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)
Violently Happy
Björk Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This small town hasn't got room
For my big feelings
Violently happy
Cause I love you
Violently happy
Violently happy
Come calm me down
Before I get into trouble
I tip-toe down to the shore
Stand by the ocean
Make it roar at me
And I roar back
Violently happy
Cause I love you
Violently happy
But you're not here
Violently happy
Overemotional
Violently happy
I'll get into trouble
Real soon
If you don't get here
Baby
Violently happy
Cause I love you
Violently happy
I'm aiming too high
Violently happy
It will get me into trouble
Violently happy
I'm driving my car
Too fast
With ecstatic music on
Violently happy
I'm getting too drunk
Violently happy
I'm daring people
To jump off roofs with me
Only you
Can clam me down
I'm aiming too high
Soothe me
Björk's song Violently Happy is a love song that poignantly speaks about the intensity of love and how this can color one's emotions in vibrant hues. The lyrics reveal a love-stricken protagonist whose big feelings cannot be contained within the small city where she lives, so she heads out to the beach and shouts back at the ocean's roar. She is aimless and going too fast, with ecstatic music on, and sometimes dares people to jump off roofs with her. She knows that she is daring fate and will get into trouble real soon if her loved one doesn't make it to her side. Only the presence of her loved one can calm her down.
The phrase "violently happy" is an oxymoron, but it uniquely conveys the intensity and profound passion that can be felt when in love. The song's lyrics speak of the singer's uncontainable love and how it affects every aspect of her life, even to the point of doing daring things just for the sake of excitement. The chorus, "Violently happy because I love you," echoes this idea, suggesting that the singer's intense feeling of happiness is a direct result of the love she feels.
The line "Only you can calm me down" shows the vulnerability in the singer's character, which contrasts with her daring and adventurous side. The song highlights how love can take one to the heights of happiness but can also lead to trouble and emotional turmoil.
* The song was released in 1994 as the fifth single from Björk's jazz fusion album "Debut."
* It became a cult classic and was considered one of her most commercially successful songs.
* The song's music video, directed by Jean-Baptiste Mondino, features Björk alongside a group of naked dancers, writhing and dancing in a forest while covered in body paint.
* The song was used in the 1995 film "Tank Girl."
* It was also included in the soundtrack of the 2014 film "The Fault in Our Stars."
* The song was used in the 2008 video game "Saints Row 2."
* Björk has performed the song in various live concerts, including a memorable performance at the Roskilde Festival in 1996.
* The song has been remixed by various DJs and producers.
* The music video won Best International Video at the 1994 MuchMusic Video Awards.
* The song is known for its distinctive sample of the horn riff from the Red Hot Chili Peppers' song "The Power of Equality."
Chords (as played in the album version):
Verse: Bb , Eb , F , Bb
Chorus: F , Bb , Eb , F
Line by Line Meaning
Since I met you
Ever since I met you
This small town hasn't got room
In this small town, there isn't enough space
For my big feelings
To contain my intense emotions
Violently happy
Extremely joyful
Cause I love you
Because I am in love with you
But you're not here
However, you are not present
Come calm me down
Come and help me relax
Before I get into trouble
Before I do something reckless
I tip-toe down to the shore
I walk quietly towards the beach
Stand by the ocean
Stand by the sea
Make it roar at me
Listen to the sound of the waves crashing
And I roar back
I yell in response
Overemotional
Experiencing intense emotions
I'll get into trouble
I will do something dangerous
Real soon
Very soon
If you don't get here
Unless you come over
Baby
A term of endearment for the person she loves
I'm aiming too high
I have unrealistic expectations
It will get me into trouble
It will cause me harm
I'm driving my car
I am operating my vehicle
Too fast
At a dangerously high speed
With ecstatic music on
Listening to music that makes me feel euphoric
I'm getting too drunk
I am consuming too much alcohol
I'm daring people
I am challenging others
To jump off roofs with me
To participate in a reckless activity with me
Only you
No one else
Can calm me down
Is able to help me relax
Soothe me
Comfort me
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Bjork Gudmundsdottir, Nellee Hooper
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind