In April 2009, Brandon Stosuy from Stereogum.com asked Dave Longstreth, fro… Read Full Bio ↴In April 2009, Brandon Stosuy from Stereogum.com asked Dave Longstreth, frontman of Dirty Projectors if they wanted to play a benefit concert at a bookstore in New York. They said yes. He asked Björk the same thing, and she said yes. Then he asked them if they wanted to collaborate, and they said yes. Björk asked Dave what they should do, and he said, “I don’t know, I guess I’d really love to write a bunch of new songs for us to sing together?” And she said yes.

That same month, Amber from Dirty Projectors was walking along a ridge on Mount Wittenberg, north of San Francisco. She was looking out at the ocean and saw a little family of whales, as you sometimes do in April on the Northern California coast. Dave wrote some songs about it and sent them to Björk, who agreed to sing the part of the mom whale. The songs became Mount Wittenberg Orca. Amber and Angel and Haley sang the part of the kid whales, and Dave sang the part of Amber.

Mount Wittenberg Orca was released on June 30. All the money that it generates goes to the project of creating international marine protected areas.

03 When the World Comes to an End
Dirty Projectors + Björk Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'm not sure I know
What I know is right and true
What I don't know I'm sure I feel
Right now with you

When the world comes to an end
I will have loved you
For a long time

For a long time

When I saw your slight smile
I wanted to know you
Until the day that I die
I am in love with you

When the world comes to an end
I will have loved you
For a long time
For a long time

When the world comes to an end
I will have loved you

For a long time
For a long time

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "When the World Comes to an End" by Dirty Projectors and Björk express the uncertainty of knowledge and the power of emotion. The opening lines, "I'm not sure I know / What I know is right and true / What I don't know I'm sure I feel / Right now with you," suggest that knowledge itself is elusive, but feelings are clear and present. The song focuses on the idea of loving someone until the end of the world, signifying that the love is strong and unconditional. The lyrics "When the world comes to an end / I will have loved you / For a long time / For a long time" repeat this idea, capturing the timeless quality of love.

The second stanza emphasizes the power of a smile and how it can connect two souls: "When I saw your slight smile / I wanted to know you / Until the day that I die / I am in love with you." The lyrics convey that love is not always logical and rational, that it can begin with a simple smile that instantly draws two people together. Furthermore, the lyrics signify the eternity of love, as the love does not end with the end of the world but continues till death.

In conclusion, "When the World Comes to an End" is a beautiful, emotional song that explores the power of love and its timeless nature.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm not sure I know
I am uncertain of my knowledge

What I know is right and true
I am confident in the accuracy of my knowledge

What I don't know I'm sure I feel
I trust my instincts even if I lack knowledge

Right now with you
I am currently present with you

When the world comes to an end
At the apocalypse

I will have loved you
I will have a deep affection for you

For a long time
Over an extended period

When I saw your slight smile
After witnessing your small grin

I wanted to know you
I desired to understand you

Until the day that I die
Up until my passing