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
Sick for Toys
The Sugarcubes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Veik I Leikfang
Ve-e-eik I Leikfa-ang
Einar
This girl I know she's sick for toys, sick for toys.
She needs a new toy, a brand new toy,
She's tired of her old toy's.
Full of old toys
What can she do?
She needs a new toy.
Bjork
Sick sick sick for toys,
Sick sick sick for toys.
Einar
She's sick, sick for toys
She disposes of her old toys
She ... needs a new toy
And in a small garden she finds a small boy.
She smiles, she's happy she found her new toy a small boy.
She's sick for toy, she needs a new toy,
To watch her comb her hair, comb all of her hair,
Bjork
Sick sick sick for toys,
Sick sick sick for toys.
Einar
She's sick, sick for toys
She's sick, sick for toys
She's really sick for toys
This girl I know found a new toy,
A boy she used him to watch her comb hair
Day in day out, night in night out,
She really was sick for toy,
In the end she fell asleep
The boy cut off her hair, all of her hair,
She was bald, she might not now be sick for toys
The Sugarcubes's song Sick for Toys is a disturbing and eerie depiction of a woman who is sick and addicted to buying new toys. The opening line of "Veik I Leikfang" in Bjork's hauntingly beautiful voice translates to "weak in playing," immediately setting a tone of vulnerability and helplessness. Einar's verses introduce a girl who has a big house filled with old toys that she is tired of and needs a new one. She is sick for toys, which becomes a repetitive chorus sung by Bjork, emphasizing the woman's intensity of longing for something new. She gets rid of her old toys, in need of the satisfaction that comes with acquiring and owning something novel. In a garden, she finds a small boy that she considers as her new toy to watch her comb her hair. However, in the end, she falls asleep, and the boy cuts off all her hair, leaving her bald and potentially cured of her addiction to acquiring new toys.
The lyrics to Sick for Toys paint a picture of a woman who is addicted to buying new toys to the point of obsession. She is so desperate to acquire something new that she goes to the extent of considering a small boy as her new toy. This behavior is rather unsettling, and the references to her combing her hair repeatedly while watched by the boy add to the overall uncomfortableness of the song. In the final verse, it implies that her addiction is causing her harm to the point where she is asleep, and the boy cuts off all her hair. The implications of this act are not entirely clear, but it could suggest that the woman is cured of her addiction, or it could point to something even more sinister, leaving the interpretation of this up to the listener.
Line by Line Meaning
This girl I know she's sick for toys, sick for toys.
There is a girl who is obsessed with getting new toys in her possession, which suggests that she has a deep desire to constantly have new things.
She needs a new toy, a brand new toy,
The girl is not satisfied with her current collection of toys and wants a new, fresh one to play with.
She's got a big house Full of old toys
The girl has a lot of toys that she no longer finds interesting and is looking for something new to add to her collection.
What can she do? She needs a new toy.
The girl is so fixated on getting a new toy that she feels like she doesn't have any other options, but to find a new one.
She disposes of her old toys She ... needs a new toy And in a small garden she finds a small boy.
The girl gets rid of her old toys to make way for the new ones and eventually comes across a small boy who becomes her new toy.
She smiles, she's happy she found her new toy a small boy.
The girl is ecstatic about finding a new toy in the form of a small boy and is pleased with her discovery.
She's sick for toy, she needs a new toy, To watch her comb her hair, comb all of her hair,
The girl's obsession with getting new toys stems from her desire to have someone/something to watch her as she does mundane activities, like combing her hair.
She's sick, sick for toys She's sick, sick for toys She's really sick for toys
The girl's obsession with getting new toys has reached an unhealthy level, and she is consumed by it.
This girl I know found a new toy, A boy she used him to watch her comb hair Day in day out, night in night out,
The girl uses the small boy she found as a new toy to watch her comb her hair constantly, every day and night.
