Who Is It
Bjork Lyrics


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His embrace a fortress
It fuels me and places
A skeleton of trust
Right beneath us
Bone by bone
Stone by stone

If you ask yourself
Patiently and carefully
Who is it, who is it

Who is it
That never lets you down
Who is it
That gave you back your crown
And the ornaments are
They're goin' around
Now they're handin' it over
They're handin' it over, handin' it over

Who is it
That never lets you down
Who is it
That gave you back your crown
And the ornaments are
They're goin' around
Now they're handin' it over
Handin' it over

He demands a closeness
We all have earned a lightness
Carry my joy on the left
Carry my pain on my right

If you ask yourself now
Patiently and carefully
Who is it

Who is it
That never lets you down
Who is it
That gave you back your crown
The ornaments are
They're goin' around
And they're handin' it over
Handin' it over, handin'

Who is it
That never lets you down
Who is it
That gave you back your crown
The ornaments are
They're goin' around




And they're handin' it over
Handin' it over

Overall Meaning

The song "Who Is It" by Björk revolves around the theme of trust in a relationship. In the beginning of the song, the lyrics describe the feeling of safety and security that one gets from being in the arms of a loved one, comparing it to a fortress. The next few lines compare trust to a skeleton, reinforcing the importance of trust as the foundation of a relationship. The imagery of bone by bone and stone by stone emphasizes the strength and durability of trust, and the idea that it is a slow and steady process to build.


The chorus of the song asks the listener to reflect on who it is that they can rely on completely, who never lets them down and who restored their sense of self-worth (symbolized by the crown). The concept of "ornaments" passing around suggests a sense of community or shared responsibility for supporting someone, and the repetition of "handing it over" reinforces this idea.


Later in the song, the lyrics describe the balance needed in a healthy relationship - the need for both joy and pain, and how a partner should be able to support and carry both of these emotions. The ending repeats the chorus with the added line of "they're handin' it over, handin' it over, handin' it over," suggesting a sense of trust and responsibility that echoes throughout the community.


Overall, the song "Who Is It" is a beautiful meditation on the importance of trust, reliance and community.


Line by Line Meaning

His embrace a fortress
His love and support make me feel safe and protected


It fuels me and places
His love and support energize and ground me


A skeleton of trust
A strong foundation of trust that we have built together


Right beneath us
The foundation of trust is always present, right below the surface


Bone by bone
Trust has been built up over time, piece by piece


Stone by stone
The foundation of trust has been built up gradually, slowly and surely


If you ask yourself
If you take the time to reflect and introspect


Patiently and carefully
With patience and care


Who is it, who is it
Who is the person who always comes through for you?


Who is it That never lets you down
Who is the person you can always count on, who never disappoints?


Who is it That gave you back your crown
Who is the person who restored your confidence and self-esteem?


And the ornaments are They're goin' around Now they're handin' it over Handin' it over, handin' it over
The people around you are passing on love, support, and positive energy from one person to the next


He demands a closeness
He wants to be emotionally close and connected


We all have earned a lightness
We all deserve to feel light and free of burdens


Carry my joy on the left Carry my pain on my right
Let's share each other's joy and pain, and support each other in both




Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Bjork Gudmundsdottir

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@ebrahimsari1421

His embrace, a fortress
It fuels me and places
A skeleton of trust
Right beneath us
Bone by bone
Stone by stone

[Pre-Chorus]
If you ask yourself patiently and carefully:
Who is it? Who is it?

[Chorus]
Who is it that never lets you down?
Who is it that gave you back your crown?
And the ornaments are, they're going around
Now they're handing it over
They're handing it over, handing it over
Who is it that never lets you down?
Who is it that gave you back your crown?
And the ornaments are, they're going around
Now they're handing it over
Handing it over

[Post-Chorus]
Handing it over...


[Verse 2]
He demands a closeness
We all have earned a lightness
Carry my joy on the left
Carry my pain on the right

[Pre-Chorus 2]
If you ask yourself now, patiently and carefully:
Who is it?

[Chorus]
Who is it that never lets you down?
Who is it that gave you back your crown?
And the ornaments are, they're going around
And they're handing it over
Handing it over, handing
Who is it that never lets you down?
Who is it that gave you back your crown?
And the ornaments are, they're going around
Now I'm handing it over
Handing it over

[Post-Chorus]
Handing it over...



All comments from YouTube:

@soleywolfgangsdottir

one of the best songs on earth. beatboxing, bells and she and her voice. she is still and will always be my queen.

@gianandreamajone8238

Always my Empress, down here in Italy, faithful province of Iceland...

@Hunter-uz9jw

the beatboxing rocks lmao

@ScionLo

Hail to the Queen of the North.

@toddstoptens1384

Most other artists: “Look at me, I’m so weird!”
Björk: “Hold my bells.”

@n0ts0B9

Absolutely. Lady Gaga will never ever outshine Bjork.

@alistaircooke7000

Right lol? She's been singing since a young age. Perfectionism at least.

@desertbutt

Hold my flute.

@ilislol

hold my balls

@olympicpenguin

I never know why but the line - carry my joy on the left and carry my pain on the right always resonated with me.

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