Her father is Italian and her mother Icelandic. Emilíana grew up in Kópavogur where, at the age of 7, she joined a choir as a soprano. She continued with the choir until she went to opera school at the age of 15. Later she worked as waitress at her father's restaurant. In 1994, Emilíana became well-known at the age of 17 after winning the song competition for junior college students (Icelandic: Söngkeppni framhaldsskólanna), singing "I Will Survive".
Prior to her appearance on the worldwide stage, she released 3 other albums in Iceland: Spoon in 1994, Crouçie D'où Là in 1995, and Merman in 1996. Emilíana also worked with trip-hop group Gus Gus on their debut Polydistortion (1997) on two songs: Is Jesus Your Pal? and Why?.
Later Torrini continues to collaborate with other artists, notably composing Kylie Minogue's international #1 track Slow with Dan Carey in 2003, and providing the voice for Gollum's Song, the closing theme for the film "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers". Also in 2002, she sang vocals on Paul Oakenfold's song Hold Your Hand taken from his Bunkka album.
In 2003 she collaborated with Thievery Corporation on two songs Heaven's Gonna Burn Your Eyes and Until the Morning from The Richest Man in Babylon (2005), and Slovo's debut album, Nommo.
Emilíana Torrini released her international debut album, Love In The Time Of Science in November 1999. This trip-hop album was produced by Roland Orzabal of Tears for Fears. Four singles were issued: Dead Things, Baby Blue, To Be Free, and Unemployed in Summertime.
Working with Dan Carey, her second major album release released in 2005, Fisherman's Woman, signified a departure from her earlier electronic roots to an acoustic-folk sound; applying the ethereal beauty of her voice in a much more intimate setting, reminiscent of the work of Nick Drake and fellow Icelanders múm. The singles Lifesaver, Sunnyroad, and Heartstopper supported the album.
Her third album, Me and Armini was released on 8 September 2008, to generally good reviews. The album was promoted by three singles: Me and Armini, Big Jumps, and Jungle Drum. The single Jungle Drum became Emilíana's most successful song, reaching #1 in Iceland, Austria, Belgium, Germany, #5 on Finland, and #11 in Switzerland.
Her fourth international studio album, Tookah was released in 2013.
http://www.emilianatorrini.com/
Torrini has lately worked with Canada's Kid Koala, providing vocals on the ambient album Music To Draw To: Satellite, released in January 2017.
The album is described as "...his first non sample-based album, with all the instruments and effects being manipulated by him and him alone) and lyricist (a collaboration with Icelandic vocalist Emilíana Torrini, who somehow makes this sometimes stark, often celestial-sounding record even more chilling with her captivating performances on tracks like "Collapser" and "Adrift") — is able to transport listeners to the depths of space, or wherever their imagination wills them, with ease."
http://exclaim.ca/music/article/kid_koala-music_to_draw_to_satellite
Flirt
Emilíana Torrini Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Do your flirting in my other ear
A vague little clue as to how you feel
But where will you be when the lights go out?
(Digging up bones that reveal what you're all about!)
Of black hair and butterfly milk
Ingredients of your gift
Did you know that angels go to war
And that it's you that they're killing for?
So where will you be when the lights go out?
(Banging my drums with your bones as you scream and shout!)
Before i touch you i would like to think
Of black hair and butterfly milk
Ingredients of your gift
The lyrics of Emilíana Torrini's Flirt are cryptic, but they offer some insight into the theme of the song. The opening lines suggest the singer is listening to their lover's flirting attempts in their other ear. The second line hints at the vagueness of these attempts, and Torrini's lingering phrase "how you feel" accentuates the ambiguity. The third line, "but where will you be when the lights go out?" implies loss, leaving us wondering whether the lights going out means the end of the relationship, or the end of our lives.
The subsequent line, "digging up bones that reveal what you're all about," creates a macabre image, suggesting the uncovering of someone's darkest secrets. The lines that follow shift the narrative, with Torrini hinting at a desire to touch the person, but only after thinking about black hair and butterfly milk. These ingredients of a gift act as a metaphor for what the person represents.
The following lines are the most intriguing, with Torrini mentioning angels going to war and killing for someone, but it's unclear who. The final line repeats the previous question about where the person will be when the lights go out, but now, Torrini is banging on drums with their lover's bones as they scream and shout.
Overall, the lyrics of Flirt are shrouded in ambiguity and leave the listener guessing the meaning of the subject matter. Perhaps, it's about the fear of being left alone in the dark, and the unsettling vulnerability that comes with intimacy.
Line by Line Meaning
Do your flirting in my other ear
Give me a better hint on how you feel, or stop flirting with me altogether
A vague little clue as to how you feel
You're not being clear about your intentions or emotions towards me
But where will you be when the lights go out?
I need to know if you'll be there for me in the dark times, or if you'll disappear
Before i touch you i would like to think
I want to mentally prepare myself before getting too intimate with you
Of black hair and butterfly milk
Thinking of the unique, special qualities of you and your essence
Ingredients of your gift
Referring to the aspects of you that make you a distinct individual
Did you know that angels go to war
There's a battle or struggle happening, even among those who seem pure and good
And that it's you that they're killing for?
You may unintentionally be causing harm or pain to others in this conflict
Banging my drums with your bones as you scream and shout!
You're causing destruction and chaos, with me caught in the middle and trying to hold onto what I can
Contributed by Elijah N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@meosu2214
Do your flirting in my other ear
A vague little clue as to how you feel
But where will you be when the lights go out?
(Digging up bones that reveal what you're all about)
Before I touch you I would like to think
Of black hair and butterfly milk
Ingredients of your gift
Did you know that angels go to war
And that it's you that they're killin' for?
So where will you be when the lights go out?
(Banging my drums with your bones as you scream and shout)
Before I touch you I would like to think
Of black hair and butterfly milk
Ingredients of your gift
@Spinfish69
beautiful haunting song. i love it
@Umeavisby1
Très belle musique. Emiliana...