Virus
Bjork Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As soft tissue feeds on blood
Some day I'll find you, the urge is here
Like a mushroom on a tree trunk
As the protein transmutates
I knock on your skin, and I am in
I adapt, contagious
You open up, say welcome
Like a flame that seeks explosives
As gunpowder needs a war
I feast inside you, my host is you
The perfect match, you and I
You fail to resist
My crystalline charm
Like a virus, patient hunter
I'm waiting for you, I'm starving for you
My sweet adversary
My sweet adversary
My sweet adversary
The opening lyrics of Björk's song Virus use the metaphor of a virus to describe the overwhelming, desperate craving one can have for another person. The comparison between the biological mechanisms of a virus and this emotional urge is striking - just as a virus requires a host body to survive and grow, so too does the singer of the song seek out and cling to the person to whom they are drawn. This dynamic is further supported in the second stanza, where the singer describes themselves as a "mushroom on a tree trunk" - a fungal parasite that feeds off the tree's nutrients. The tone of the song is not overtly aggressive or threatening, but rather expresses a strange sort of longing that is almost obsessive in nature.
The bridge of the song introduces a new metaphor - that of a flame seeking explosives - which invokes the idea of an impending explosion of passion or violence. However, the singer does not seem to actively seek destruction, but rather delights in the connection they have established with their host. The final stanza reiterates the idea that the singer is waiting patiently for their host to succumb to their charms, positioning them as a predator who is irresistibly drawn to their prey.
Overall, Virus is a song that presents a unique and unsettling perspective on the nature of desire and obsession. Its juxtaposition of romantic and biological imagery is both poetic and disturbing, effectively conveying the intoxicating power of infatuation.
Line by Line Meaning
Like a virus needs a body
A metaphorical reference to how an infectious agent needs a host to sustain its existence.
As soft tissue feeds on blood
Illustrating the importance of the relationship between the host and the pathogen in terms of feeding, nourishment and growth.
Some day I'll find you, the urge is here
A reference to the urgency of infecting the potential host by the virus or pathogen.
Like a mushroom on a tree trunk
Comparing the symbiotic relationship between the tree and the mushroom with that of the host and the pathogen that could be a perfect match.
As the protein transmutates
A reference to the way in which the host's body would change as a result of infection, by modifying the proteins to better suit the pathogen.
I knock on your skin, and I am in
A metaphor for the pathogen's attempt to find a way into the host's body, after which it can replicate and cause harm.
The perfect match, you and me
A metaphor for how the pathogen is perfectly suited to the host, creating the best possible environment for growth and replication.
I adapt, contagious
A reference to the pathogen's ability to change and adapt to the environment that it's in to increase the chances of infecting the host and replicating.
You open up, say welcome
A metaphor for the way in which the body allows the pathogen to enter and multiply, unknowingly hosting the agent and allowing it to spread.
Like a flame that seeks explosives
A metaphor for the way in which the pathogen intensifies and spreads quickly once it gets into the host's body, replicating and spreading as quickly as possible.
As gunpowder needs a war
Illustrating how the pathogen needs a susceptible host to continue spreading and infecting, like gunpowder needs a war to ignite.
I feast inside you, my host is you
A metaphor for how the pathogen feeds on the host, using the body's resources to replicate and spread rapidly.
The perfect match, you and I
A metaphor for how the host and pathogen complement each other, making it easier for the pathogen to replicate and spread without the host becoming immune to the agent.
You fail to resist
A reference to how the host's immune system is often unable to fight off the pathogen, allowing it to replicate and spread throughout the body.
My crystalline charm
A reference to the way in which the pathogen or virus lures and attracts the host into being infected and replicating further, often taking advantage of the host's vulnerabilities.
Like a virus, patient hunter
Emphasizing the stealth and patience of the pathogen in finding a host and subsequently infecting it, making it easier to propagate and spread.
I'm waiting for you, I'm starving for you
A metaphor for how the pathogen waits for a suitable host to continue spreading and infecting, like being hungry for nourishment and waiting for the perfect meal.
My sweet adversary
A reference to the way in which the pathogen sees the host as an opponent to be conquered and overcome, yet at the same time, using the host's body to further its own propagation.
