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.
Hjartaõ Hamast
Sigur Rós Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Eins og alltaf
En n are takt vi tmann
Tndur og gleymdur heima hj mr
Alveg a springa gegnum nefi
Sn upp sveitta sngina
Stari a ryi sem vex mr
Stend upp mig svimar
A molnar af mr
G fer um fotum
Geng fram hj mr
Kli mig nakinn
Og fer svo are
Vakinn en sofinn
Sef ekki dr
Hjarta stoppar
Hreyfist ekki
Kem gangr fyrir
(Sem g kngi og fel)
Finn startkapal
(Og kveiki mr)
S allt tvfallt
(Tvfallt svart)
Kerfisbilun
(Heilinn neitar)
Held fram a leita
Stjrnandi
(Upplsingar)
Arf aftur a mata
(Mata mig)
Tala upphtt og ferast inni mr leita
G leita af lfi um stund
G st sta
Me von a vin g vinn upp sm tima
Leita a agtis byrjun
En ver a von brigum
The lyrics of Sigur Rós's song Hjartá Hamast primarily revolve around the feeling of losing control and the struggle to regain it. The opening line "Hjartá hamast, eins og alltaf" translates to "Heart racing, as always" or "Heart pounding, as usual." This line suggests that the feeling of anxiety and racing heartbeat is commonplace for the singer, which is reemphasized later in the song where the person's heart stops and doesn't move.
The song explores the feeling of desperation and helplessness in the face of this unknown fear, represented by the lines "Stend upp mig svimar/A molnar af mr" ("Stand up, I get dizzy/my cloud dissipates") and "Hjarta stoppar/Hreyfist ekki" (Heart stops/doesn't move). The singer tries to confront and conquer the fear by exploring themselves, as mentioned in the lines "Kli mig nakinn/ Og fer svo are" ("Scratch myself naked/ And then just leave").
The lyrics also incorporate elements of confusion and disorientation, as the singer struggles to make sense of their fear and the world around them. The lines "S allt tvfallt/ Kerfisbilun" ("Everything is vague/System malfunction") suggest the feeling of disorientation, while the lines "Tala upphtt og ferast inni mr leita/ G leita af lfi um stund" ("Talking nonsense and disappearing inside myself/ I search for air for a moment) further emphasize the sense of confusion and disconnection. In summary, the song is a poignant exploration of the complexities of fear, anxiety, and mental disorientation.
Line by Line Meaning
Hjarta hamast
My heart is pounding
Eins og alltaf
As always
En n are takt vi tmann
But I'm out of step with everyone else
Tndur og gleymdur heima hj mr
Lost and forgotten at home within myself
Alveg a springa gegnum nefi
Breaking through my nose
Sn upp sveitta sngina
Sweat pouring all over my body
Stari a ryi sem vex mr
The stare at my back is growing
Tur sig inn skelina
Enters through the cracks
Stend upp mig svimar
I stand up and get dizzy
A molnar af mr
Clouds disappear from around me
G fer um fotum
I walk on my feet
Geng fram hj mr
Walking ahead of me
Kli mig nakinn
Scratch myself naked
Og fer svo are
And I go away quickly
Vakinn en sofinn
Awake but asleep
Sef ekki dr
Can't see clearly there
Hjarta stoppar
My heart stops
Hreyfist ekki
Not moving
Kem gangr fyrir
I am in trouble
(Sem g kngi og fel)
(Like I'm choking and hiding)
Finn startkapal
Find starting capital
(Og kveiki mr)
(And light me up)
S allt tvfallt
Everything is uncertain
(Tvfallt svart)
(Doubly black)
Kerfisbilun
System malfunction
(Heilinn neitar)
(The brain refuses)
Held fram a leita
I keep searching
Stjrnandi
Navigator
(Upplsingar)
(Information)
Arf aftur a mata
Inherit to evaluate
(Mata mig)
(Evaluate me)
Tala upphtt og ferast inni mr leita
Speak loudly and travel inside me to search
G leita af lfi um stund
I search for love for a while
G st sta
I stand still
Me von a vin g vinn upp sm tima
With hope my friend will come for a little while
Leita a agtis byrjun
Searching for a fresh start
En ver a von brigum
But we are waiting in vain
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JON THOR BIRGISSON, DP, AGUST AEVAR GUNNARSSON, GEORG HOLM, KJARTAN SVEINSSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind