These sounds include transient audio phenomena and are known in acoustics and signal processing by various names including sound particles, acoustic quantum, sonal atom, grain, glisson, grainlet, trainlet, microarc, wavelet, chirplet, FOF, time-frequency atom, pulsar, impulse, toneburst, tone pip, acoustic pixel, and others. In the frequency domain they may be named kernel, logon, and frame, among others. (ibid)
Physicist Dennis Gabor was an important pioneer in microsound. (ibid) Micromontage is musical montage with microsound.
Microtime is the level of "sonic" or aural "syntax" or the "time-varying distribution of...spectral energy.
An Echo A Stain
Björk Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My arm
And smiled
One of these days
Soon
Very soon
Love you 'til then
Love you 'til then
Feel my breath
On your neck
And your heart
Will race
Don't say no to me
You can't say no to me
I won't see you
Denied
I'm sorry you saw that
I'm sorry he did it
An echo
A stain
A stain
I can't say no to you
(I can't say no to you)
Say nothing
Free falling
Complete
The lyrics in Björk's song "An Echo a Stain" are cryptic and layered with meaning. Björk sings about a close encounter with someone where they touch her arm and smile. She then pleads with them, "Don't say no to me / You can't say no to me / I won't see you denied." The vulnerable and intimate moment is further described with the lines, "Feel my breath / On your neck / And your heart / Will race." The second verse is tinged with regret and sorrow as she apologizes for something that happened, saying "I'm sorry you saw that / I'm sorry he did it / An echo / A stain / A stain." The song ends with "I can't say no to you / Say nothing / Free falling / Complete," evoking a sense of giving in completely to a feeling or experience.
The meaning behind the lyrics can be interpreted in many ways, but it seems to be about intimacy, either physical or emotional, and the vulnerability and regret that can come with it. The pleading refrain of "Don't say no to me" and "You can't say no to me" could be seen as pushing boundaries or potentially unhealthy behavior, but it is also possible that the song is about a consensual, intense connection between two people. The words "An echo / A stain / A stain" suggest that something happened that cannot be undone, leaving a permanent mark on their relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
She touched
Her physical touch created a vivid impression
My arm
With a gentle touch on my arm
And smiled
Accompanied by a bright and warm smile
One of these days
An indisputable event will happen eventually
Soon
In a brief amount of time
Very soon
Within an extremely short period
Love you 'til then
I'll love you until that day comes
Feel my breath
As my breathing was so close
On your neck
And our necks were nearly intertwined
And your heart
It caused your emotions and feelings
Will race
To escalate or quicken
Don't say no to me
Please don't refuse my request
You can't say no to me
You are unable to deny me
I won't see you
I'd be upset to see you
Denied
Rejecting my request
I'm sorry you saw that
I apologize for your witness of that event
I'm sorry he did it
I regret that he committed that act
An echo
A reflection or reverberation
A stain
A mark or blemish that remains
A stain
A mark or blemish that remains
I can't say no to you
I cannot deny you
(I can't say no to you)
I am powerless to deny you
Say nothing
Do not say a word
Free falling
Experiencing a deep sensation of falling or loss of control
Complete
Being fully whole or unified
Lyrics © WARP MUSIC LIMITED, Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Guy Sigsworth, Bjork Gudmundsdottir
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind