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
Walkabout
The Sugarcubes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The golden landscape.
I wanna be there
Right with you.
That's where I'm staying,
Where no-one can find me
In the depths of the valleys
Magnificent landscape
Delicious boy,
With animal eyes,
Beautiful buttocks,
Haunting movements.
But the thing that makes me love you
Is the unforgettable smell of your skin.
There's a hole and there's a stick.
There's a cove and there's a ship,
That goes in and out of the harbour.
The heavy pear,
Totally ripe.
Adorable fruits
So generous.
This is where I'm staying,
Where no-one can find me,
In the depths of the valleys.
Magnificent landscape.
Delicious boy,
With animal eyes,
Beautiful buttocks,
Haunting movements.
But the thing that makes me love you
Is the unforgettable smell of your skin.
There's a hole and there's a stick.
There's a tunnel and there's a train.
There's a cove and there's a ship,
That goes in and out of the harbour.
Mountains of Nutrition.
Two, side by side,
Above a Navel
And under a chin,
That's where I'm staying,
Where no-one can find me.
In the depths of the valleys,
Magnificent landscape.
Is everything a landscape?
I'm in the landscape
Crawl into the canyon
Into the rain forest
Crawl up the cravasse
Jog along the tundra
Walk up the slope
Have a breather between the hills
Admire the view
Not yet on the peak
Walk further and rest
Between two tranquil pools
Then climb the peak
And admire
I'm captivated.
The Sugarcubes’ song “Walkabout” is a poetic piece about admiring the beauty of nature and finding peace within it. The chorus is a poetic exclamation of adoration for “the magnificent landscape” and a repeated description of a person as “delicious boy, with animal eyes, beautiful buttocks, haunting movements” - and what the singer loves the most about him is the “unforgettable smell of his skin”. The lyrics are serene and contemplative, inspired by the natural landscapes, which the singer is admiring - valleys, mountains, and fruits, and they invoke a sense of tranquillity and wanderlust.
The lyrics also contain a series of images that capture the mental and emotional landscape of the singer. The lyrics explore the sense of freedom and escape that they achieve while being surrounded by nature. And, just as the singer feels escape, the song itself creates an escapist mood for the listener. In the final verses, the song speaks of crawling into the canyon, into the rainforest, and jog along the tundra. All the song's imagery describes the act of walking and discovering, even admiring the view. The song's lyrics can be interpreted as a metaphor for life itself and how we all long for that escape into something beautiful and seemingly perfect, but ultimately transient.
Line by Line Meaning
I admire the curves,
The golden landscape.
The singer is expressing their admiration for the beautiful, winding landscape and its curves and golden colors.
I wanna be there
Right with you.
The singer wants to be with someone in the beautiful landscape they are admiring.
That's where I'm staying,
Where no-one can find me
In the depths of the valleys
Magnificent landscape
The singer plans to stay in the valley of the beautiful landscape, where they feel hidden and protected from others.
Delicious boy,
With animal eyes,
Beautiful buttocks,
Haunting movements.
The artist describes a person they find attractive, with captivating eyes and movements, and a beautiful body.
But the thing that makes me love you
Is the unforgettable smell of your skin.
The artist reveals that the thing they love most about the person they find attractive is the scent of their skin.
There's a hole and there's a stick.
There's a cove and there's a ship,
That goes in and out of the harbour.
The singer lists various objects in the landscape, including a hole, a stick, a cove, and a ship in the harbor.
The heavy pear,
Totally ripe.
Adorable fruits
So generous.
The singer describes ripe, generous fruit they find adorable.
Mountains of Nutrition.
Two, side by side,
Above a Navel
And under a chin,
The artist describes two mountains in the landscape, located near a navel and under a chin, that are a source of nutrition or sustenance.
Is everything a landscape?
I'm in the landscape
Crawl into the canyon
Into the rain forest
Crawl up the cravasse
Jog along the tundra
Walk up the slope
Have a breather between the hills
Admire the view
Not yet on the peak
Walk further and rest
Between two tranquil pools
Then climb the peak
And admire
I'm captivated.
The artist reflects on the beauty of various landscapes, describing their own experience crawling, jogging, and walking through them, ultimately reaching a peak and feeling captivated by the view.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: RICHARD BARBIERI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
M.A. H.C.
I admire the curves,
The golden landscape.
I wanna be there
Right with you.
That's where I'm staying,
Where no-one can find me
In the depths of the valleys
Magnificent landscape
Delicious boy,
With animal eyes,
Beautiful buttocks,
Haunting movements.
But the thing that makes me love you
Is the unforgettable smell of your skin.
There's a hole and there's a stick.
There's a cove and there's a ship,
That goes in and out of the harbour.
The heavy pear,
Totally ripe.
Adorable fruits
So generous.
This is where I'm staying,
Where no-one can find me,
In the depths of the valleys.
Magnificent landscape.
Delicious boy,
With animal eyes,
Beautiful buttocks,
Haunting movements.
But the thing that makes me love you
Is the unforgettable smell of your skin.
There's a hole and there's a…
Jay S
the band itself is sorely underrated. Bjork is a crazy talent, but the Sugarcubes as a band were damn good.
BigLouise19
Amén
yyz
Word
Strik 9
As a child prodigy Bjork was born to be a serious force. She & the band were experienced, ahead of time. Sweet psychedelia × talent= great art at times. Proof exists here!
and the seeker seeks God
I'm glad you see the psychidelic in the sugar cubes - I have been trying to tell people this for a while.
yyz
I always thought it was implied, as in LSD on a sugarcube
Santino Chavez
After listening to all 3 of the Sugarcubes albums several times over, I've decided this is my favorite song of theirs. The sincerity in Bjork's vocals, as well as the great musicianship, really set this one apart for me.
marqavious fontavious
me too
Peter The Personal Stylist Sheffield
Agreed!!! The innocence and joy. I must admit, i prefer the simplicity!
Pedro Tejada
It's just so fun!