2001VESPERTINE

01  Hidden Place
02  Cocoon
03  It's Not Up To You
04  Undo
05  Pagan Poetry
06  Frosti
07  Aurora
08  An Echo, A Stain
09  Sun In My Mouth
10  Heirloom
11  Harm Of Will
12  Unison

HIDDEN PLACE

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
here 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

SONG INFO

"'Hidden Place' is sort of about how two people can create a paradise just by uniting. You've got an emotional location that's mutual. And it's unbreakable. And obviously it's make-believe. So, you could argue that it doesn't exist because it's invisible, but of course it does. And it's sort of a one-nil situation."

Written by Björk, Guy Sigsworth & Mark Bell. Produced by Björk. Hidden Place was not so hidden as it was the first single to be taken from the fourth studio album Vespertine (2001). The video marked also a new beginning as M/M Paris co directed the video with Inez & Vinoodh, and went on to collaboratively create the visuals and layout for the whole Vespertine album and a sequence of singles.

see more at the Hidden Place page on the Greatest Hits special.

COCOON

Who would have known : that a boy like him
would have entered me lightly restoring my blisses

Who would have known : that a boy like him
after sharing my core would stay going nowhere

Who would have known : a beauty this immense
who would have known : a saintly trance
who would have known : miraculous breath
to inhale a beard loaded with courage

Who would have known : that a boy like him
possessed of magical sensitivity
would approach a girl like me
who carresses
cradles
his head in a bosom

He slides inside
half awake / half asleep
we faint back
into sleephood
when i wake up
the second time in his arms : gorgeousness!
he's still inside me!

who would have known

A train of pearls
cabin by cabin
is shot precisely across an ocean
from a mouth

From

A

From a mouth of a girl like me

To a boy
To a boy
To a boy

SONG INFO

Written by Björk & Thomas Knak
Published by Universal Music Publishing/Copyright Control
Produced by Björk & Thomas Knak
Mixed by Mark "Spike" Stent
Programming by Thomas Knak & Björk

"I had to go to Denmark for a year. There was nothing going on. I was literally lying on the beach, looking at the ocean, with a ghetto blaster listening to Thomas Knak/Opiate's album. I realised he was from Copenhagen. I just called him up."
- Record Collector, August 2002

IT'S NOT UP TO YOU

I wake up
and the day feels broken
I tilt my head
I'm trying to get an angle

'Cause the evening
I've always longed for
it could still happen

How do I master
the perfect day
six glasses of water
seven phonecalls

If you leave it alone
it might just happen
anyway

It's not up to you - well, it never really was...

If you wake up
and the day feels a-broken
just lean into the crack
and it will tremble
ever so nicely
notice
how it sparkles
down there

I can decide what I give
but it's not up to me
what I get given

Unthinkable surprises
about to happen
but what they are

It's not up to you
well, it never really was...

There's too much
clinging
to peak
there's too much
pressure

SONG INFO

Written by Björk
Published by Universal Music Publishing
Produced by Björk
Mixed by Mark "Spike" Stent
Beat Programming by Valgeir Sigurdsson
Clavichord and Clavichord Arrangement by Guy Sigsworth
Harp Arrangement by Björk
Harp by Caryl Thomas
String Arrangement & Orchestration by Vince Mendoza
Choir Arrangement by Björk and Vince Mendoza
Protools/Recording Engineers: Jake Davies, Valgeir Sigurdsson & Leigh Jamieson

UNDO

It's not meant to be a strife
it's not meant to be a struggle uphill

You're trying too hard
surrender
give yourself in
you're trying too hard
you're trying too hard

It's not meant to be a strife
it's not meant to be a struggle uphill
sweetly
to enjoy
it's not meant to be a strife
it's not meant to be a struggle uphill

It's warmer now : lean into it
unfold in a generous way
surrender
surrender
undo

It's not meant to be a strife
it's not meant to be a struggle uphill

I'm praying
to be
in a generous mode
the kindness kind
the kindness kind
to share me
quietly ecstatic

It's not meant to be a strife
it's not meant to be a struggle uphill

Undo

Undo : if you're bleeding
Undo : if you're sweating
Undo : if you're crying

Undo

( u n r a v e l )

SONG INFO

Written by Björk & Thomas Knak
Published by Universal Music Publishing/Copyright Control
Produced by Björk
Mixed by Mark "Spike" Stent
Programming by Thomas Knak
Harp & Harp Arrangement by Zeena Parkins
String Arrangement & Orchestration by Vince Mendoza
Choir Arrangement by Björk
Protools: Jake Davies, Jan "Stan" Kybert" & Valgeir Sigurdsson

PAGAN POETRY

Pedalling through
the dark currents
I find an accurate copy
a blueprint
of the pleasure in me

Swirling black lilies totally ripe

A secret code carved : 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

SONG INFO

“We discussed how to do something with the moving image that was a mirror of what was happening musically. . . . It had to have a different look from the video footage and from the digitally altered video footage. I knew it had to look as luscious as possible,” Chaudoir says. “It’s stripping away the artifice and the digital effects, into the raw image of Björk.”

Pagan Poetry is written and produced by Björk. It is the second song to be taken off her fourth studio album "Vespertine" as a single. The video to the track is done by Nick Knight who previously photographed Björk for the Homogenic cover image. Production: Gainsbury & Whiting. Director of Photography: Simon Chaudoir.

Written by Björk
Published by Universal Music Publishing
Produced by Björk
Additional Production by Marius de Vries
Mixed by Mark "Spike" Stent
Programming by Jake Davies, Björk & Marius de Vries
Bassline by Björk
Music Box Arrangement by Björk
Adaptation for Music Box by Jack Perron
Harp Arrangement by Zeena Parkins & Björk

see more at the Pagan Poetry page on the Greatest Hits special.

FROSTI

(instrumental)

SONG INFO

Written by Björk
Published by Universal Music Publishing
Produced by Björk
Mixed by Mark "Spike" Stent
Music Box Arrangement by Björk
Adaptation to Music Box by Jack Perron

AURORA

Treading
the glacier head
looking hard for moments of shine
from twilight
to twilight

Ahhh...

Aurora
goddess sparkle
shoot me
beyond this suffer
the need is great

Aurora

Ahhh...

Aurora
goddess sparkle
a mountain shade
suggests your shape

I tumble down on my knees
fill the mouth with snow
the way
it
melts
I wish
to melt into you

Aurora

Ahhh...

Spark the sun off
Spark the sun off
Spark the sun off
Spark the sun off

SONG INFO

Written by Björk
Published by Universal Music Publishing
Produced by Björk
Mixed by Mark "Spike" Stent
Beat Programming by Matmos, Damian Taylor, Jake Davies & Björk
Additional Programming by Marius de Vries
Bassline by Björk
Harp Arrangement by Björk
Harp by Zeena Parkins
Protools/Recording Engineer: Jake Davies

AN ECHO, A STAIN

She touched
my arm
and smiled

One of these days soon : very soon

Love you till then
love you till then
feel my breath
on your neck
and your heart will race

Don't say no to me
you can't say no to me
I won't see you
denied

I'm sorry you saw that
I'm sorry he did it

An echo
A stain...
A stain . . .

I can't say no to you
I can't say no to you
say nothing

freefalling

complete

SONG INFO

Lyrics based on Sarah Kane's play "Crave".

Written by Björk & Guy Sigsworth
Published by Universal Music Publishing
Produced by Björk
Mixed by Mark "Spike" Stent
Beat Programming by Guy Sigsworth, Damian Taylor, Matmos & Marius de Vries
Celeste by Guy Sigsworth
Choir Arrangement by Guys Sigsworth & Vince Mendoza
String Arrangement & Orchestration by Vince Mendoza
Harp & Harp Arrangement by Zeena Parkins
String Arrangement & Orchestration by Vince Mendoza
Recording Engineers: Jake Davies & Valgeir Sigurdsson

SUN IN MY MOUTH

I will wade out
till my thighs
are steeped
in burning flowers

I will take the sun in my mouth
and leap into
the ripe air
alive : with closed eyes

To dash
against darkness

In the sleeping curves
of my body

I shall enter
fingers
of smooth mastery

With chasteness
of sea-girls
will I complete the mystery
of my flesh
will I
complete
the mystery
of my flesh
my flesh