My sweet adversary
A reference to the way in which the pathogen sees the host as an opponent to be conquered and overcome, yet at the same time, using the host's body to further its own propagation.
My sweet adversary
A reference to the way in which the pathogen sees the host as an opponent to be conquered and overcome, yet at the same time, using the host's body to further its own propagation.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Bj�rk Gudmundsdottir, Sigurjon Sigurdsson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@m.l6456
[Verse 1]
Like a virus needs a body
As soft tissue feeds on blood
Some day I'll find you, the urge is here
Ooo-ooo-ooo-oooh
Ooo-ooo-ooo-oooh
[Verse 2]
Like a mushroom on a tree trunk
As the protein transmutates
I knock on your skin, and I am in
Ooo-ooo-ooo-oooh
Ooo-ooo-ooo-oooh
[Chorus 1]
The perfect match, you and me
I adapt, contagious
You open up, say welcome
[Verse 3]
Like a flame that seeks explosives
As gunpowder needs a war
I feast inside you, my host is you
Ooo-ooo-ooo-oooh
Ooo-ooo-ooo-oooh
[Chorus 2]
The perfect match, you and I
You fail to resist
My crystalline charm
[Verse 4]
Like a virus, patient hunter
I'm waiting for you, I'm starving for you
Ooo-ooo-ooo-oooh
Ooo-ooo-ooo-oooh
[Outro]
My sweet adversary, ooh
My sweet adversary, oh
My sweet adversary
Ooo-ooo-ooo-oooh
@BjorksMusic
Similar to the song, the music video edited from a Andrew Thomas Huang directed short film shows the grace and beauty of the human body and the second half of the video shows a surrealistic view of the wonder that happens inside the body.
Released as the third single, each song in the album features a theme related to nature. In "Virus", Björk explores "fatal relationships" such as the one between a virus and a cell, as Björk explained in an interview: "It's a kind of a love story between a virus and a cell. And of course the virus loves the cell so much that it destroys it." "Virus" features a gameleste (a hybrid between a celesta and a gamelan that can be controlled by midi and that was also used in "Crystalline", built exclusively for these songs) base that plays through the whole song. The gameleste represents the 'virus' that continues multiplying until it takes control at the end of the song. Also, Manu Delago plays hang drum. Since Björk wanted the album to break the typical 4/4 time signature, "Virus" has a time signature of 3/4.
The lyrics to "Virus" talk about "dangerous relationships", symbiotic relationships in which one organism is parasite for the other and takes a benefit, even changing the other's behavior. This fact is used as a metaphor between 'love' and 'parasiting'. Björk took inspiration from a McGraw-Hill educative video about mind-controlling parasites and from candidiasis, illness that she suffered:
"I'd been fighting this candida issue in my throat and I had to really change my diet and use different medication and it sort of seems to pop up and its kinda hilarious. It’s like I have this new neighbor that I have to sort of learn to live with. And obviously you know this fungus is inside all of us and it’s never about eliminating it. You have to kind of just live with it." -Björk
@BjorksMusic
This version of 'Virus' was recorded live at manchester international festival.
@YaaraC109
Your channel is magical...!!!
@YaaraC109
I do use Google+ so I'll be more than happy to add you to my circles, if you don't mind :D have a nice day as well!!
@mtmtmarcotuliomtmt
+BjorksMusic OMFG! I've just found this because "virus" is my nickname on every social media and OH MY GOD this is awesome! Thank you very much!!
@e.p.6502
+BjorksMusic Bjork is pure genius! I have been listening to her since the 90's and have always been so captivated and inspired by her amazing creativity. Thank you Bjork for sharing!
@damielsanderson2277
This is so depressing, it's like admitting that you feel like a parasite in a relationship 🥺
@atfernando1
Nice catching.
@yfirhimininn
Biophilia was a precursor to Vulnicura, I’m telling you
@leiram8833
I always felt it could mean that the mere presence or thought of a certain person can entirely sustain you and push you forward when you otherwise couldn't go on, even if the feeling doesn't necessarily go both ways.