Born and raised in Reykjavík, Björk began her music career at the age of 11 and gained international recognition as the lead singer of the alternative rock band the Sugarcubes, by the age of 21. After the Sugarcubes disbanded in 1992, Björk began a solo career. She came to prominence with albums such as Debut (1993), Post (1995), and Homogenic (1997), collaborating with a range of artists and exploring a variety of multimedia projects. Her other albums include Vespertine (2001), Medúlla (2004), Volta (2007), Biophilia (2011), Vulnicura (2015), Utopia (2017) and Fossora (2022).
Several of Björk's albums have reached the top 20 on the US Billboard 200 chart. As of 2015, she had sold more than 20 million records worldwide. Thirty-one of her singles have reached the top 40 on pop charts around the world, with 22 top-40 hits in the UK, including the top-10 singles "It's Oh So Quiet", "Army of Me", and "Hyperballad" and the top-20 singles "Play Dead", "Big Time Sensuality", and "Violently Happy". Her accolades and awards include the Order of the Falcon, five BRIT Awards, and 16 Grammy nominations. In 2015, Time named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Rolling Stone named her the 60th greatest singer and the 81st greatest songwriter.
Björk starred in the 2000 Lars von Trier film Dancer in the Dark, for which she won the Best Actress Award at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival, and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song for "I've Seen It All". Biophilia was marketed as an interactive app album with its own education program. Björk has also been an advocate for environmental causes in Iceland. A retrospective exhibition dedicated to Björk was held at the New York Museum of Modern Art in 2015.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Björk
Studio albums
Debut (1993)
Post (1995)
Homogenic (1997)
Vespertine (2001)
Medúlla (2004)
Volta (2007)
Biophilia (2011)
Vulnicura (2015)
Utopia (2017)
Fossora (2022)
Litli Tonlistarmadurinn
Björk Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mamma - йg vil koma til thнn
У mamma - gaman vжri ad vera stуare
Tha vildi йg stjуrna bжdi hljуmsveit og kуare
Mamma - thъ ert elskuleg, mamma mнn
Mйare finnst, gott ad koma til thнn
У en mamma бdan dreymdi mig draum um thig
Thъ varst drottning н hбrri hцll
Hljуmsveitin бlfar, menn, og trцll
Lйk thйare og sцng н senn
Thъ varst svo stуrfengleg
Trцllin thau bцrdu б bumburnar
Blуmбlfar lйku б flauturnar
Fidlurnar mennskir menn
A mendуlнn йg
Mamma.
Allir mжndum vid upp til thнn
Eins og blуm thegar sуlin skнn
Er thнnum fadmi frб
Gjafir flugu um allt
Flestum gekk vel ad gripa sitt
Gladur nбdi йg fljуtt н mitt
En stуll er steig йg б
Stуd tжpt svo hann valt
У mamma- thъ ert elskuleg mamma mнn
Mйare finnst gott ad koma til thнn
У mamma - gaman vжri ad vera stуare
Thб vildi йg stjуrna bжdi hljуmsveit og kуare
The song "Litli Tonlistarmadurinn" by Bjork is a beautiful tribute to the singer's mother. The lyrics are all about how much Bjork loves and admires her mother, and how she wishes she could be near her. The song begins with Bjork asking her mother if she is awake, and expressing her desire to see her. She talks about how much fun it would be to be near her mother, and how she would like to direct a band and choir at the same time.
Bjork goes on to describe her mother as the queen of a higher castle, with an orchestra, men, and trolls at her feet. She sings about the beauty of her mother's music, and how she finds comfort in it. The chorus repeats her longing to be with her mother, and how much she loves her.
Overall, "Litli Tonlistarmadurinn" is a touching tribute to Bjork's mother. It's a reminder of the important role mothers play in our lives, and how much we rely on them for support and love.
Line by Line Meaning
Mamma - ertu vakandi mamma mнn?
Mama - are you awake, my mother?
Mamma - йg vil koma til thнn
Mother - I want to come to you
У mamma - gaman vжri ad vera stуare
Oh mother - it would be fun to be a chair
Tha vildi йg stjуrna bжdi hljуmsveit og kуare
Then I would like to control both the band and the choir
Mamma - thъ ert elskuleg, mamma mнn
Mama - you are lovely, my mother
Mйare finnst, gott ad koma til thнn
I find it good to come to you
У en mamma бdan dreymdi mig draum um thig
But mom, I dreamt about you once
En datt thб framъare, og thad trufladi mig
And it appeared violently, and that disturbed me
Thъ varst drottning н hбrri hцll
You were a queen in a high castle
Hljуmsveitin бlfar, menn, og trцll
The band of elves, men, and trolls
Lйk thйare og sцng н senn
Played there and sang at once
Thъ varst svo stуrfengleg
You were so magnificent
Trцllin thau bцrdu б bumburnar
They carried trolls on drums
Blуmбlfar lйku б flauturnar
Flower elves played the flutes
Fidlurnar mennskir menn
Humans played the violins
A mendуlнn йg
In my mind
Mamma.
Mama.
Allir mжndum vid upp til thнn
All men climbed up to you
Eins og blуm thegar sуlin skнn
Just like flowers when the sun shines
Er thнnum fadmi frб
When in your embrace
Gjafir flugu um allt
Gifts flew all around
Flestum gekk vel ad gripa sitt
Most people did well in grabbing what they wanted
Gladur nбdi йg fljуtt н mitt
Happily, I quickly found mine
En stуll er steig йg б
But a stool, I stepped on
Stуd tжpt svo hann valt
It stood tightly, so it chose
У mamma- thъ ert elskuleg mamma mнn
Mama - you are lovely, my mother
Mйare finnst gott ad koma til thнn
I find it good to come to you
У mamma - gaman vжri ad vera stуare
Oh mother - it would be fun to be a chair
Thб vildi йg stjуrna bжdi hljуmsveit og kуare
Then I would like to control both the band and the choir
Contributed by Mason F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@noahcarver6072
Great song from a great album. Powerful vocal melody and killer solo.