Roxy Music, introducing themselves at last at the very end of their second album. The lyrics seem to be at once a premonition and flashback of moments and highlights of their (or Ferry's) life. Crafting their art, schmoozing at country estates with the stars even into their elderly years. Part false part true / dark horse hiding Ferry acknowledging his humble Novocastrian roots whilst hob nobbing with the glitterati of the day.
'The words we use tumble over your shoulder' sounds like an intimate 'sweet nothing' shared with their fans but it actually hides a harsher comment: you don't really get us or know what we are saying, or 'it goes over your head'. The final section after 'Ta-ra.... ta-ra', is a lost bit of theatre or drama that practically all fans will miss. Eno creates tape snippets of Ferry singing repeated lyrics from Chance Meeting (on the previous album) 'well how, well how?' from the line Well how are you how have you been? A voice answers 'You don't ... you don't ask why'. How being the lesser question and why being the real issue. Imagine a fan asking Eno a techie 'How do you get that sound?' whereas Why do you...? would be the more interesting question to ask him.
The woman's voice is Judi Dench, uncredited on the album. Her daughter, born around the time the album was being recorded, was (is) called Tara and so Ferry 's 'ta-ra' is actually him saying hello to her as well as goodbye at the end of his life.
Roxy Music, introducing themselves at last at the very end of their second album. The lyrics seem to be at once a premonition and flashback of moments and highlights of their (or Ferry's) life. Crafting their art, schmoozing at country estates with the stars even into their elderly years. Part false part true / dark horse hiding Ferry acknowledging his humble Novocastrian roots whilst hob nobbing with the glitterati of the day.
'The words we use tumble over your shoulder' sounds like an intimate 'sweet nothing' shared with their fans but it actually hides a harsher comment: you don't really get us or know what we are saying, or 'it goes over your head'. The final section after 'Ta-ra.... ta-ra', is a lost bit of theatre or drama that practically all fans will miss. Eno creates tape snippets of Ferry singing repeated lyrics from Chance Meeting (on the previous album) 'well how, well how?' from the line Well how are you how have you been? A voice answers 'You don't ... you don't ask why'. How being the lesser question and why being the real issue. Imagine a fan asking Eno a techie 'How do you get that sound?' whereas Why do you...? would be the more interesting question to ask him.
The woman's voice is Judi Dench, uncredited on the album. Her daughter, born around the time the album was being recorded, was (is) called Tara and so Ferry 's 'ta-ra' is actually him saying hello to her as well as goodbye at the end of his life.
@Falsedog Thank you very much for the precious info and observations! I hadn't noticed the voices at end.
@Falsedog Thank you very much for the precious info and observations! I hadn't noticed the voices at end.