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5 years ago I bought my first Bjork album... I was only 11 years old. It was May 3, 2003, and I remember it as if it were yesterday: I was at Bennet to have my parents obligatorily buy me something for my birthday. So I rushed to the audio-video corner and saw something that immediately changed my life, as if it were a precious object... that CD, "Greatest Hits" by Bjork (which I won't forget to say: it's written with two dots on the "O" but I can't type them on the keyboard) caught my eye partly because of the evocative and pure packaging and partly because of that song, that video I had seen a while ago on All Music, where drops of mercury entered the nose, mouth... and exited through the eyes of the Icelandic girl, as if she were showing us what she is made of: pure poetry.
Hidden Place.
The incredible voice of that little big woman entered my skin like a needle, her techno-digital sounds that imitated the noises of snow, machines, and nature were always ahead of the others, lost in a pop limbo. She is fantasy in flesh and blood.
The "Greatest Hits" caught my eye with its light price of 15,90€, with that snow-white cover and an eight-headed black and white monster casually featured on the cover. The temptation was irresistible. And that album saved me.
Having shaken off the pop hangover I previously listened to, all Madonna and Pink, I literally got lost in those 15 tracks. The first chimes of "All Is Full Of Love", in that remixed version for the video clip, were enough to fall into a spiral of emotions: a fluid rhythmic, almost amniotic and Miss Betulla's voice is so pure it seems like the chime of a spoon tapping on a crystal glass, and as the song progresses, her voice becomes a powerful charge of sensations. A hypersonic vortex, on a melody between classical and hypermodern, between violins and cheap-idm electronics. Still hypnotized by the estranging beauty of that piece, "Hyperballad" overwhelmed me: perhaps the best love song of the '90s, the rhythm, like a train, suffocates the chasing violins. Bjork weaves a first-rate vocal melody that moves quite a bit. Pure skill. "Human Behaviour" surprises: from the beautiful forays into ballads, the track from Bjork's false debut "Debut" is extreme dance of a tribal nature: wild and childish, it reveals itself to be an avant-garde masterpiece, even after 15 years. The album, therefore, flows among some of the singles released by the Nordic nymph until 2002: all pinnacle of absolute beauty. How can you resist that pulsating martial march that is "Hunter", where the violins add a touch of Icelandic folk? How can you not get lost in the sublime and naive pop of "Hidden Place" or the archaic and sensationally poetic "Pagan Poetry"? Not to mention "Army Of Me", a bomb of techno-dance space, with almost metal bass and hypersonic alienation: Bjork deepens her voice and transforms into a sex symbol. A piece imitated by many other chanteuses of this period, whether Nordic or French, but never surpassed. "Jòga" is impossible not to mention: a diamond of a song, as beautiful as few in its alternation of poetic violins and harsh rhythms. A sweet and desperate melodic chorus. Immense.
A true musical manifesto.
Beauty turned into art.
A simple pleasure that becomes passion.
Love.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 All Is Full of Love (04:46)
You'll be given love
You'll be taken care of
You'll be given love
You have to trust it
Maybe not from the sources
You have poured yours into
Maybe not
From the directions
You are
Staring at
Twist your head around
It's all around you
All is full of love
All around you
All is full of love
You just ain't receiving
All is full of love
Your phone is off the hook
All is full of love
Your doors are all shut
All is full of love
right here
02 Hyperballad (05:23)
We live on a mountain
Right at the top
There's a beautiful view
From the top of the mountain
Every morning I walk towards the edge...
And throw little things off
Like car-parts, bottles and cutlery
Or whatever I find lying around.
It's become a habit
A way
To start the day
I go through all this
Before you wake up
So I can feel happier
To be safe up here with you
I go through all this
Before you wake up
So I can feel happier
To be safe up here with you
It's early morning
No-one is awake
I'm back at my cliff
Still throwing things off
I listen to the sounds they make
On their way down
I follow with my eyes 'til they crash
I imagine what my body would sound like
Slamming against those rocks
And when it lands
Will my eyes be closed or open?
