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)
Nature Is Ancient
Björk Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With a shell around it
It's called life
It goes wherever it wants to
Don't try to predict it
Then you'd offend it
It's meant to surprise
Chorus:
Nature is ancient
But surprises us all
(2x)
Rescue me
From level-headedness
An unnecessary luxury of being calm
[Chorus 2x]
She's got dark hairs on her head
And blood on her arms
She sneaks up from behind
Come on - you deserve it!
[Chorus 4x]
Nature is ancient
So ancient
Nature is ancient
Ancient
The first verse of Björk's song "Nature is Ancient" describes life as a bright energy that is enclosed within a shell, giving the sense of something bursting with vitality and protected by a tough exterior. The line "It goes wherever it wants to" represents life's unstoppable force and how it moves unpredictably, making it futile to predict its course. To attempt to do so, in fact, would be an offense to life because it is meant to surprise us. It exemplifies a perspective where life is an autonomous entity that has its own will and intelligence. The chorus emphasizes the idea of how nature itself is ancient, having stood the test of time and always surprising us, no matter how much we think we know about it. The metaphor of life being something that cannot be controlled is poignant and profound, representing the inherent complexity and mystery of existence that cannot be explained or fully comprehended.
The second verse describes how being too level-headed and calm can be luxury, indicating that these traits are not always beneficial. Nature is a force that disrupts calmness and tranquility, and being in such an environment can be grounding and life-affirming. The final lines of the verse describe a powerful figure, likely a goddess or mythological entity, with dark hair and blood on her arms. The violent imagery contrasts with the serenity of the previous lines, accentuating the unpredictable and uncontrollable nature of life's energy.
Line by Line Meaning
It's bright in the middle
Life is a source of light and energy, full of opportunity and potential.
With a shell around it
Despite life's potential, it is still fragile and must be protected from harm.
It's called life
This is the essence of existence, and its wonder should be embraced.
It goes wherever it wants to
Life is unpredictable, and attempting to control it goes against its very nature.
Don't try to predict it
To try to understand life is to risk reducing its beauty and power.
Then you'd offend it
To attempt to grasp the entirety of life is to risk offending the very force that brings it into being.
It's meant to surprise
Life is full of wonder and mystery, and surprises are an integral part of its essence.
Rescue me
I am in need of assistance, guidance, or aid.
From level-headedness
Being calm, rational, and in control goes against the nature of life and its unpredictability.
An unnecessary luxury of being calm
Attempting to control life or predict its outcomes is a waste of time and energy, and instead we should embrace its surprises.
She's got dark hairs on her head
The natural world is full of diversity, and we should celebrate and accept these differences.
And blood on her arms
Despite its beauty, the natural world is also harsh and brutal at times, and this must be acknowledged and respected.
She sneaks up from behind
The natural world is full of surprises and can strike at any moment.
Come on - you deserve it!
We should embrace the unpredictability and wonder of life, even if it is harsh or painful at times.
Chorus
The natural world is ancient, unpredictable, beautiful, and surprising. We should embrace its wonder and diversity.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: BJORK GUDMUNDSDOTTIR, MARK THOMAS BELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
steven
It's bright in the middle
With a shell around it
It's called life
It goes wherever it wants to
Don't try to predict it
Then you'd offend it
It's meant to surprise
Nature is ancient, but surprises us all
Nature is ancient, but surprises us all, all, all
Rescue me
From level-headedness
An unnecessary luxury of being calm
Nature is ancient, but surprises us all
Nature is ancient, but surprises us all
She's got dark hairs on her head
And blood on her arms
She sneaks up from behind
Come on - you deserve it!
Nature is ancient, but surprises us all
Nature is ancient, but surprises us all
Nature is ancient, but surprises us all
Nature is ancient, but surprises us all
Nature is ancient
So ancient
Nature is ancient
Ancient
D Snelson Alexander Rex
This album still sounds like it’s from the future. Björk is my favorite visionary.
Matthew Nienkirchen
She is from the future, but she has to use our machines to make the music. Seems frustrating.
Laimont Lynch
Way ahead of Her Time....
steven
It's bright in the middle
With a shell around it
It's called life
It goes wherever it wants to
Don't try to predict it
Then you'd offend it
It's meant to surprise
Nature is ancient, but surprises us all
Nature is ancient, but surprises us all, all, all
Rescue me
From level-headedness
An unnecessary luxury of being calm
Nature is ancient, but surprises us all
Nature is ancient, but surprises us all
She's got dark hairs on her head
And blood on her arms
She sneaks up from behind
Come on - you deserve it!
Nature is ancient, but surprises us all
Nature is ancient, but surprises us all
Nature is ancient, but surprises us all
Nature is ancient, but surprises us all
Nature is ancient
So ancient
Nature is ancient
Ancient
ꕥ
This song kind of reminds me to St. Vincent's self-titled album.
Circolombisque
Gotta say I get more of a Post feeling than Homogenic from this song
PURGE
This album was not released in 1997, Change my mind
Armando Osuna
@Weird Guy I'm not sure what gave you that impression about me, because I'm constantly asking people how they get exposed to new artists or new music. I've heard Spotify is a popular Avenue but I mostly depend on YouTube, even tho I think it's function to find new talent can be elusive.
Weird Guy
@Armando Osuna there's still good music out there. seems like you're just refusing to look in the right places
Ned I.
This album could be released tomorrow and it would still sound very much ahead of its time. At least by 30/40 years