Family
Björk Lyrics


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Is there a place
Where I can pay respects
For the death of my family?
Show some respect

Between the three of us
There is the mother and the child
Then there is the father and the child
But no man and a woman
No triangle of love

So where do I go to make an offering?
I fall on my knees
Lay my flowers (burn the incense)
Light the candles

So where do I go to make an offering
To mourn our miraculous triangle?
Father, mother, child
Father, mother, child

How will I sing us out of this sorrow?
Build a safe bridge for the child out of this danger

I raise a monument of love
There is a swarm of sound
Around our heads
And we can hear it
And we can get healed by it
It will relieve from the pain
It will make us a part of
This universe of solutions




This place of solutions
This location of solutions

Overall Meaning

Björk's song "Family" is a deeply personal and emotional reflection on the dissolution of her family unit. It speaks of the pain and confusion that come with the breaking apart of a family, and the need to find a way to mourn, honor, and heal. The song is structured around the idea of a triangle, representing the traditional family unit of a mother, father, and child, but with the absence of a loving relationship between the parents. The singer is left wondering where to turn to make an offering, as there seems to be no clear place for her to grieve the loss of her family.


The lyrics are rich with metaphors and imagery, evoking a sense of both darkness and hope. The idea of falling to one's knees, laying flowers, lighting candles, and burning incense suggests a religious or ceremonial act of mourning, while the desire to "sing us out of this sorrow" speaks of the power of music to heal and uplift. The image of a safe bridge is a symbol of hope, of finding a way to navigate the dangerous waters of life and protect the vulnerable child. The final stanza suggests a sense of interconnectedness and possibility, of being part of a universal solution that can ease the pain and bring healing.


Overall, "Family" is a poignant and powerful song, with lyrics that are both deeply personal and widely relatable. It speaks of loss, grief, and healing, and the importance of finding a way to honor the past and move forward with hope.


Line by Line Meaning

Is there a place
Is there somewhere that I can go


Where I can pay respects
To show my respect for my family members who have passed away


For the death of my family?
Because my family members have died


Show some respect
I want others to show respect as well


Between the three of us
Among the mother, father, and child in our family


There is the mother and the child
A relationship between a mother and her child


Then there is the father and the child
A relationship between a father and his child


But no man and a woman
However, there is no romantic relationship between a man and a woman in our family


No triangle of love
No love triangle exists in our family


So where do I go to make an offering?
Where can I go to make a tribute to my family members


I fall on my knees
I show my humility and emotion by falling on my knees


Lay my flowers (burn the incense)
I leave flowers and incense as an offering to my family members who have passed away


Light the candles
I light candles as a symbol of hope and love for my family members


How will I sing us out of this sorrow?
How can I express my sorrow about our family situation


Build a safe bridge for the child out of this danger
I will create a safe and nurturing environment for the child and protect them from any harm or danger that may come their way


I raise a monument of love
I create a lasting symbol of love to honor and remember our family


There is a swarm of sound
There is a collective energy or vibe created by the sounds around us


Around our heads
Surrounding us in a meaningful way


And we can hear it
We can sense and feel the positive energy around us


And we can get healed by it
It can help us heal emotionally and spiritually


It will relieve from the pain
It will alleviate our suffering


It will make us a part of
We will become connected to something larger than ourselves


This universe of solutions
A space where problems can be resolved


This place of solutions
A physical or mental location where solutions can be found


This location of solutions
A specific geographic or interpersonal location where solutions can be found




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Bjork Gudmundsdottir, Alejandro Ghersi

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

KELEO2000

Is there a place
Where I can pay respects
For the death of my family?
Show some respect
Between the three of us
There is the mother and the child
Then there is the father and the child
But no man and a woman
No triangle of love

So, where do I go
To make an offering?
I fall on my knees
Lay my flowers (Burn incense)
Light the candles
So, where do I go
To make an offering?
To mourn our miraculous triangle?
Father, mother, child
Father, mother, child

How will I sing us
Out of this sorrow?
Build a safe bridge
For the child out of this danger

I raise a monument of love
There is a swarm of sound
Around our heads
And we can hear it
And we can get healed by it
It will relieve us from the pain
It will make us a part of
This universe of solutions
This place of solutions
This location of solutions



Pâmela

Lyrics

Is there a place
Where I can pay respects
For the death of my family
Show some respect
Between the three of us
There is the mother and the child
Then there is the father and the child
But no man and a woman
No triangle of love
So where do I go
To make an offering
I fall on my knees
Lay my flowers
Light the candles
So where do I go
To make an offering
To mourn our miraculous triangle
Father, mother, child
Father, mother, child
How will I sing us
Out of this sorrow
Build a safe bridge
For the child
Out of this danger, danger
I raise a monument of love
There is a swarm of sound
Around our heads
And we can hear it
And we can get healed by it
It will relieve us from the pain
It would make us a part of it
This universe of solutions
This place of solutions
This location of solutions



All comments from YouTube:

Sabine Zigelstein

so many people have said her music is alien or otherworldly, yet this is the most human thing I've ever witnessed. I felt a rainbow of emotions and experiences

hiddenpenguin11

This! I feel the exact same way. When i listen to her music all my basic human emotions and instincts reorganize and get validated

LOS SOLES TRUNCOS PR

Me too.

Joshua Jackson

I feel all of her music expresses all kinds of things about being human at a primal level, then everyone calls her alien and I just think they’re missing the point completely.

Lola Rosa

completely agree!

inkajoo

We are alienated from ourselves from all the time we have spent trying to fool ourselves. To run from our responsibilities and the consequences of our actions as a species.

3 More Replies...

Valentinol Vigos

I think we all agree that the end of this song is fucking magical, breathtaking, trascendental. Those chords, and strings and her voice; the atmosphere it generates is so lovely, sad, nostalgic but encouraging at the same time. It makes me feel things that i never felt before, Björk is just magical; a mistic of sound and emotions from another dimension.

AND/OR/NOT

its so rooted on this planet! Makes it so good! Why do humans deny this?

Jeremiah Mason

I cry every time. Literally the only artist in this world to bring me to tears. I discovered her while serving in the US Navy on deployment. Bjork is very special to me. Her music has gotten me through so much. This album.......I truly felt the pain.

i shall remain calm

Björk is the reason I'm not afraid of pain. She made me feel strong in ways I didn't even ask for.

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