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.

Beautiful Mother
Dirty Projectors + Björk Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Beautiful mother up ahead of us
Can you see us play inside the waves
Beautiful moment on the ridge at dusk
Can you see us play among the waves

We are swimming in a simple rhythm
We are swimming in a rhythm as the same voice
We are listening into how to sing a simple rhythm

Listen to a new song

Overall Meaning

The song "Beautiful Mother" by Dirty Projectors and Björk is a beautiful and reflective track that explores the themes of nature, family, and community. The opening lines, "Beautiful mother up ahead of us, can you see us play inside the waves," set the tone for the song, which is a tribute to the beauty of the natural world and the bonds we share with our loved ones.

As the song progresses, the lyrics suggest that we are all connected in some way, and the simple act of swimming in the ocean together can create a sense of unity and harmony. The lines "We are swimming in a simple rhythm, we are swimming in a rhythm as the same voice," suggest that even though we are all individuals, we are also part of something larger and more important than ourselves.

The final line of the song, "Listen to a new song," is a call to action for listeners to pay attention to the world around them and to embrace new experiences and perspectives. Overall, "Beautiful Mother" is a haunting and powerful meditation on the beauty and fragility of life, and the importance of staying connected to the people and places that matter most to us.

Line by Line Meaning

Beautiful mother up ahead of us
Omniscient figure, can you perceive our presence and actions from afar?

Can you see us play inside the waves
Are you aware of our joyful immersion in the ocean's movements?

Beautiful moment on the ridge at dusk
Sublime experience, the intersection of time and place, when the sun's light fades away

Can you see us play among the waves
Still observing and asking if the beautiful mother can witness our playful dance in the waves

We are swimming in a simple rhythm
Our movements are in sync in a straightforward, uncomplicated beat

We are swimming in a rhythm as the same voice
Our unified actions sound like one harmonious, singular entity

We are listening into how to sing a simple rhythm
We're paying attention to how to replicate this simple rhythm to make it our own

Listen to a new song
Take heed of this fresh, innovative tune

Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS

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