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
Planet
The Sugarcubes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The universe it is so big,
I feel dizzy when I think about it,
My head swims I get giddy,
Still I realize that long ago,
It was so small I could have kept it,
Underneath my little skirt,
At least until the big bang happened,
Every man, every woman.
Björk
Sun planet the universe and me,
When I'm excited and have to wait,
My organs start to move, my lungs pump,
Cells flow faster on tracks inside me,
I demand to see myself from within,
Be a cell for a day.
Einar
Every man, every woman
Björk
Sun, planet, the universe and me
The universe and me...ooh...
The universe and me, am I a planet? woaah!
The universe and me... woah!!
co-o-ome, na-na-na-hee-ooh!
The planets and me we get along so well together
Gliding down imaginary rollercoaster-paths along the sky
I can do somersaults around Jupiter if I feel like it
Nothing can stop a planet
But a planet can stop anything at all
Einar
Every man, every woman
Björk
Sun planet the universe and me
The universe and me, the universe and me,
The universe and me, the universe and me.
The lyrics to "Planet" by The Sugarcubes contemplate the vastness of the universe and the singer's place within it. Björk sings "The universe it is so big, I feel dizzy when I think about it" capturing the sense of awe and wonder that many people feel when contemplating the vastness of the cosmos. She goes on to say that despite the immensity of the universe, it was once small enough to fit under her skirt, a playful nod to the idea that everything in the universe was once condensed into a tiny point before the Big Bang.
Björk's lyrics go on to explore the idea of the interconnectedness of all things. She muses that her own body is made up of the same matter as the planets and stars, and that when she is excited, she feels as though her organs are moving and her cells are flowing faster. She even imagines what it would be like to be a cell for a day, an experience that would allow her to see herself from within.
Line by Line Meaning
The universe it is so big,
The vastness of the universe is overwhelming to me.
I feel dizzy when I think about it,
I become disoriented when contemplating the universe's immensity.
My head swims I get giddy,
My mind becomes dizzy and I feel lightheaded.
Still I realize that long ago,
Despite the universe's enormity, I understand that it was once quite small.
It was so small I could have kept it,
The universe was once tiny enough to fit beneath a skirt.
Underneath my little skirt,
A metaphorical description of the incredible smallness of the early universe.
At least until the big bang happened,
The universe was small until the moment of the big bang occurred.
Every man, every woman.
All individuals are part of the greater whole, no matter their gender.
Sun planet the universe and me,
I exist as part of the vastness of the universe and its celestial bodies.
When I'm excited and have to wait,
When anticipation builds and I must be patient,
My organs start to move, my lungs pump,
My body begins to physically respond with excitement and anticipation.
Cells flow faster on tracks inside me,
My cells move faster, priming me for action or release.
I demand to see myself from within,
Be a cell for a day.
I have a strong desire to understand myself at a cellular level and what that experience feels like.
The universe and me, am I a planet? woaah!
I am so integrally tied to the universe that I wonder if I, too, could be considered a celestial body.
The planets and me we get along so well together,
Gliding down imaginary rollercoaster-paths along the sky,
I can do somersaults around Jupiter if I feel like it
I feel connected to the planets, as if we could journey and adventuring together, even capable of performing acrobatic feats in their presence.
Nothing can stop a planet,
But a planet can stop anything at all
Planets have incredible power and momentum, yet if they collide, they can cause devastation.
The universe and me, the universe and me,
The universe and me, the universe and me.
The universe defines my existence and is an intrinsic part of who I am as a person.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Bj�rk Gudmundsdottir, Bragi Olafsson, Einar Benediktsson, Sigtryggur Baldursson, Thor Eldon Jonsson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind