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I See Who You Are
Björk Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I see
Who you are
Behind the skin
And the muscles

I see
Who you are now
And when you'll get older later
I will
See the same girl
Seem so lioness fire heart, passionate lover

And afterwards
Later this century
When you and I have become corpses

Let's celebrate now
All this flesh on our bones
Let me push you up against me tightly
And enjoy every bit of you
Love me

Let's celebrate now
All this flesh on our bones
Let me push you up against me tightly
Let's celebrate now
All this flesh on our bones
And enjoy every bit of you

I see who you are
Let me see who you are

Overall Meaning

In Björk's "I See Who You Are," the Icelandic singer-songwriter takes a deep dive into the human psyche, exploring the idea of identity and mortality. The lyrics open with the lines "I see who you are, behind the skin and the muscles," suggesting that Björk is looking beyond the physical appearance of her subject and trying to understand who they are on a deeper level. She then continues with "And when you'll get older later, I will see the same girl," indicating that she believes that our true selves remain constant despite the passage of time.


The song takes a melancholic turn in the next verse with the lines "And afterwards, later this century, when you and I have become corpses." Björk seems to be contemplating the inevitability of death and the fact that our physical bodies will one day decay. However, she also finds beauty in our mortality and celebrates the flesh and bones that make up our corporeal forms.


The chorus is repetitive yet powerful, with Björk urging her subject to let her see who they are and to celebrate the physicality of their existence. The song ends on a hauntingly beautiful note, with Björk repeating the line "Let me see who you are," emphasizing the importance of human connection and understanding.


Line by Line Meaning

I see
I understand and perceive the essence of your being


Who you are
Your true self, beyond superficialities and appearances


Behind the skin
Beyond your physical body and outer layer


And the muscles
Beyond your physical strength and abilities


And when you'll get older later
Even in the future when time inevitably passes and we age


I will
I promise to


See the same girl
Recognize and appreciate the unchanging essence of who you are as a person


Seem so lioness fire heart, passionate lover
Radiating strength, courage, and intense romantic love


And afterwards
In the future, after our physical bodies have died


Later this century
At some point many decades or centuries from now


Let's celebrate now
Let's fully embrace and appreciate the present moment


All this flesh on our bones
The physicalness and corporeality of our bodies


Let me push you up against me tightly
Let's embrace and hold each other closely


And enjoy every bit of you
Fully revel in and cherish every aspect of your being


Love me
Expressing a desire for reciprocal love and affection


Let me see who you are
Allowing for openness, vulnerability, and authenticity in the relationship




Lyrics © WARP MUSIC LIMITED, BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Bjork Gudmundsdottir, Mark Bell

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@AtlasBlizzard

I love the harbour- and ship-themed ambience linking the songs (particularly before "Wanderlust"). Volta is so well-woven together.

@celeste1324

Heck yeah...and great job explaining how/why it sounds so darn awesome

@sciadi7716

2:56 that high note feels so emotional and painful. Everytime I hear it I get goosebumps.

@cadenschmidt6877

i love that harmonization with herself right before that

@khephrenchambers878

it has an interesting effect but i'm a singer and it kind of causes me a sort of mental pain, even makes my throat a little tense. i can just hear the strain on the vocal folds and it's not healthy. it's no surprise she had vocal nodules. when she hit the same pitch at 3:04 it was much better and less "scratchy"...that one i could withstand. love her sm though :~)

@ajsalvo4977

🤔🇧🇷 Sublime voz 💘💎💍

@memzyreloaded8761

This is the only song yet to bring me to tears. I have a lot of anxiety when it comes to the idea of death. My feelings about it are paralleled in this song. It feels almost constricting, the dread of its inevitability. But at the same time, you realize the monotony of it. How time will march on irrespective of your existence. It's eerily calming. And the idea of our connections spent in life validating an otherwise meaningless existence is one I find rather enlightened, as well. The moment is what matters, I suppose. And who we spend it with.

@IsometimesI

this music has a lot of texture and it's beautiful

@celeste1324

Isn't this song gorgeous?!

@lgrijalvapalmisano8298

There is Bjork........then everyone else.
She is a dynamo of soul-heart-spirit powered joy, catharsis and pure joy being alive !
After you hear her music.....
You have tears rolling down your cheeks
and the joy of the universe in your smiling heart and soul !

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