In his post Roxy Music days, Brian Eno was still that exotically dressed person of somewhat indeterminate gender orientation. Hence on this single Seven Deadly Finns, he appears to be dressed as a musician attending a medieval tournament. Seven Deadly Finns bears all the stylistic quirks of early Eno, the imaginative nonsense lyric, and the unusual musical conjunctions - yodeling anyone? When I first heard it I was completely captivated and in love with it. But it came and went so quickly I couldn't get to buy a copy in 1970's Scunthorpe. Needless to say it never charted either. But it remains a rather eccentric gem.
Eno at around this point had half his lungs collapse, or something of the sort, and he gave up touring live performances. But as you can see from this rather dull and basic video, Eno didn't have much by way of performing skills anyway. This was never going to convert many folk to the Eno fan base. But the song got me, and I've been a loyal follower since. He is a person who's had a huge influence on my musical taste and love of the unconventional and experimental in music. Here are the lyrics, which have a curious logic to them, containing Eno's trademark clever word play and wit.
Think it's such a fucking shame
That the local boys with their country joys
Never make them daisy chains
They're swapping disappointing incidents
While at the docks another ship pulls in
And suddenly the door breaks down (ooh la la)
It's the seven deadly finns
Oh oh oh soldiers and sailors
Have all been here before
Gigolos and governments
Have stumbled through that door
Because they need all those french girls with all their kiss curls
And powder in their guns
And the seven finns with their deadly grins
Tend to measure beauty in tuns.
The first is a freak with a masochistic streak
And the second is a kitten up a tree
The third is a flirt with an awful print skirt
And the fourth is pretending to be me
The fifth wears a mac and never turns his back
The sixth never shows his eyes
But the seventh deadly finn is so tall and slim
He should of never been with those guys
.
Although variety's the spice of life
A steady rhythm is the source
Simplicity's the crucial thing
Systemically of course
So if those french girls say to you
Would you like your ashes piped?
You'll have to take their word for it
It's the only thing to take.
Although variety's the spice of life
A steady rhythm is the source
Simplicity's the crucial thing
Systemically of course
So if those french girls say to you
Would you like your ashes piped?
You'll have to take their word for it
It's the only thing to take.
Brian Eno
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