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
I Hope That I Don't Fall in Love With You
Emilíana Torrini Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'Cause falling in love just makes me blue
When the music plays and you display your heart for me to see
I had a beer and now I hear you calling out for me
And I hope that I don't fall in love with you
Well, the room is crowded, people everywhere
And I wonder should I offer you a chair
Before the evening's gone away, I think that we can make it
And I hope that I don't fall in love with you
Well, the night does funny things inside a man
These old tomcat feelings you don't understand
Well, I turn around to look at you, you light a cigarette
I wish I had the guts to bum one, but we've never met
And I hope that I don't fall in love with you
I can see that you are lonesome, just like me
And it being late, you'd like some company
Well, I turn around to look at you, and you look back at me
The guy you're with has up and split, the chair next to you is free
And I hope that you don't fall in love with me
It's closing time, the music's fading out
Last call for drinks, I'll have another stout
Well, I turn around to look at you, you're nowhere to be found
I search the place for your lost face, guess I'll have another round
And I think that I just fell in love with you
The song, "I Hope That I Don't Fall in Love With You" by Emilíana Torrini, is about a person who is trying to avoid falling in love with someone they have just met. The singer is wary of love, stating that it "just makes me blue," likely because they have experienced heartbreak in the past. However, despite their reservations, they find themselves drawn to someone at a crowded bar. The singer describes the scene around them as they debate whether or not to approach the person they're interested in. They imagine scenarios in which they could make a connection, but ultimately decide that falling in love would be a mistake. The song ends with the singer realizing that the person they were interested in has left, and realizing that they may have missed their chance.
The lyrics of the song are evocative of a certain kind of romantic paranoia. The singer is distracted and anxious, constantly second-guessing themselves and trying to anticipate the other person's thoughts and feelings. They're keenly aware of the possibility of rejection or heartbreak, but they can't resist the lure of attraction. Torrini's mournful voice and the slow, bluesy melody underscore the song's melancholy mood, making it clear that the singer's fear of love is rooted in deep sadness.
Overall, "I Hope That I Don't Fall in Love With You" is a bittersweet ode to the vulnerability of the human heart. The song captures the contradictory emotions that can arise when we're attracted to someone new - hope and fear, longing and doubt, excitement and caution. Through the singer's struggles, Torrini reminds us that love can be both exhilarating and terrifying, and that the risk of falling is always present.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I hope that I don't fall in love with you
I'm apprehensive about my feelings for you because I know that I get sad when I fall in love.
'Cause falling in love just makes me blue
I find that falling in love usually leaves me feeling sad.
When the music plays and you display your heart for me to see
At times you seem to be showing me your true feelings while music is playing.
I had a beer and now I hear you calling out for me
After drinking beer, I feel like you're showing interest in me.
And I hope that I don't fall in love with you
Despite the signs of attraction, I hope that these feelings don't turn into love.
Well, the room is crowded, people everywhere
The environment around us is busy with many people present.
And I wonder should I offer you a chair
I'm contemplating whether or not to offer you a place to sit.
Well, if you sit down with this old clown, take that frown and break it
If you sit with me, I'll try to make you smile and feel better.
Before the evening's gone away, I think that we can make it
I believe that there's still time to connect before the night ends.
And I hope that I don't fall in love with you
Again, I hope that with our interaction, I don't end up falling in love with you.
Well, the night does funny things inside a man
I find that the nighttime has a peculiar effect on my emotions.
These old tomcat feelings you don't understand
Feelings of lust and desire are overwhelming me, and you may not comprehend them.
Well, I turn around to look at you, you light a cigarette
As I look at you, I notice that you're lighting up a cigarette.
I wish I had the guts to bum one, but we've never met
I'm considering asking for one of your cigarettes, but we're still strangers.
And I hope that I don't fall in love with you
I'll reiterate that I hope that my emotions don't lead me to fall in love with you.
I can see that you are lonesome, just like me
From your behavior, I gather that you're feeling lonely, just like I am.
And it being late, you'd like some company
Since it's late, you seem like you'd enjoy having some companionship.
Well, I turn around to look at you, and you look back at me
When I look at you, you're looking back at me too.
The guy you're with has up and split, the chair next to you is free
The guy who was with you left, leaving an empty seat next to you.
And I hope that you don't fall in love with me
This time I'm hoping that you don't end up falling in love with me.
It's closing time, the music's fading out
The establishment is closing, and the music is coming to an end.
Last call for drinks, I'll have another stout
Drinks are being called for the last time, and I'll have another beer.
Well, I turn around to look at you, you're nowhere to be found
As I turn to look at you again, you're not where you were before.
I search the place for your lost face, guess I'll have another round
I'm scanning the area for you, and since I can't find you, I'll simply have another drink.
And I think that I just fell in love with you
Finally, after all my doubts, I realize that I've fallen in love with you.
Contributed by Gabriella B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.