La la la la la la la la la la la la la

SONG INFO

Written by Björk & Guy Sigsworth
Lyrics from "Impressions" by E. E. Cummings
Produced by Björk
Mixed by Mark "Spike" Stent
Programming by Valgeir Sigurdsson & Björk
Harp & Harp Arrangement by Björk
String Arrangement & Orchestration by Vince Mendoza
Recording Engineer: Valgeir Sigurdsson

The lines from "I will wade out/til My Thighs are steeped in burning flowers" copyright 1925, 1953, 1991 by the trustees for the E. E. Cummings
Trust, Copyright 1976 by George James Firmage, from: "Complete Poems: 1940-1962" by E. E. Cummings, edited by George J. Firmage. Used by
permission of Liveright Publishing Corporation.

HEIRLOOM

I have a recurrent dream
every time I lose my voice
I swallow little glowing lights
my mother and son baked for me

During the night
they do a trapeze walk
until they're in the sky
right above my bed

While i'm asleep
my mother and son pour into me
warm glowing oil
into my wide open throat

I have a recurrent dream
every time I feel a hoarseness
I swallow warm glowing lights
my mother and son baked for me

They make me feel so much better
They make me feel better

We have a recurrent dream
everytime we lose our voices
we dream we swallow little lights
our mother and sons bake for us

During the night
they do a little trapeze walk
until they're in the sky
right above our heads
right above our heads

While we're asleep
my mother and son pour into us
warm glowing oil
into our wide open throats

I have a recurrent dream...

They make me feel better
They make me feel better

SONG INFO

This song is based on the song "Crabcraft" by Console.

Written by Björk & Martin Console
Published by Universal Music Publishing/Flirt 99
Produced by Björk & Martin Console
Mixed by Mark "Spike" Stent
Programming by Martin Console
Vocals Recorded by Jake Davies

HARM OF WILL

If there's a troubador washing : it is he
If there's a man about town : it is he
It there's one to be sought : it is he
If there are nine she's : they are bought for me

This way is
as is she
and he placed her unclothed
long (long) longlegged

Atop the family tree

And if he has chosen the point
while she is under him
then leave her coily placed
crouched
sucking
him
for it is I with

Her on knee

I leave her
without pith
or feel
and leave her be : leave her be
for he controls
what there'll be
he makes
his face known to none
for if he is seen
then all will
and all will
know

Know me

SONG INFO

This song is written by Harmony Korine about Will Oldham. This is hinted at in the title of the song.

Written by Björk, Guy Sigsworth & Harmony Korine
Published by Universal Music Publishing/Copyright Control
Produced by Björk
Mixed by Mark "Spike" Stent
Vocal Editing by Björk
String Arrangement by Björk
Orchestration by Vince Mendoza
Choir Arrangement by Vince Mendoza
Celeste by Guy Sigsworth
Recording Engineer: Valgeir Sigurdsson

UNISON

One hand
loves the other
so much on me

Born stubborn, me
will always be
before you count 123
I will have grown my own private branch
of this tree

You : gardener
You : discipliner
domestically
I can obey all of your rules
and still be : be

I never thought I would compromise
I never thought I would compromise
I never thought I would compromise

Let's unite tonight
we shouldn't fight
embrace you tight
let's unite tonight

I thrive best
hermit style
with a beard and a pipe
and a parrot on each side
but now I can't do this without you

I never thought I would compromise
I never thought I would compromise
I never thought I would compromise

Let's unite tonight
we shouldn't fight
embrace you tight
let's unite tonight

One hand
loves the other
so much on me

Let's unite tonight
we shouldn't fight
embrace you tight
let's unite tonight

Let's unite tonight
we shouldn't fight
embrace you tight
let's
ahhh...

Unison

SONG INFO

Written by Björk
Published by Universal Music Publishing
Produced by Björk
Mixed by Mark "Spike" Stent
Programming by Matmos, Valgeir Sigurdsson, Damian Taylor, Guy Sigsworth & Björk
Harp Arrangement by Björk
Harp by Zeena Parkins
String Arrangement & Orchestration by Vince Mendoza
Choir Arrangement by Guy Sigsworth
Protools/Recording Engineers: Jake Davies & Valgeir Sigurdsson