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.
Bláþráður
Sigur Rós Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Óvarin er og ó undir búin
Ósýnileg ?hún? skríður aftan að
Óvarin er á fjallinu gengur
Húúúú
Ósýnileg hún? stígur til jarðar
Ósýnileg hún? rífur innan frá
á nefunum? blám
Hann? getur ekki talað
eða þorstanum svalað
Núna missum við hakan
og núna kljúfum við klakan
og núna finnum við (????)
og ???? ????
og núna missum við takið
og núna dettum á bakið
á snærisendanum? höngum við á bláþræði
Ósýnileg þau svífa ofaná
Ósýnileg þau ylja við há?
Ósýnileg í snjóskafi-num?
Ósýnileg með lokuð augun
Ég vil sjá
skrifuð fá
nefið? blá?
Ég get ekki talað
eða þorstanum svalað
núna hlustum? við? á? þau
núna fljúum? við? á? þau?
núna (????)
Og núna missum við takið
Og núna dettum af baki
á snærisendanum? höngum við á bláþræði
bláþræði úúúúú
bláþræði úúúúú
bláþræði úúúúú
bláþræði
The lyrics of Sigur Rós's Bláþráður are in Icelandic and are ambiguous in meaning. The song tells of invisible entities that seem to be of a supernatural nature. The repeated use of the phrase "ósýnileg hún" translates to "she is invisible," and seems to refer to a female entity that is creeping up on the singer. The tone of the song is eerie and unsettling, as the entity is portrayed as being unpredictable and potentially dangerous. The lyrics also mention the singer's inability to speak or quench his thirst, emphasizing his feeling of vulnerability in the presence of the entity.
The meaning behind the lyrics is open to interpretation and can vary depending on the listener's perspective. Some interpret the song as a metaphor for anxiety and the feeling of being pursued by something intangible and unstoppable. Others see it as a commentary on the supernatural and the unexplainable, suggesting that there are things in the world that remain outside of our understanding and control.
Overall, Bláþráður is a haunting song that creates an unsettling atmosphere and leaves the listener with a sense of unease.
Line by Line Meaning
Ósýnileg hún? læðist aftan að
An invisible entity approaches from behind
Óvarin er og ó undir búin
Being cautious and unprepared
Ósýnileg ?hún? skríður aftan að
The invisible entity creeps closer from behind
Óvarin er á fjallinu gengur
Walking cautiously on the mountain
Húúúú
-
Ósýnileg hún? stígur til jarðar
The invisible entity steps down to the ground
Ósýnileg hún? rífur innan frá
The invisible entity tears from within
Ef hann? sá? Skrefum frá?
If he saw steps away?
á nefunum? blám
The blue noses
Hann? getur ekki talað
He cannot speak
eða þorstanum svalað
Or quench his thirst
Núna missum við hakan
Now we lose our chin
og núna kljúfum við klakan
And we now split the stalk
og núna finnum við (????)
And now we find (????)
og ???? ????
-
og núna missum við takið
And now we lose our grip
og núna dettum á bakið
And now we fall on our backs
á snærisendanum? höngum við á bláþræði
Hanging on a blue thread at the end of the line
Ósýnileg þau svífa ofaná
The invisible ones drift down
Ósýnileg þau ylja við há?
The invisible ones scream with joy?
Ósýnileg í snjóskafi-num?
Invisible in the snowdrift?
Ósýnileg með lokuð augun
Invisible with closed eyes
Ég vil sjá
I want to see
skrifuð fá
get written
nefið? blá?
blue nose
núna hlustum? við? á? þau
Now we listen to them
núna fljúum? við? á? þau?
Now we fly on them?
núna (????)
And now (????)
Og núna missum við takið
And now we lose our grip
Og núna dettum af baki
And now we fall off our backs
á snærisendanum? höngum við á bláþræði
Hanging on a blue thread at the end of the line
bláþræði úúúúú
Blue thread
bláþræði úúúúú
Blue thread
bláþræði úúúúú
Blue thread
bláþræði
Blue thread
Contributed by Jonathan J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.