Starting out as drummer for several hardcore/metal bands, Ólafur was asked to write instrumental intros and outros for the album "Antigone" of German metal band Heaven Shall Burn. This led to more work in the field of neo-classical strings and piano based music, and ultimately to the release of Eulogy for Evolution and the beginning of Ólafur's partnership with Berlin based label Erased Tapes. In 2008 he embarked on a tour with fellow Icelanders Sigur Rós.
In 2009 he started a week-long project of composing one track by day, making it immediately available online to his fans. The collection was later officially released under the title Found Songs. He repeated the same experiment in 2011 under the title Living Room Songs. Also in 2009 the ballet Dyad 1909 premiered with a score composed by Ólafur. Choreographed by Wayne McGregor and performed by Wayne McGregor Random Dance, the ballet was inspired by Ernest Shackleton’s Nimrod Expedition to the South Pole in 1909. That year he also started Kiasmos, together with Janus Rasmussen. Kiasmos is a minimal techno based project. Their self titled debut album was released in 2014, preceded by the Thrown EP.
In April 2010 Ólafur released his second full-length album entitled ...And They Have Escaped The Weight Of Darkness, which was backed up with an extensive tour, including his first trip to China.
His third album, and the first to be released under his new partnership with Universal Music's Mercury Classics imprint, is titled For Now I Am Winter and planned for international release in February 2013. Expanding on his previous work the new album features a full orchestra and – for the first time – introduces vocals to his soundworld. Icelandic singer Arnór Dan is to be heard on four tracks of the album.
More recently Ólafur has been venturing into the world of films, writing his first Hollywood film score to Another Happy Day. He also had music in the hit film The Hunger Games and has been featured several times on popular American television show So You Think You Can Dance. For 2013 his scores include the music to the ITV thriller series Broadchurch, starring David Tennant and Olivia Colman, as well as to the film Gimme Shelter, directed by Ron Krauss and starring Vanessa Hudgens and Brendan Fraser.
In 2014 Arnalds won the prestigious BAFTA Television Craft Award for his score to the BBC's hit detective series 'Broadchurch'.
So Close
Ólafur Arnalds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
so close,
shadows and lies mask you from me.
So close,
bath my skin the darkness within,
so close,
the war of our lives no one can win.
The missing piece I yearn to find,
please clear the anguish from my mind.
So close,
but when the truth of you comes clear,
so close,
I wish my life I’d never come near,
so close.
Through dark and light I fight to be,
so close,
shadows and lies mask you from me.
The song "So Close" is a hauntingly beautiful ballad by Icelandic composer and musician Ólafur Arnalds. It speaks about the complexities of relationships, and the constant struggles that two people may face, despite being so close to one another. Through dark and light, the singer fights for the closeness that they yearn for, despite the shadows and lies that seem to mask the other person. The lyrics allude to the idea that the other person is like a missing piece that they need to find, but the war of their lives seems to be never-ending, leaving no one a true winner.
In the second verse, the singer expresses that even though they have found the other person, they still wish they hadn't come near, because the truth of the other person is too much for them to handle. The anguish they feel stems from the fact that the other person is not the person they thought they were. However, through it all, the singer still fights for that closeness, hoping for a resolution that will bring them to a deeper understanding of the other person.
Overall, the song is a poignant reminder of the ups and downs of relationships, the battles that often arise, and the struggle to be close to someone despite the obstacles that may stand in the way.
Line by Line Meaning
Through dark and light I fight to be,
I struggle through the ups and downs of life to achieve my goals.
so close,
I am so close to achieving my goals, but obstacles stand in my way.
shadows and lies mask you from me.
I am unable to fully see and understand you because of unclear intentions and deceitful behavior.
Bath my skin the darkness within,
I am consumed by my own internal struggles and darkness.
so close,
Despite my internal struggles, I am still close to achieving my goals.
the war of our lives no one can win.
Life is a constant battle, but no one truly wins in the end.
The missing piece I yearn to find,
I am searching for something that will complete me.
so close,
My search is almost over, but not quite there yet.
please clear the anguish from my mind.
I am struggling with emotional pain and need some relief.
So close,
I am almost at the point of finding relief from my emotional pain.
but when the truth of you comes clear,
If the real you is revealed, the relationship between us may change.
so close,
The revelation of the real you is imminent.
I wish my life I’d never come near,
If I had known the truth, I would have never gotten involved with you.
so close.
Despite everything, we're still so close to each other.
Through dark and light I fight to be,
Through good and bad times, I'm still fighting to become a better person.
so close,
I am close to achieving the growth I seek even as I fight through tough times.
shadows and lies mask you from me.
The other person is strangled by the darkness and deception that they have portrayed.
Contributed by Austin A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@luciesikorova4829
Through dark and light I fight to be
So close
Shadows and lies mask you from me
So close
Bath my skin, the darkness within
So close
The war of our lives no one can win
The missing piece I yearn to find
So close
Please clear the anguish from my mind
So close
But when truth of you comes clear
So close
I wish my life had never come here
So close
Through dark and light I fight to be
So close
Shadows and lies mask you from me
@charleserz4049
"So Close" Lyrics, ÓLafur Arnalds.
Through dark and light I fight to be
So close
Shadows and lies mask you from me
So close
Bathe my skin, the darkness within
So close
The war of our lives no one can win.
The missing piece I yearn to find
So close
Please clear the anguish from my mind
So close
But when the truth of you comes clear
So close
I wish my life I'd never come near here
So close
Through dark and light I fight to be
So close
Shadows and lies mask you from me.
@sophiefilo16
This is one of those songs you never forget. Even if years pass and you don't remember a single lyric, you can still have it stuck in your head and be able to recognize it instantly...
@Unknownuser88888
True!🖤
@emilyg8409
100000%
@AmourEtLumiere
Fell madly in love with this song from the first episode of Broadchurch. Gives me amazing chills. <3
@nicolamaddox4676
same :)
@ashsukumar7132
same here :-)
@AmourEtLumiere
Damn almost 100 likes and almost don't remember commenting this! This song helped me through a lot of depression❤
@elisabetemariadasilva798
Me too :) and still love it !!!
@VivaEgypt2030
🌹❤🥰
@AyazKhan-ue5gu
Every time I listen to this I get some flash back in my past , getting emotional,feeling alone and