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.
The Rains of Castamere
Sigur Rós Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, you
Castamere, Castamere, Castamere, Castamere
A coat of gold, a coat of red
A lion still has claws
And mine are long and sharp, my Lord
As long and sharp as yours
And so he spoke, and so he spoke
That Lord of Castamere
And now the rains weep o'er his halls
With no one there to hear
Yes, now the rains weep o'er his halls
And not a soul to hear
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
The Rains of Castamere is a haunting and melancholic song by Sigur Rós, written for the HBO television series Game of Thrones. The song tells the story of House Lannister, a powerful family in the show, and their ruthless quest for power. The first two lines of the song, "One night, I hold on you, Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, you, Castamere, Castamere, Castamere, Castamere" are a reference to the infamous Red Wedding, where House Lannister, along with House Bolton, betrayed and slaughtered their enemies in the halls of Castamere.
The next verse "A coat of gold, a coat of red, A lion still has claws, And mine are long and sharp, my Lord, As long and sharp as yours," describes the power dynamic between House Lannister and their enemies. The Lannisters are represented by the lion, and the red and gold coats, which are their house colors. The line "And mine are long and sharp, my Lord, As long and sharp as yours" suggests that the Lannisters are just as powerful as their enemies.
The final verse, "And so he spoke, and so he spoke, That Lord of Castamere, And now the rains weep o'er his halls, With no one there to hear, Yes, now the rains weep o'er his halls, And not a soul to hear," describes the aftermath of the Red Wedding. The Lord of Castamere, who was once a powerful man, is now dead and his halls are empty. The rains are symbolic for the tears of the people who suffered because of House Lannister's greed for power.
Line by Line Meaning
One night, I hold on you
I cling to you for one night only
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, you
Sound of overwhelming emotions
Castamere, Castamere, Castamere, Castamere
Repeating the name of the place where the song's story takes place
A coat of gold, a coat of red
Riches and bloodshed
A lion still has claws
The powerful remain powerful
And mine are long and sharp, my Lord
The singer is powerful like the Lord they are addressing
As long and sharp as yours
The singer is just as dangerous as their adversary
And so he spoke, and so he spoke
The Lord of Castamere is confident and sure of himself
That Lord of Castamere
Referring to the powerful ruler of the place named Castamere
And now the rains weep o'er his halls
The Lord's home is in ruins and being destroyed
With no one there to hear
No one is left to witness or care about the destruction
Yes, now the rains weep o'er his halls
Reiterating the destruction of the Lord's home
And not a soul to hear
No one is there to listen, admire, or care about the Lord or his home
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Repeating the sound of overwhelming emotions
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Ramin Djawadi, George R. R. Martin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Radorkanas
When winter comes for war,
You shall hear no Lions roar.
When winter forces you to yield,
No Stags shall graze upon the field.
When winter creeps upon you from the shadows,
No Roses shall bloom from the meadows.
When winter wreaks havoc on the land,
You can bet there'll be no Snakes in the sand.
When winter brings to life all it finds grim,
The Krakens will freeze where they swim.
When winter sets and the land begins to shiver,
The Flayed Man will start to rot and wither.
When winter fights to the last sliver,
No more Trouts shall swim in the river.
When winter ravages and all despair,
No Falcons shall fly high in the air.
When winter shows you what happens when snow falls,
Not even Dragons Breath shall warm you in your halls.
When winter comes with all it's might,
Only the Wolves shall howl in the night!
Multi
A coat of gold
a coat of red.
A lion still has claws
and mine are long, and sharp my lord
as long as sharp are yours.
And so he spoke
and so he spoke.
the lord of Castamere.
And now the rains
weep o'er his hall.
With no one there to hear.
Yes now the rains,
weep o'er his hall
and not a soul to hear.
Eeggon
And who are you, the proud lord said
That I must bow so low?
Only a cat of a different coat
That's all the truth I know
In a coat of gold or a coat of red
A lion still has claws
And mine are long and sharp, my lord
As long and sharp as yours
And so he spoke, and so he spoke
That lord of Castamere,
But now the rains weep o'er his hall
With no one there to hear
Yes, now the rains weep o'er his hall
And not a soul to hear
And so he spoke, and so he spoke
That lord of Castamere
But now the rains weep o'er his hall
With no one there to hear
Yes, now the rains weep o'er his hall
And not a soul to hear
Cecilia Saraiva
Sigur Ros's version is the scariest and the most beautiful one.
charl0tte
Agree.
Ariel M.
The pipe organ definitely helps create the atmosphere.
Nurlinda F Sihotang
+Mojar Rhuthmos no, before, because the aftermath of house whatchamacallit in castamere that becomes the cautionary tales to those who tries their luck with the lannister. in the book, tywin not even 20 y.o when he ordered his men to seal the entry to the cave and flood it with water. talk about twisted teens, he is taking the cake
Cipher
House Reyne. 'The Rains of Castamere' is a Reyne/Rain pun.
Hazman Rostam
well, theyre the purest authentic versions😅
Erich Jäger
"When disciplining unruly vassals, most lords send armies.
My father Tywin only had to send a singer..."
Nash
who said this and in which season
JAMES Jamison
@Nash said it in the real lore. pretty sure tyrion mentions it in the show
Just Grass
@Nash Tyrion in the third book I believe