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.
Vid Spilum Endalaus
Sigur Rós Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Í gegnum sól og malarryk
Við sáum öll svo margt
Já, heimsins ból og svart malbik
Við spiluðum
(hopelandic)
Við spiluðum
Við spiluðum
Dagur síungur líður
Já, endalausir og birtan
Reykur í augum svíður
Já, rifjast upp og núna man
Við spiluðum
(hopelandic)
Við spiluðum
(hopelandic)
Við spilum út um allt
Við sáum öll svo margt
Mátum allt allt upp á nýtt
Dagur síungur líður
Já, rifjast upp og núna man
Við spiluðum
(hopelandic)
Við spiluðum
(hopelandic)
Við spilum út um allt
(hopelandic)
Við spilum endalaust
Við spilum endalaust saman
Við spilum út um allt saman
Við syngjum öll saman
(hopelandic)
The lyrics of Við spilum endalaust by Sigur Rós depict a journey through different landscapes, both physical and emotional. The first stanza involves driving through the world with its sun and dust, the beauty and darkness, seeing everything and taking it all in. The second stanza refers to time passing endlessly and with brightness, but also with the pain of memories that sting in the present. The chorus, repeated throughout the song, says "Við spilum endalaust" which translates to "We play endlessly." This repetition suggests a sense of persistency, of continuing on despite hardships, and of making the most out of one's journey through life.
The song is primarily sung in Hopelandic, which is a language made up of nonsensical words and syllables. This style of singing was developed by the band themselves and adds to their signature sound. One interpretation of Hopelandic is that it allows the listener to focus on the music and the emotion behind it, rather than being distracted by actual words and their meanings. The ambiguous language also serves as a way for the listener to apply their own interpretations to the music.
Við spilum endalaust is the title track of Sigur Rós's fifth studio album, released in 2008. The album was met with critical acclaim, with some critics arguing that it was a return to form for the band after a period of experimentation. The album was praised for its emotional depth and its ability to create a sense of hopefulness despite its melancholic themes.
Line by Line Meaning
Við keyrðum út um allt
We drove out everywhere
Í gegnum sól og malarryk
Through sun and dust
Við sáum öll svo margt
We saw so many things
Já, heimsins ból og svart malbik
Yes, the world's troubles and dark soot
Við spiluðum (hopelandic)
We played (instrumentally)
Dagur síungur líður
The day slowly passes
Já, endalausir og birtan
Yes, endless and bright
Reykur í augum svíður
Smoke stings in our eyes
Já, rifjast upp og núna man
Yes, it resurfaces and now remembered
Við spilum út um allt
We play out everywhere
Við sáum öll svo margt
We saw so many things
Mátum allt allt upp á nýtt
Measured everything again anew
Dagur síungur líður
The day slowly passes
Já, rifjast upp og núna man
Yes, it resurfaces and now remembered
Við spilum endalaust
We play endlessly
Við spilum endalaust saman
We play endlessly together
Við spilum út um allt saman
We play out everywhere together
Við syngjum öll saman (hopelandic)
We all sing together
Writer(s): Kjartan Sveinsson, Orri Pall Dyrason, Jon Thor Birgisson, Georg Holm
Contributed by Victoria V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Miselain
Saw them live 3 times. All those shows were so magical.
Adriana Valenzuela
Estoy enamorada de ti Sigur Ros.
Tu música...tus sonidos ..tu país con esa Naturaleza.!!!! Maravilloso!!! 🥰🎈😜💓😊
Gandrung Bolang
selalu menyukai karya-karyamu, sigur ros ❤
Nostalgit
sama bang
Ben Côté
What a band! If I was a musician, I would have invented sounds and tracks similar like these guys. Saw them in Ottawa. What a expireMENTAL experience!
OH_I _Will
Not me….I would do what they did. Create new sounds the listener has never experienced before.
Wear the T-shirt
My favourite band, feel very lucky to see them at Wien Arena, Manchester Apollo, Jodrell Bank and Harpa Reykjavik. All amazing shows.
Luca Antinori
Such an incredible album, easily my favorite time period of the bands career
Your long lost twin
One of the most beautiful sounds out there, makes my soul feel lifted and my heart feels like its healing even tho it hurts
Amr Abdelnasser
This Video...
This Album...
This Band...
Literally Takes u to Another Dimension!!!