"National Geographic offered to take a DNA swab and they sent me the results and I got really excited. I found out they my mother’s side is phoenician, and ancient civilization from present day Syria that actually became celtic and went to Ireland. Icelanders still today tell stories about when the vikings picked up irish women on the way to iceland… And then on my father’s side I’m from a really big-time common oceanic western european branch which is sort of portugal and west of France and Britain and Iceland… So I did this song after I found that about DNA. Before that I had always been kinda anti family trees because Iceland is obsessed with its ancestors —probably because we happen to have all the information on us in the sagas like 1200 years back."
Björk collaborated with biomedical animator Drew Berry for the music video, which explores the inside of the singer's body. Berry explained: "The 'Hollow' music video is a powers-of-10 exploration of the microscopic and molecular landscapes inside Björk's body. The animation was constructed from molecular models of DNA and proteins derived from various forms of scientific data such as x-ray crystallography." (Hollow Songfacts)
Hollow
Bjork Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hollow, I'm falling down the abyss
Hollow, looking for some answers
Generations of mothers sailing in
Somehow they all were ship folks
Hollow, the ground is opening up
Swallows me up, the trunk of DNA
Come forth, all species
Hollow like a bead in necklace
Thread me upon this chain
I'm part of it, oh
The everlasting necklace
Jewels after jewels after jewels after
Jewels after jewels after jewels
I yearn to belong
Let me belong
Let me belong
Björk's song "Hollow," from her ninth studio album Utopia, tackles the theme of ancestry and belonging. The lyrics, "Hollow, my ancestors have access / Hollow, I'm falling down the abyss / Hollow, looking for some answers," suggest that the artist is on a journey to discover more about her lineage and her place in the world. The line "Generations of mothers sailing in / Somehow they all were ship folks" could be interpreted as a nod to her Icelandic heritage and the importance of the sea to her ancestry.
The chorus, "Hollow like a bead in necklace / Thread me upon this chain / I'm part of it, oh / The everlasting necklace," speaks to the desire to feel a sense of inclusion and connectedness to the past and the future. The metaphor of a necklace is a powerful one, as it represents a lineage of connections and the idea that each person is a link in a chain that stretches back through time. Björk acknowledges that she is a part of this chain and that she longs to belong.
Line by Line Meaning
Hollow, my ancestors have access
I feel emptiness within me, but I'm aware of my connection to my ancestors and their knowledge.
Hollow, I'm falling down the abyss
I'm feeling lost, as if I'm falling into a deep chasm with no way out.
Hollow, looking for some answers
I'm searching for meaning, for guidance, for anything that can help me navigate through this moment of despair.
Generations of mothers sailing in
I'm aware of the strong lineage of women that came before me, who faced their own challenges and struggles with resilience and strength.
Somehow they all were ship folks
Despite the hardships they faced, my female ancestors were like sailors, navigating through life's storms with determination and moxy.
Hollow, the ground is opening up
I'm feeling like the earth beneath me is shaking and threatening to swallow me whole.
Swallows me up, the trunk of DNA
My very being, my DNA, feels overwhelming and consuming as I try to understand my place in my family's lineage and the world at large.
Come forth, all species
I'm calling out for all living beings to emerge from their hiding places and be seen, to remind me that I'm not alone.
Hollow like a bead in necklace
I feel empty and insignificant, like a small bead that's part of a greater whole, yet easily overlooked.
Thread me upon this chain
I want to be included as part of a connected chain of existence, to have my place among all living things.
I'm part of it, oh
I'm not an outsider, but an integral part of the interconnected web of life.
The everlasting necklace
This chain of existence transcends time, with past and future generations connected to the present by the links we create.
Jewels after jewels after jewels after
Each generation adds its own legacy and beauty to the greater chain of existence.
Jewels after jewels after jewels
The lineage of life is invaluable and precious, with each member adding more depth and meaning to its history.
I yearn to belong
I crave a sense of belonging, of being part of something greater than myself.
Let me belong
I hope that my search for connection and meaning will lead me to eventually feel like I truly belong among all beings.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Bjork Gudmundsdottir
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind