Beginning in 1987 in London, England, Bill Drummond (alias King Boy D) and Jimmy Cauty (alias Rockman Rock) released hip hop-inspired and sample-heavy records as The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu and, on one occasion (the British number one hit single "Doctorin' the Tardis"), as The Timelords. As The KLF, Drummond and Cauty pioneered the genres "stadium house" (rave music with a pop-rock production and sampled crowd noise) and "ambient house". The KLF released a series of international top-ten hits on their own KLF Communications record label, and became the highest internationally selling UK band of 1991. The duo also published a book, The Manual, and worked on a road movie called The White Room.
From the outset, they adopted the philosophy espoused by esoteric novels The Illuminatus! Trilogy, gaining notoriety for various anarchic situationist manifestations, including the defacement of billboard adverts, the posting of prominent cryptic advertisements in NME magazine and the mainstream press, and highly distinctive and unusual performances on Top of the Pops. Their most notorious performance was at the February 1992 Brit Awards, where they horrified the formal audience with a hardcore thrash version of "3 A.M. Eternal" (performed with the justifiably named Extreme Noise Terror) that also included Drummond spraying the crowd with blanks from an automatic rifle and the post-performance announcement, "The KLF have left the music industry." Topping their already extreme actions, Cauty and Drummond delivered the carcass of a dead sheep -- plus eight gallons of blood -- to the lobby of the hotel after-party. In May 1992 the duo deleted their entire back catalogue.
With The KLF's profits, Drummond and Cauty established the K Foundation and sought to subvert the art world, staging an alternative art award for the worst artist of the year and burning a million pounds sterling. Although Drummond and Cauty remained true to their word of May 1992—the KLF Communications catalogue remains deleted—they have released a small number of new tracks since then, as the K Foundation, The One World Orchestra and most recently, in 1997, as 2K. Cauty has provided remixing services for bands as diverse as Hawkwind and Placebo, under the name Scourge of the Earth.
The KLF catalogue remained absent from digital platforms until January 1, 2021, when an 8-track compilation of their 7" hit singles 1988-1991 - Solid State Logik 1 was released on streaming platforms, marking the 1st installment of a series called Samplecity Thru Trancentral.
The White Room
The KLF Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Spanna noo na ne ne naho
Spa noo na naho
Noo na naho
Noo na naho
Spa noo na naho
Spanna noo na noo na noo na naho
Spa noo na nehhey
Noo na naho
Noo na naho
Spanna noo na noo na ne na naho
Spanna noo na ne ne naho
(Continue)
Talk to me, talk to me
If you want to know the things we see
Then step inside our skins
The white room, the white room
We spin, we turn, watch and wait
As the world just creeps on by
The white room, the white room
Ooohhaaa
Talk to me, talk to me
Far below, a small boat sails
Catching fish from the sea
The white room, the white room
We climb the mountain, feel the wind
We climbed to touch the stars
The white room, the white room
Ooohhaaa
The white room, the white room
The white room, the white room
The white room, the white room
The white room, the white room
The lyrics to The KLF's song "The White Room" are quite enigmatic and poetic in nature. The repeated refrain of "Spanna noo na noo na ne na naho" and "Spa noo na naho" seems to be nonsensical and perhaps serves as a sort of mantra for the song. However, the verses provide more concrete imagery and an invitation to join in on an experience.
The singer of the song suggests that if you want to know what they see, then you must step inside their skin and enter the white room. This could be interpreted as an invitation to open oneself up to new experiences and perspectives. The white room could represent a blank canvas or a place where anything is possible.
The lyrics also paint vivid pictures of climbing mountains and touching the stars, as well as observing a small boat sailing in the sea. These images suggest a search for knowledge and understanding, as well as a reverence for the natural world. The repetition of the phrase "The white room" at the end of the song reinforces the idea of a limitless, open space.
Overall, the lyrics to "The White Room" are somewhat cryptic and open to interpretation, but they seem to evoke a sense of wonder and possibility.
Line by Line Meaning
Spanna noo na noo na ne na naho
We're inviting you in, come on in
Spanna noo na ne ne naho
Stay a while and take a look around, we won't bite
Spa noo na naho
Relax and let us show you what we mean
Noo na naho
There's nothing to fear here
Noo na naho
We're just here to guide you
Spa noo na naho
Let's have some fun and enjoy the ride
Spanna noo na noo na noo na naho
We're still here, waiting for you
Spanna noo na noo na nehhey
We have so much to show you, don't be shy
Spa noo na nehhey
Take a deep breath and open your eyes
Noo na naho
Don't be afraid, we're right here with you
Noo na naho
We'll help you through, every step of the way
Spanna noo na noo na ne na naho
We're moving forward together, let's go
Spanna noo na ne ne naho
We're taking you on a journey, trust us
Talk to me, talk to me
Ask us anything, we're here to listen
If you want to know the things we see
We're happy to share our perspective with you
Then step inside our skins
Try to see the world through our eyes
The white room, the white room
This is where we are, together
We spin, we turn, watch and wait
We're patient, and we're observant
As the world just creeps on by
The world goes on, but we're not rushing
Ooohhaaa
This feels good
Far below, a small boat sails
Look down, see what's happening around us
Catching fish from the sea
People are out there, living their lives
We climb the mountain, feel the wind
We're adventurers, seeking new experiences
We climbed to touch the stars
We're pushing the limits, reaching new heights
The white room, the white room
This is where we are, this is what we do
The white room, the white room
We're still here together, experiencing life
The white room, the white room
This is where we belong
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ERNEST DRUMMOND WILLIAM, JAMES FRANCIS CAUTY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@independantfundament
This is the original release NOT the American release
I hope this helps you find your favorite song
00:00 Justified And Ancient
01:31 What Time is Love?
04:42 Make It Rain
08:39 3 AM Eternal
12:18 Church of The KLF
14:10 Last Train to Trancentral
19:43 Build A Fire
24:19 The White Room
29:31 No More Tears
38:49 - 43:31 Justified And Ancient
@alan.a.7082
One of the most memorable albums ever purchased. More people should listen to this. Wish I could describe the memories. Pure class. Klf,s gonna rock ya!!!!!
@theyredistortingyourrhythm130
Australia SEES
@sassylass64
Rock ya mind and bend your brain..................
@euanscotland
You didn't even try to describe the memories,
The English language has more words than any other on the planet.
Go on. Give it a go.
@sonianatasha.865
Klf was one of the first record I ever bought.
They were class.
@europeandream1
this is not for everyone.
@provatos
I feel so utterly lucky to have lived the KLF era, when they were hugely popular! What an amazing time to be 18, 19, 20 and a musicophile. I treasure my KLF 12 and 7 inches singles which I bought back then! 🙏
@adrock6021
I love u, already
@FFM0594
Older guy here. Never forget KLF was born out of a punk rocker's mind. Old punks love all things Acid/Techno, too.
@Philtho
Yeah, they were always something special. You had all those other great bands of the time like Prodigy, Orb, etc but this album will always be a special gem that defies time.