Here’s one from my WXPN list of Greatest Songs by Women. The not-yet-mononomous Bjôrk Guðmundsdóttir fronted the Icelandic avant-rock sextet the Sugarcubes when she wrote the lyrics to the song that broke the band, and Icelandic music in general, to a world audience in 1987.
Of the enigmatic lyrics she said, “It was only an atmosphere I was trying to describe. The only thing I was doing consciously, that was mixing together pure innocence and pure… well, not danger, but something, you know, evil. Evil in an unreal way.” Her vocals, oscillating from childlike softness to throat-rending howls, and a muted trumpet convey the creepy sweetness.
The song was featured on the band’s first LP released outside Iceland, “Life’s Too Good,” and quickly took off with the enthusiastic backing of influential British DJ John Peel. It topped the British Independent Singles chart and made lots of year-end lists, and still turns up on various magazine greatest-song lists.
The English-language “Birthday” was actually a re-recording of the Icelandic version, “Ammæli,” which had been released in the island nation the previous year. I actually think it sounds better in Icelandic, though I wish the video quality were better.
