Jón Þór Birgisson (Jónsi), Georg Hólm, and Ágúst Ævar Gunnarsson formed the group in Reykjavík, Iceland in August 1994. They soon won a record deal with a local record label, Smekkleysa (Bad Taste). In 1997, they released Von (Hope) and in 1998, released a remix collection named Von brigði. The name is Icelandic wordplay: Vonbrigði means "disappointment," but Von brigði means "hope alteration." (In English, the album is sometimes known by the alternative name "Recycle Bin.")
International acclaim came with 1999's Ágætis Byrjun ("An alright start"), for which the band were joined by Kjartan Sveinsson. The album's reputation slowly spread by word of mouth over the next two years. Soon, many critics worldwide hailed it as one of the best albums of its time, and the band was playing with Radiohead and other big names. Drummer Ágúst left the band after the recording of Ágætis Byrjun and was replaced by Orri Páll Dýrason.
After the release of Ágætis Byrjun, the band became perhaps most well known for Birgisson's signature style of playing guitar with the bow from a cello, accentuated with reverb, creating a sweeping, fluid sound that is unique for an electric guitar.
In early 2001, Sigur Rós set out to record some songs in their newly-completed álafoss swimming pool studio with their friend Steindór Andersen who is a fisherman and chairman of the Icelandic poetry society, Iðunn. Steindór is a chanter/singer of the traditional Icelandic epic poetry form, called "rímur," for which the band named their next EP, Rímur. Only 1000 copies of the EP were printed and sold in the spring tour of 2001.
In 2002, their highly anticipated follow-up album ( ) was released. Upon release, all tracks on the album were untitled, though the band later published song names on their website. Famously, all of the lyrics on ( ) are sung in vonlenska ("Hopelandic"), nonsensical vocalizations that resemble the sound of the Icelandic language. It has also been said that the listener is supposed to interpret their own meanings of the lyrics, which can then be written in the blank pages in the album booklet.
In October of 2003, Sigur Rós joined Radiohead in composing music for Merce Cunningham's dance piece Split Sides; Sigur Rós’s three tracks were named "Ba Ba," "Ti Ki," and "Di Do" and released in March of 2004 on an EP titled Ba Ba Ti Ki Di Do The three songs are separate tracks, but the band intended that all three be played at the same time to form one single song. The band's 1997 debut album Von also finally found a United States and United Kingdom release in October of 2004. Their latest full-length album, Takk... (Thanks...), was released on September 13, 2005, with a free legal download of their first single, "Glósóli," made available on August 15. For North American fans, "Sæglópur" was made available for download on August 16."Hoppípolla," the second official single from Takk..., was released on November 28 alongside a new studio remake of "Hafsól," a song which was previously released on the band's 1997 debut, Von.
Sæglópur EP was released on July 10 in most parts of the world and on August 8 in the United States. Its original release date was May 8, but because of the sudden demand of "Hoppípolla," especially in the UK due to its inclusion on BBC's "Planet Earth," it was pushed back from that date. Sigur Rós recorded three new songs for the EP: "Refur," "Ófriður," and "Kafari."
The Hvarf/Heim double album was released on November 5, 2007. Hvarf contains reworkings of songs dating back to the bands' first album, whereas Heim contains live acoustic versions of more well-known songs. The double album was an accompaniment to the film Heima. Heima is a documentary showing footage of the band's tour of Iceland, including live footage and interviews. The official web site is www.heimafilm.com.
Sigur Rós has sold over 2.5 million albums worldwide.
On June 23, 2008, they released Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust.
The single "Gobbledigook" was available for a free download on their website.
In January 2010, the band began a hiatus, and they are now working on new material. On August 11, 2011, the band's website showed a trailer for a project called Inni. A week later, the project was revealed to be a new live album and DVD, although the release date is currently unknown.
Sigur Rós'' sixth studio album, Valtari, was released on May 29, 2012 on Parlophone.
In January 2013, Kjartan Sveinsson left the band and was not replaced. Sigur Rós's first album following his departure was titled Kveikur and released in June 2013.
In 2014, the band made a guest appearance in the HBO show 'Game of Thrones,' performing The Rains of Castamere in the 2nd episode of the 4th season.
Websites
Both websites include discography, band trivia, song lyrics, and news: http://www.sigur-ros.co.uk and http://www.sigurros.com.
Бra bбtur
Sigur Rós Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yes, a thousand times
Experienced enough
Been through enough
But you it was who let everything
Into my heart
And it was you who once again
Awoke my spirit
I parted, you parted
You stir up
Emotions
In a blender
Everything in disarray
But it was you who was always
There for me
It was you who never judged
My true friend
I parted, you parted
(hopelandic)
You sail on rivers
With an old oar
Leaking badly
You swim to shore
Pushed the waves away
But to no avail
You float on the sea
Sleep on the surface
Light through the fog
(hopelandic)
The lyrics to Sigur Rós's song Бra bбtur speak of a relationship between two people where one person has experienced and tried everything a thousand times, but it was the other person who had the power to let everything into their heart and awaken their spirit. The second person is described as someone who stirs up emotions, like everything is in a blender and in disarray, yet they are always there for the first person and never judge them. They are considered to be a true friend. The lyrics end with a metaphorical verse about the second person sailing on a river with an old oar, leaking badly, swimming to shore, pushing waves away, but ultimately floating on the sea and sleeping on the surface with light shining through the fog.
Overall, the song seems to be about a deep and meaningful friendship or relationship where one person provides support and care for the other person. The first person has gone through a lot in life, but it was the second person who helped them to see life in a new way and to feel more alive. The second person is considered a lifeline, always there for the first person and never judging them.
Line by Line Meaning
You tried everything
You did everything that you could to make things work
Yes, a thousand times
Repeatedly trying to make things work
Experienced enough
Having gone through enough hardships in life
Been through enough
Having struggled enough in life
But you it was who let everything
It was you who allowed all of my emotions to come pouring out
Into my heart
Into the very core of my being
And it was you who once again
And you were the one who once more
Awoke my spirit
Revived my sense of hope and motivation
I parted, you parted
We went our separate ways
You stir up
You provoke and bring about
Emotions
Strong feelings and reactions
In a blender
Mixing everything up into a mess
Everything in disarray
Everything is chaotic and disorganized
But it was you who was always
But you were always the one
There for me
Supporting me and being present for me
It was you who never judged
You were always nonjudgmental
My true friend
My loyal and trustworthy friend
You sail on rivers
Navigating through the ups and downs of life
With an old oar
With limited and outdated resources
Leaking badly
In a state of declining condition
You swim to shore
You make it to safety
Pushed the waves away
Fighting against the obstacles and challenges
But to no avail
Without success
You float on the sea
Continuing to exist and persevere
Sleep on the surface
Resting and living at the surface level
Light through the fog
Finding hope and direction amidst ambiguity and confusion
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GEORG HOLM, JON THOR BIRGISSON, KJARTAN SVEINSSON, ORRI PALL DYRASON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind