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)
Sonnets/Unrealities XI
Björk Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I say and if your lips
Which I have loved should touch another's
And your dear strong fingers clutch her heart
As mine in time not far away
If on another's face your sweet hair lay
In such a silence as I know
Stand helplessly before the spirit at bay
If this should be, I say
If this should be you of my heart
Send me a little word
That I may go unto her
And take her hands saying
Accept all happiness from me
Then I shall turn my face
And hear one bird sing terribly
Afar in the lost lands
In Björk's song "Sonnets/Unrealities XI," she speaks of a love that is on the verge of ending. She begins by acknowledging that things may not always be the same between the two people in love. She continues by imagining a scenario where her lover's lips touch another's and their fingers clutch the heart of someone new. Even if this happens, she says, it won't be long before she herself is in the same position, with another lover. Then the song takes a melancholic turn as Björk wonders how she will feel if another woman is in her place, lying next to her lover and hearing his sweet words. She wonders whether she'll still be able to acknowledge these words and remain silent, or whether they will break her spirit. If this happens, she pleads with her lover to let her know, so she can go to the new woman and give her a message of happiness and acceptance.
The song concludes with Björk listening to a bird singing in the distance. The bird's terrible cry represents the lost land of love that she has left behind.
Overall, the song's message is one of acceptance and resignation. Björk knows that love is not always forever and that people move on, but she still wants to be able to offer happiness to her old flame's new love.
Line by Line Meaning
It may not always be so
Perhaps things will change.
And I say and if your lips
And if your lips,
Which I have loved should touch another's
Which I loved, should touch hers.
And your dear strong fingers clutch her heart
And your fingers grasp her heart firmly.
As mine in time not far away
As mine will soon enough.
If on another's face your sweet hair lay
If your hair lies on someone else's face.
In such a silence as I know
In the quiet that I'm accustomed to.
Or such great rising words, as uttering overmuch
Or if you're speaking passionately and excessively.
Stand helplessly before the spirit at bay
And you feel apprehensive or helpless.
If this should be, I say
If this happens, I say,
If this should be you of my heart
If it's you who captured my heart.
Send me a little word
Send me a small message.
That I may go unto her
So I can go to her.
And take her hands saying
And I'll take her hands and say,
Accept all happiness from me
Take all the happiness I offer.
Then I shall turn my face
Then I'll turn and leave.
And hear one bird sing terribly
And I'll hear a bird singing sorrowfully.
Afar in the lost lands
In the distant, unknown lands.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: E. E. CUMMINGS, BJORK GUDMUNDSDOTTIR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@nogaharel9604
Ever since I hear that song for the first time, many years ago, I felt the words are utterly beautiful, and touching...To be able to let go of our emotional attachment, and to wish nothing but happiness to our lover’s new love, is to reach a higher spiritual level...it is a real nobelness of the soul...
@xris9593
"accept all happiness from me" ... alone... totally alone... heart-breakingly beautiful ...
@yanisp.4892
i don't know why but this makes me feel emotional.
@saloanime
great poem, great song
@JorgeAriasPavez
Wena compadre! Se ganó 3 + con este posteo jajajajajajajajajajaj
@saloanime
tienes tres cuentas distintas ajajaj XD
@sheisinmars4791
It healed me
@SrJass
Tengo un pleno sentimiento de amor/odio por el final de la canción. Que hermosa que es.
@musicsavage
A 2 minutes only masterpiece.
@gatheringleaves
Beautiful, Passionate