She really was sick for toy, In the end she fell asleep The boy cut off her hair, all of her hair, She was bald, she might not now be sick for toys
The girl's obsession with getting new toys led to her downfall, as the boy she used as a toy eventually cut off all her hair, which may lead her to lose interest in collecting toys in the future.
Sick sick sick for toys, Sick sick sick for toys.
Reiteration of the girl's unhealthy obsession with getting new toys.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: SIGTRYGGUR BALDURSSON, EINAR BENEDIKTSSON, THOR ELDON, BJOERK GUDMUNDSDOTTIR, BRAGI OLAFSSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@queijo7529
Sick For Toys
Sugarcubes
Einar
This girl I know she's sick for toys, sick for toys.
She needs a new toy, a brand new toy,
she's tired of her old toy's.
She's got a big house
Full of old toys
What can she do?
She needs a new toy.
Björk
Sick sick sick for toys,
Sick sick sick for toys.
Einar
She's sick, sick for toys
Einar
She disposes of her old toys
She ... needs a new toy
And in a small garden she finds a small boy.
She smiles, she's happy she found her new toy a small boy.
She's sick for toy, she needs a new toy,
To watch her comb her hair, comb all of her hair,
Björk
Sick sick sick for toys,
Sick sick sick for toys.
Einar
She's sick, sick for toys
She's sick, sick for toys
She's really sick for toys
Einar
This girl I know found a new toy,
A boy she used him to watch her comb hair
Day in day out, night in night out,
She really was sick for toy,
In the end she fell asleep
The boy cut off her hair, all of her hair,
she was bald, she might not now be sick for toys.
@kaferrat
love this whole album
@okgood8529
Me too. It's great start to finish.
@vintageaudioworkshop
saw these guys live in Reading during their day - fully brilliant, should never have split up
@herrfister1477
I was mad for them, saw the in Leeds, spoke to Einer after the gig, I was buzzing. Björk has a great voice and is super cute but went right off the boil creatively after Sugarcubes imo. Shame!
@carloseduardosoutocoelho5187
Faz tanto tempo que eu vivo sozinho que de fato dá vontade de compartilhar as verdades que aprendi , de uns últimos trinta anos. Esta música é do tempo em que eu não vivia só e realmente não admirava a definição de Exílio. E nas horas em que eu me lembro de meu Pai , só vem à minha mente um presente , o mais precioso que eu tive quando criança : o Atari !! Vai entender...
Ah ! Eu tive também uma bicicleta que em especial me cativou. Era dourada e possuía três marchas.
@RidiculousThoughts
Una de mis favoritas! I listened to this every day on the way to work! thanks!
@adrianberrocal
i.ve discovered this group recentrly by bjork and the best from the group is the guitar so insane
@queijo7529
Sick For Toys
Sugarcubes
Einar
This girl I know she's sick for toys, sick for toys.
She needs a new toy, a brand new toy,
she's tired of her old toy's.
She's got a big house
Full of old toys
What can she do?
She needs a new toy.
Björk
Sick sick sick for toys,
Sick sick sick for toys.
Einar
She's sick, sick for toys
Einar
She disposes of her old toys
She ... needs a new toy
And in a small garden she finds a small boy.
She smiles, she's happy she found her new toy a small boy.
She's sick for toy, she needs a new toy,
To watch her comb her hair, comb all of her hair,
Björk
Sick sick sick for toys,
Sick sick sick for toys.
Einar
She's sick, sick for toys
She's sick, sick for toys
She's really sick for toys
Einar
This girl I know found a new toy,
A boy she used him to watch her comb hair
Day in day out, night in night out,
She really was sick for toy,
In the end she fell asleep
The boy cut off her hair, all of her hair,
she was bald, she might not now be sick for toys.
@marceloandrade3807
Fabuloso!!!!!
@RIXRADvidz
this instantly transports me back to Venice Beach LA, the Sugarcubes, the Wooden Tops, strolling along the beach watching the people watch each other. it was a motorcrash for me