Most of the day, we were at the machinery
In the dark sheds that the seasons ignored
I held the levers that guided the signals to the radio
But the words I received, random code, broken fragments from before

Out in the trees, my reason deserting me
Oh, the dark stars cluster over the bay
Then in a certain moment, I lose control
And at last, I am part of the machinery

Where are you?
And the light disappears
As the world makes its circle through the sky


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The Belldog Lyrics as written by Dieter Moebius Brian Eno

Lyrics © Freibank Musikverlags und vermarktungs GmbH, Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network

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The Belldog song meanings
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    General Comment

    This is the dream-like response Eno had to working with Cluster, a band he had admired for a long time, merging it with the role of producer for many other bands from the same period. Substitute ‘levers’ for ‘sliders’ and ‘dark sheds’ for the windowless studios that he worked in with the bands and then ‘guiding the signals to the radio’ describes his job of producing the music for the bands’ next big hit (well. Most bands would like to have some air-play).

    Both Conny Plank’s studio (where Broken Head was recorded) and Cluster’s studio in Forst were in rural settings, which may explain the line ‘Out in the trees’… Eno on a fag break. Cluster themselves are name-checked in this verse and their record label Sky is the last word sung in this track.

    How to read the line ‘I lose control and at last I am part of the machinery’? It is a very ‘cybernetic’ lyric and if the studio-setting interpretation here has some truth to it, then becoming part of the studio machine might describe Eno’s frequent references to treating the studio itself as an instrument. Surrendering to the system.

    Falsedogon January 15, 2023   Link

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