Saturday, July 17, 2010

Isobel; Björk

Even Björk walks around whistling here and there and, of course, as soon as I found the whistling, I caught it and I gaoled it here. Just because it's already chewed in Wikipedia, I am only copying and pasting the infos that are right there:

“Isobel” is a song by Icelandic singer Björk. It was released as the second single from her 1995 album Post. The lyrics describe a primitive girl who seems to be a personification of Mother Nature, and who tries to warn the technological world of its potential dangers. The music is underscored by lush strings, electronic beats, and a jungle-influenced introduction. The song was rumored to have been inspired by the piece “The Wonderful Widow Of 18 Springs” by John Cage.

Björk has stated that a track on Homogenic, “Bachelorette”, is a continuation of “Isobel”. In an interview with Paper in September 1997, Björk explains, “So Isobel decides to return to the city and to take a train, like in the 30's, in South America somewhere. She decides to confront love with love and confronts the cowards that don't have the guts to fall in love with love. So you see – it's like Isobel has returned”.

The lyrics to both “Isobel” and “Bachelorette” were penned by long-time collaborator, Icelandic poet Sjón. The repeating phrase “moth delivers her message/unexplained on your collar” in the chorus is a reference to when Björk found a moth on her favourite shirt. She wore the shirt all day, and even removed it to go swimming, but the moth remained.

The surreal music video was shot in black and white by director Michel Gondry. It features a number of dream-like images. Björk plays a piano that is full of pipes that fill it with water. Children play in the water, and wear masks. Björk is later shown lying beside a river wearing a dress with lights in it. She pulls some light bulbs off her dress and plants them in the ground. The light bulbs grow and act as incubators or cocoons for toy airplanes inside them. When the airplanes grow big enough, they break out of the bulbs and fly away. At the same time, numerous skyscrapers grow out of the ground and eventually are covered in cockroaches. Björk is also shown walking through the countryside, up a mountain, and beside a river.

In a forest pitch-dark
Glowed the tiniest spark
It burst into a flame
Like me, like me

My name Isobel
Married to myself
My love Isobel
Living by herself

In a heart full of dust
Lives a creature called Lust
It surprises and scares
Like me, like me

My name Isobel
Married to myself
My love Isobel
Living by herself

When she does it, she means to
Moth delivers her message
Unexplained on your collar
Crawling in silence
A simple excuse

Nana na nana
Nana na nana
Nana na nana
Nana na nana

In a tower of steel
Nature forges a deal
To raise wonderful hell
Like me, like me

My name Isobel
Married to myself
My love Isobel
Living by herself

When she does it, she means to
Moth delivers her message
Unexplained on your collar
Crawling in silence
A simple excuse

Nana na nana
Nana na nana
Nana na nana
Nana na nana




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