since they’re all perfect. What a contradiction!
Wally Toynbee
@Jeff Tedtalk Please elucidate. What's on your mind?