Programming: Valgeir Sigurðsson, Marius De Vries and Ma… Read Full Bio ↴Written by Björk
Programming: Valgeir Sigurðsson, Marius De Vries and Matmos
Electric Harp: Zeena Parkins
About leaving the song out of the Vespertine album: "It's always difficult to gather together songs that make a complete whole when you're doing an album. I think in the end you don't always pick the best songs, but you pick songs that complete the jigsaw puzzle. It seemed to me that 'Verandi' was from another sound world than 'Vespertine."
Verandi
Björk Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hafandi eyravasanum
Hafandi augun skónum
Ástarbréf maganum
Vönd af kossum munninum
Kyrr!
Hafandi haf af girnd
Hafandi sjón sem asér *gar &er slökkt
Og gott bil milli fótanna
Kyrr!
The state of
Being
Having the ear in
The pocket
Having the eye
In the shoe
Loveletters in
The stomach
Bouquet of kisses
In the mouth
Calm down!
Having an ocean
Of desire
Having a hairy
Desire around the hips
Having eyes that can
See in the dark
And too much space
Between the legs
Calm down!
The song 'Verandi' by Björk is a reflection on the sensations and emotions of physical desire, captured in the imagery of different body parts. The first verse describes an all-consuming feeling, where the ears are in the pocket, the eyes in the shoe, love letters in the stomach, and kisses in the mouth. This imagery indicates that the desire pervades every inch of the body. The refrain 'kyrr' or 'calm down' insists upon the need to control this powerful feeling, to not let it become overwhelming.
The second verse delves further into the physical manifestation of desire, describing it as an ocean, and as a hairy feeling around the hips. This verse also speaks to the heightened sense of perception that often accompanies physical desire, describing the ability to see in the dark. The final line, 'and too much space between the legs' is a striking portrayal of the distance that can exist between two individuals in the moment of intense desire, emphasizing the powerful nature of the feeling.
Line by Line Meaning
Hafandi eyravasanum
The state of having one's ear in one's pocket
Hafandi augun skónum
The state of having one's eyes in one's shoes
Ástarbréf maganum
The state of love letters in the stomach
Vönd af kossum munninum
The state of a bouquet of kisses in the mouth
Kyrr!
Calm down!
Hafandi haf af girnd
The state of having an ocean of desire
Hafandi loðna löngun um mjaðmirnar
The state of having a hairy desire around the hips
Hafandi sjón sem asér *gar &er slökkt
The state of having eyes that can see in the dark
Og gott bil milli fótanna
And too much space between the legs
Kyrr!
Calm down!
Writer(s): Bjork Gudmundsdottir Copyright: Polygram Music Publishing Ltd. Gb
Contributed by Alexander M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
setheurovision94
Only Björk would make a song this awesome and not put it on her album because it doesn't fit. A stance both admirable and frustrating, 'cause this song deserves to be known more. I mean, just listen to 2:10 onwards! This could've been a single if she had wanted it to be.
fastestfirehawk2011
Yes! But, then that makes this, the ingenious, Verandi, one of Bjork's better treasures, her lilacs and songs, lullabies of the cosmos. Because you have to dig for it. . . .
Anaël Honings
Samples from... ??? I'd be interested to hear the original songs.
Please share the sources! :-)
Vlad Stoian
YES!
abram
this is easily one of her best song, it’s like if homogenic and vespertine had a baby !!
franco castro
That's!!
M W
This track is amazing but it wouldn't fit Vespertine at all. I don't know why but it makes me imagine a dangerous mayan moist jungle surrounded by snowy mountains. Such an intense imagery.
Rookie
I agree!!!
Circolombisque
Could have started as an idea during the Homogenic sessions and recorded later on
Namaste Pratt
This is the best track I ever listen to but it has a landscape imagination sound to it