"I've Seen It All" is a song recorded by Icelandic singer Björk for the Dan… Read Full Bio ↴"I've Seen It All" is a song recorded by Icelandic singer Björk for the Dancer in the Dark soundtrack, Selmasongs (2000). It was written by the singer, along with Sjón and Lars von Trier, who also directed the film. It was released as the first promotional single from Selmasongs on 21 July 2000, by One Little Indian Records. The song features vocals from Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song. Lyrically, it speaks of one coming to terms with the fact that they are going blind.

I've Seen It All
Björk Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I've seen it all
I have seen the trees
I have seen the willow leaves
Dancing in the breeze

I've seen a man killed
By his best friend,
And lives that were over

Before they were spent.

I've seen what I was
And I know what I'll be
I've seen it all
There is no more to see

You haven't seen elephants
Kings or Peru

I'm happy to say
I had better to do

What about China?
Have you seen the Great Wall?

All walls are great
If the roof doesn't fall
And the man you will marry
The home you will share

To be honest
I really don't care
[gibberish]

You've never been
To Niagara Falls

I have seen water
It's water, that's all

The Eiffel Tower
The Empire State

My pulse was as high
On my very first date

And your grandson's hand
As he plays with your hair

To be honest
I really don't care
[gibberish]

I've seen it all
I've seen the dark
I've seen the brightness
In one little spark
I've seen what I chose
And I've seen what I need
And that is enough
To want more would be greed
I've seen what I was
And I know what I'll be
I've seen it all
There is no more to see

You've seen it all
And all you have seen
You can always review on
Your own little screen
The light and the dark
The big and the small
Just keep in mind
You need no more at all

You've seen what you were
And know what you'll be
You've seen it all

There is no more to see
[gibberish]

Overall Meaning

The song "I've Seen It All" by Björk is a reflection on life experiences and how they shape one's perspective. The lyrics take the listener through various observations, from the beauty of willow leaves dancing in the breeze to the darkness of a man killed by his best friend. The repetition of the phrase "I've seen it all" suggests a sense of finality, a belief that nothing else could surprise or amaze the singer. Yet, at the same time, there is a recognition of the limitations of one's own experiences - the singer acknowledges that there are things they haven't seen, but they feel content with what they have.

The song also touches on the idea of perspective, with the singer noting that all walls are great if the roof doesn't fall. This can be interpreted as a wider comment on how one's circumstances can inform their view of the world. The final verse of the song acknowledges that the listener, too, has seen it all in their own way, and that they don't need to seek out more experiences to feel fulfilled.

Overall, "I've Seen It All" is a thought-provoking exploration of how our experiences shape our understanding of the world and ourselves.

Line by Line Meaning

I've seen it all
I have experienced everything there is to experience

I have seen the trees
I have witnessed the beauty of nature, including tree foliage dancing in a breeze

I have seen a man killed by his best friend, And lives that were over Before they were spent.
I have personally witnessed the tragic end of someone's life and other lives cut short by unexpected situations

I've seen what I was And I know what I'll be
I have come to understand my identity and purpose in life

There is no more to see
I do not need to experience anything else to feel fulfilled

You haven't seen elephants Kings or Peru
There are still many worldly experiences you have not had

I'm happy to say I had better to do
I do not regret having missed out on those experiences

All walls are great If the roof doesn't fall
The quality of a structure is judged not just by its walls, but also by its ability to withstand outside forces

And the man you will marry The home you will share To be honest I really don't care [gibberish]
I am not interested in conforming to traditional life expectations like marriage and a home

I have seen water It's water, that's all
I have seen the wonders of nature, even if it is just a common element like water

My pulse was as high On my very first date
I vividly remember the intense emotions from my past experiences, like the excitement of a first date

To be honest I really don't care [gibberish]
I am not interested in small talk

I've seen the dark I've seen the brightness In one little spark
I have experienced the range of human emotion from deep sadness to immense joy all in one moment

I've seen what I chose And I've seen what I need And that is enough To want more would be greed
I am content with what I have and do not need to seek more for the sake of it

You've seen it all And all you have seen You can always review on Your own little screen
Even if you have experienced everything, you can always relive those memories through technology

Just keep in mind You need no more at all
Remember that you do not need anything else to feel satisfied

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: CHRISTOPHER VON DEYLEN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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