I go through all this
Before you wake up
So I can feel happier
To be safe up here with you
I go through all this
Before you wake up
So I can feel happier
To be safe up here with you
I go through all this
Before you wake up
So I can feel happier
To be safe up here with you
(Safe up here...Safe up here (repeat lots))
03 Human Behaviour (04:13)
If you ever get close to a human
And human behaviour
Be ready, be ready to get confused
There's definitely, definitely, definitely no logic
To human behaviour
But yet so, yet so irresistible
And there's no map
and a compass
wouldn't help at all
They're terribly moody
And human behaviour
Then all of a sudden turn happy
But, oh, to get involved in the exchange
Of human emotions
Is ever so, ever so satisfying
Oh oh, and there's no map
Human behaviour, human
Human, human behaviour, human
Human, human behaviour, human
Human behaviour, human
And there's no map
And a compass
Wouldn't help at all
Human behaviour, human, human
Human behaviour, human,
Human behaviour, human,
Human behaviour
There's definitely, definitely, definitely no logic
Human, human
Human behaviour
Human
There's definitely, definitely, definitely no logic
Human, human, human, human.
04 Jóga (05:04)
All these accidents,
That happen,
Follow the dot,
Coincidence,
Makes sense,
Only with you,
You don't have to speak,
I feel.
Emotional landscapes,
They puzzle me,
The riddle gets solved,
And you push me up to this
State of emergency,
How beautiful to be,
State of emergency,
Is where I want to be.
All that no-one sees,
You see,
What's inside of me,
Every nerve that hurts,
You heal,
Deep inside of me, oo-oohh,
You don't have to speak,
I feel.
Emotional landscapes,
They puzzle me - confuse,
Then the riddle gets solved,
And you push me up to this
State of emergency,
How beautiful to be,
State of emergency,
Is where I want to be.
State of emergency,
How beautiful to be,
Emotional landscapes,
They puzzle me,
the riddle gets solved,
And you push me up to this
State of emergency,
How beautiful to be,
State of emergency,
Is where I want to be.
State of emergency,
How beautiful to be,
State of emergency,
State of, state of,
How beautiful,
Emergency,
Is where I want to be.
State of emergency,
How beautiful to be,
State of emergency,
Is where I want to be.
State of emergency,
How beautiful to be.
05 Bachelorette (05:17)
I'm a fountain of blood
In the shape of a girl
You're bird on the brim
Hypnotized by the whirl
Drink me - make me feel real
Wet your beak in the stream
The game we're playing is life
Love's a two way dream
Leave me now - return tonight
The tide will show you the way
If you forget my name you will go astray
Like a killer whale trapped in a bay
I'm a path of cinders
Burning under your feet
You're the one who walks me
I'm your one way street
I'm a whisper in water
A secret for you to hear
You are the one who grows distant
When I beckon you near
Leave me now - return tonight
The tide will show you the way
If you forget my name go astray
Like a killer whale trapped in a bay
I'm a tree that grows hearts
One for each that you take
You're the intruders hand
I'm the branch that you break
Life is a necklace of fears
Your uncried tears on a string
Our love will untie them - come here
Loving me is the easiest thing
06 Army of Me (03:56)
Stand up,
You've got to manage
I won't sympathize
Anymore
And if you complain once more
You'll meet an army of me
And if you complain once more
You'll meet an army of me
You're alright
There's nothing wrong
Self sufficience, please
And get to work
And if you complain once more
You'll meet an army of me
And if you complain once more
You'll meet an army of me
Army of me
You're on your own now
We won't save you
Your rescue squad
Is too exhausted
And if you complain once more
You'll meet an army of me
And if you complain once more
You'll meet an army of me
And if you complain once more
You'll meet an army of me
And if you complain once more
You'll meet an army of me
Army of me
07 Pagan Poetry (05:14)
pedalling through
the dark currents h
i find an accurate copy
a blueprint
of the pleasure in me
swirling
black lilies
totally ripe
a secret code carved
swirling
black lilies
totally ripe
he offers a handshake
crooked
five fingers
they form a pattern
yet to be matched
swirling
black lilies
totally ripe
on the surface simplicity
but the darkest pit in me
is pagan poetry
pagan poetry
swirling
black lilies
totally ripe
morse : coded : signals
they pulsate : they wake me up
from my
hibernate
on the surface simplicity
but the darkest pit in me
is pagan poetry
pagan poetry
i love him
this time
i'm gonna keep me to myself
this time
i'm gonna keep my all to myself
she loves him
but he makes me want to
hand myself over
she loves him
09 Venus as a Boy (04:41)
His wicked sense of humour
Suggests exciting sex
His fingers focus on her
Touches, he's Venus as a boy
He believes in beauty
He's Venus as a boy
He's exploring
The taste of her
Arousal
So accurate
He sets off
The beauty in her
He's Venus as a boy
He believes in beauty
He's Venus as a boy
10 Hunter (04:15)
If travel is searching
And home, what's been found
I'm not stopping
I'm going hunting
I'm the hunter
I'll bring back the goods
But I don't know when
Thought i could organise freedom
How Scandinavian of me
You sussed it out, didn't you?
You could smell it
So you left me on my own
To complete the mission
Now I'm leaving it all behind
I'm going hunting
I'm the hunter ....
11 Hidden Place (05:28)
through the warmthest cord of care
your love was sent to me
i'm not sure what to do with it
or where to put it
i'm so close to tear
and so close to
simply calling you up
and simply suggesting
we go to that hidden place
now, i have been slightly shy
but i can smell a pinch of hope
to almost have allowed once fingers
to stroke
the fingers i was given to touch with
but careful careful
there lies my passion hidden
there lies my love
i'll hide it under a blanket
lull it to sleep
i'll keep it in a hidden place
he's
the beautifullest
fragilest
still strong
dark and divine
and the littleness of his movements
hides himself
he invents a charm
that makes him invisible
hides in the hair
can i hide there too?
hide in the hair of him
seek solace
sanctuary
in that hidden place
12 Isobel (05:48)
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
in a tower of steel
nature forges a deal
to raise wonderfull 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
13 Possibly Maybe (05:07)
Your flirts finds me out
Teases the crack in me
Smittens me with hope
Possibly maybe, possibly maybe, possibly maybe.
As much as I definitely enjoy solitude
I wouldn't mind perhaps
Spending little time with you
Sometimes, sometimes
Possibly maybe probably love,
Possibly maybe probably love
Uncertainty excites me
Baby
Who knows what's going to happen?
Lottery or car crash
Or you'll join a cult
Probably maybe, possibly love
Probably maybe, possibly love
possibly
Mon petit vulcan
You're eruptions and disasters
I keep calm
Admiring your lava
I keep calm
Possibly maybe probably love
Possibly maybe probably love
Electric shocks
I love them
With you dozen a day
But after a while I wonder
Where's that love you promised me?
Where is it?
Possibly maybe probably love
Possibly maybe probably love
How can you offer me love like that?
My heart's burned
How can you offer me love like that?
I'm exhausted
Leave me alone
Possibly maybe, possibly maybe, possibly maybe.
Since we broke up
I'm using lipstick again
I suck my tongue
In remembrance of you
Possibly maybe, possibly maybe
Possibly maybe, possibly maybe
Possibly maybe, possibly maybe
14 Play Dead (03:57)
Darling stop confusing me
With your wishful thinking
Hopeful embraces
Don't you understand?
I have to go through this
I belong to here where
No-one cares and no-one loves
No light no air to live in
A place called hate
The city of fear
I play dead
It stops the hurting
I play dead
And the hurt stops
It's sometimes just like sleeping
Curling up inside my private tortures
I nestle into pain
Hug suffering
caress every ache
I play dead, It stops the hurting (repeated)
15 It's in Our Hands (04:15)
Look no further
Look no further
Look no further
Cruelest
Almost
always to ourselves
It mustn't get any better
Off
It's in our hands: it always was
It's in our hands: in our hands
It's all there: in our hands
It's all there: in our hands
Well
Aren't we scaring ourselves
Unneccesarliy?
Aren't we trying too hard?
'Cause it's in our hands
It's in our hands
It's all here:it`s in our hands
Look no further
Look no further
It's in our hands : it always was
It's in our hands
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