Other members include Tom Chant (saxophone), Phil France (double bass), Luke Flowers (drums), Nick Ramm (piano), Stuart McCallum (guitar); former members include Jamie Coleman (trumpet), T. Daniel Howard (drums), Alex James (piano), and Patrick "PC" Carpenter (turntables).
In both live and studio context, the Cinematic Orchestra employ a live band which improvises along with a turntablist and electronic elements such as samples provided by Swinscoe. In their studio releases Swinscoe will often remix the live source material to produce a finished product that is a seamless combination of live jazz improvisation with electronics, such that it is difficult to tell where the improvisation ends and the production begins. It is worth mentioning that in the sound of the Cinematic Orchestra the role of traditional solo instruments, such as piano or wind instruments, is not the same as in traditional jazz; instead of performing intricate solos they provide a mature accompaniment environment and quite often there is more space for the drums and the double bass to have a lead role.
The Cinematic Orchestra have been noted for their new score to the classic 1929 Dziga Vertov's Ukrainian film "Man with a Movie Camera". They have worked on two other scores: they recorded some tracks for "Ils se marièrent et eurent beaucoup d'enfants" (2004) and made the music for the Disney Nature movie "The Crimson Wing" (2009).
The Cinematic Orchestra released their latest album "Ma Fleur" on 7th May 2007. The album features vocals from Patrick Watson, Fontella Bass and Lou Rhodes. In 2010 their compilation Late Night Tales followed.
They have started their own record label: Motion Audio Records. One record has been released by Lou Rhodes. More releases will follow, including Grey Reverend.
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Exit Music
The Cinematic Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He's not coming back
Look into my eyes
I'm not coming back
So knives out
Catch the mouse
Don't look down
If you'd been a dog
They would've drowned you at birth
Look into my eyes
It's the only way you'll know I'm telling the truth
So knives out
Cook him up
Squash his head
Put him in the pot
I want you to know
He's not coming back
He's bloated and frozen
Still there's no point in letting it go to waste
So knives out
Catch the mouse
Squash his head
Put him in the pot
The lyrics to The Cinematic Orchestra's "Exit Music" suggest themes of anxiety, uncertainty and desperation. The lines "I want you to know, he's not coming back, look into my eyes, I'm not coming back" evoke a sense of finality and hopelessness. The repetition of "knives out" throughout the song adds to this feeling of desperation and almost a sense of violence. The line "if you'd been a dog, they would've drowned you at birth" speaks to a sense of worthlessness or a feeling of not belonging. The act of drowning an unwanted dog at birth is cruel and inhumane, suggesting the singer's feeling of being discarded or abandoned.
The lines "cook him up, squash his head, put him in the pot" and "he's bloated and frozen, still there's no point in letting it go to waste" suggest a sense of desperation, as though someone is willing to do whatever it takes to survive, even if that means resorting to cannibalism. The mouse that's caught is a symbol for the suffering and survival instincts, and it's almost as though the singer is saying "we need to do whatever it takes to survive, even if it means resorting to violence or cannibalism."
Overall, "Exit Music" suggests themes of desperation, anxiety, and hopelessness. The repetition of "knives out" and the violent imagery used throughout the song create a feeling of unease and perhaps even danger.
Line by Line Meaning
I want you to know
This is important information that I need you to understand
He's not coming back
The person we're waiting for isn't returning
Look into my eyes
Direct eye contact is necessary for you to understand the sincerity of my message
I'm not coming back
I won't be returning
So knives out
Get ready for action
Catch the mouse
Find and capture the target
Don't look down
Focus on the task at hand and don't hesitate
Shove it in your mouth
Consume the target with force
If you'd been a dog
If you were born with certain undesirable traits
They would've drowned you at birth
You would not have been allowed to live
It's the only way you'll know I'm telling the truth
Trust can only be established through direct eye contact
Cook him up
Prepare the target for consumption
Squash his head
Destroy the target with force
Put him in the pot
Prepare the target for consumption
He's bloated and frozen
The target is no longer fresh and ready for consumption
Still there's no point in letting it go to waste
It's better to use what we have rather than waste it
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: COLIN CHARLES GREENWOOD, EDWARD JOHN O'BRIEN, JONATHAN RICHARD GUY GREENWOOD, PHILIP SELWAY, PHILIP JAMES SELWAY, THOMAS YORKE, THOMAS EDWARD YORKE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
David Adamson
on Channel 1 Suite
Excellent!!!!