They received critical and popular acclaim internationally. They first came to notice in the UK when BBC radio DJ John Peel played "Birthday", later voted by his listeners as no.1 in the 1987 Festive Fifty, and no. 23 in the Millennium (All Time Chart). The band's music was characterized by psychedelic sound, whimsical yet heartfelt lyrics, and the imploring, girlish voice of Björk Guðmundsdóttir, who later went on to great success as a solo artist. The band's name was assumed by its fans to be an LSD usage reference; the drug had regained widespread popularity while the band was releasing music.
The Sugarcubes released their first album, Life’s Too Good, in April 1988. Inspired by the success of the album in Europe, their second album followed shortly after in October 1989. Here Today, Tomorrow, Next Week! took it’s name from the Kenneth Grahame novel Wind in the Willows. It was also released in an Icelandic version titled Illur Arfur. The second album wasn’t as well received by critics as their debut.
The third and final studio album by the band, Stick Around For Joy, was released in 1992, and featured the successful single Hit which reached No: 17 in the UK charts.
While not as successful as Björk's solo career would be, the band is still very highly regarded and was the most influential Icelandic group until the rise of Sigur Rós.
The Sugarcubes dissolved in 1992 as different members of the band had realised they all had different ambitions; instead of risking their friendship, the band went on an indefinite hiatus. They remain friends to this day and are all still involved in the management of Smekkleysa/Bad Taste (not to be confused with the Swedish label of the same name).
On November 17 2006, the band had a one-off reunion concert at Laugardalshöll sport arena in Reykjavík, Iceland, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their debut single with all profits going to the non-profit Smekkleysa SM to promote Icelandic music. They were supported by fellow Icelandic groups múm and Rass. Despite this reunion, the group has expressed that it has no intention to play future shows or record new material.
Bandmembers:
* Björk Guðmundsdóttir (vocals, keyboards)
* Einar Örn Benediktsson (vocals, trumpet)
* Sigtryggur Baldursson (drums)
* Þór Eldon (guitar)
* Bragi Ólafsson (bass)
* Margrét (Magga) Örnólfsdóttir (keyboards) - 1989+.
* Einar Melax (keyboards) - 1987-89
Cowboy
The Sugarcubes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I?m a cowboy in the big town
I?m looking for my pony
A mans best friend is his pony
Aaah!
I?m a cowboy
Aaah, cowboy!
I need my pony
I lost my pony
In the big town
I?m a cowboy in the big city
Looking for my pony
I?m a cowboy x3
I?m not alone
Not lonely
Not alone
Not lonely
I?m a cowboy
I?m stuck like
A cowboy
In the big city
Björk
And he affects me
The odour of his skin, oh
It works in my head
I wanna eat him
I wanna be in him
Einar
I?m a cowboy
Smelt like I sat in
In a tine-mine
Nose is struck
In the back
My back is struck
But who knows I am
I am a
Cowboy!
Cowboy!
On the second floor
On a brass bed
In a big city
I found my pony
But I paid a prize
I got a silver-bullet
Through my heart
I?m a were-cowboy
I am a were-cowboy
A weeere
Weeere-cowboy
A were-cowboy
Were-cowboy
Weeere-cowboy
I am a were-cowboy
Cowboy!
The song "Cowboy" by The Sugarcubes is an avant-garde piece that explores the identity of a cowboy in a big city. The lead vocalist speaks from the perspective of a cowboy in search of his lost pony in a city setting. The repetition of the phrase "I'm a cowboy in the big town" and "I'm a cowboy, aaah!" evokes a sense of longing for a lost identity amidst the hustle and bustle of the big city. The lyrics elicit a sense of isolation and confusion as the cowboy tries to find his footing in a new and unfamiliar environment.
The song includes a haunting interlude by Björk where she describes an attraction to the cowboy's scent and an urge to merge with him. This segment adds a surreal and dreamlike quality to the song. The piece continues with Einar's vocals, which add a touch of the grotesque to the lyrics, as he describes a smell that's stuck in his nose like he sat in a tin mine. The song's lyrics culminate with the cowboy finding his pony on a brass bed on the second floor of a building - but obtaining his goal comes with an unforeseen consequence, as he becomes a were-cowboy.
Line by Line Meaning
Cowboy, cowboy, in the big town
I am a cowboy in the city
I'm a cowboy in the big town
I am searching for my pony, a man's best friend
I'm looking for my pony
I need my pony because I lost it in the city
A man's best friend is his pony
My pony is very important to me
Ah! I'm a cowboy
I am very passionate about being a cowboy
Ah, cowboy!
I am proud to be a cowboy
I'm not alone
There are others similar to me
Not lonely
I don't feel isolated or alone
I'm stuck like a cowboy in the big city
My situation feels like I am a cowboy in the big city
Björk and he affects me
Björk is talking about someone who has a strong influence on her
The odour of his skin, oh
The scent of this person's skin is captivating to Björk
It works in my head
Björk's attraction to this person is altering her thoughts and emotions
I wanna eat him
Björk has an intense desire for this person
I wanna be in him
Björk wants to be physically close to this person
I'm a cowboy smelt like I sat in in a tine-mine
I am a cowboy who smells of hard work and the mines
Nose is struck in the back
I am stuck in a difficult situation
But who knows I am, I am a Cowboy!
Despite my current situation, I am still a cowboy at heart
On the second floor, on a brass bed, in a big city, I found my pony
I found my pony in the big city
But I paid a prize, I got a silver-bullet through my heart
I suffered heartache and pain in my search for my pony
I'm a were-cowboy, I am a were-cowboy
I am a transformed version of a cowboy, with new experiences and knowledge
A weeere, weeere-cowboy
I am emphasizing my transformation into a 'were-cowboy'
Cowboy!
Despite everything, I am still a cowboy at heart
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: SIGTRYGGUR BALDURSSON, EINAR BENEDIKTSSON, THOR ELDON, BJOERK GUDMUNDSDOTTIR, BRAGI OLAFSSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind