Deconstructing Björk's Isobel

[eNtRopY]

Deconstructing Björk's "Isobel"

I think my favorite Björk video is Isobel. However, I must admit, I have some difficulty fully understanding the meaning of this song.

:: Isobel Lyrics

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

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

Crawling in silence
A simple excuse
Nana na nana, nana na nana X6

Here is a link to the video: http://www.bjork.com/videogallery/ .

Tell me your interpretation.

eNtRopY

 

[eNtRopY]

My own interpretation of this piece is that Isobel represents the Björk's child-like nature. In the video, you see useless technology sprouting from the Earth as if it were growing like weeds. I believe this is Björk's interpration of technology. She doesn't know how advanced devices are made, for all she knows they sprout from the ground. But frankly, she doesn't see how they benefit for mankind, and I think from this simplisitic perspective, she has a good point. What good have war-machines ever done any of us? What good has industrialized society done for us?

Of course my interpretation my be entirely off. Let me know what you think.

eNtRopY

 

[Monique]

Well, I haven't seen the video or heard the song, but when I read the lyrics you provided.. I would believe the song is about mastrubation?

The forest, pubic hair, the tiny little spark.. clitoris.. burst into flame.. orgasm.. married to herself.. mastrubation.. crawling in silence, little excuse.. same thing.. tower of steel.. the you know what?

Anyway, that is my little interpretation

 

[Zero]

Originally posted by Monique
Well, I haven't seen the video or heard the song, but when I read the lyrics you provided.. I would believe the song is about mastrubation?

The forest, pubic hair, the tiny little spark.. clitoris.. burst into flame.. orgasm.. married to herself.. mastrubation.. crawling in silence, little excuse.. same thing.. tower of steel.. the you know what?

Anyway, that is my little interpretation

You pervert!

 

[eNtRopY]

Originally posted by Monique
Well, I haven't seen the video or heard the song, but when I read the lyrics you provided.. I would believe the song is about mastrubation?

The forest, pubic hair, the tiny little spark.. clitoris.. burst into flame.. orgasm.. married to herself.. mastrubation.. crawling in silence, little excuse.. same thing.. tower of steel.. the you know what?

Anyway, that is my little interpretation

Hmmm... interesting theory. I suppose the lyrics do seem a bit sexually suggestive. I would like to know how the little airplanes sprouting from the ground, hatching from lighbulbs, and flying away like insects fit into this picture.

Watch the video and tell me. I have posted a link to QuickTime video above.

eNtRopY

 

[pace]

If you've seen the documentary about her, she explains that song.

It's about a girl who mentally locks herself from all the buzz in the city, who builds her own little tower outside from it, in the forest. She tells it's about how a small part of her felt she needed to lock herself alittle from all the buzz in the city, wereas she was from a very silent and naturistic place like iceland.

The documentary is with comments by Elton John, Missy Eliot, Sean Penn among others.

 

[eNtRopY]

Originally posted by pace
It's about a girl who mentally locks herself from all the buzz in the city, who builds her own little tower outside from it, in the forest. She tells it's about how a small part of her felt she needed to lock herself alittle from all the buzz in the city, wereas she was from a very silent and naturistic place like iceland.

What city? Certainly not Reykjavik. Are you talking about metropolitan life in general? Why is the city growing from the Earth in the video? Why is her name Isobel?

eNtRopY

 

[pace]

Originally posted by eNtRopY
What city? Certainly not Reykjavik. Are you talking about metropolitan life in general? Why is the city growing from the Earth in the video? Why is her name Isobel?

eNtRopY

If I'm not remembering wrong, the name means something of an outsider or someone that is 'locked out'(or was it 'frozen'?). The city Bjørk lived in at that time was London I think. At the time she worked at the Post record she was working with Goldie and other english underground artists.

 

[Monique]

Originally posted by Zero
You pervert!

Why? It only started to make sense to me at 'married to myself'

Anyway, I didn't see the video or hear the song so that explains a lot, sorry!

 

[eNtRopY]

Originally posted by Monique
Why? It only started to make sense to me at 'married to myself'

Anyway, I didn't see the video or hear the song so that explains a lot, sorry!

Well, she's Dutch... and you know how much the Dutch think about getting off... I can only say that since I am 1/4 Dutch by ancestory... I think that's the part of me that makes me a little perverted as well.

eNtRopY

 

[Monique]

Why? Because of the language I used? The Dutch are very open about issues like that so don't be surprised :)

 

[pace]

Dutch is open about sex, Americans about violence.

 

[eNtRopY]

Originally posted by pace
Dutch is open about sex, Americans about violence.

I would suggest rather that Americans are open about competition. I have never come across any culture as competitive as the American culture. You see, if you would spend any time in America, you would learn that the emphasis is on the winning not on the hurting. Of course, when you take competition to the extreme, things can become quite violent quite fast.

Also, like I've stated before, Americans are more motivated by money than any other culture. Hell, we'd kill 10,000 Iraqi babies if we thought it would help our economy.

eNtRopY

 

[pace]

Sorry, but you don't win much in sports though?

Another thing, I've heard you have really few vacations, like our summer holiday we get like 3 weeks ordinary and you get almost none?

 

[pace]

I guess sporting is as much dwelling into a thing as competition though. If you're competitious in all parts of life you certainly gotto be much more of an competitious soul yes?

 

[Monique]

Yes, and did you know that Americans get only a month (maybe two) time off when the mom delivers a baby? In Europe it must be close to a full year right?

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Originally posted by eNtRopY
Hell, we'd kill 10,000 Iraqi babies if we thought it would help our economy.

eNtRopY

Ouch. I don't support such actions, but I fear that you may be right. Of course, no one really wants to believe that this is what happens.

 

[pace]

Originally posted by Monique
Yes, and did you know that Americans get only a month (maybe two) time off when the mom delivers a baby? In Europe it must be close to a full year right?

Something like that I think.