Sunny Sunday’s Song Of The Day: Bjork’s, “All Is Full Of Love”

I’ve written about how much I love Bjork. For as “weird” as she’s considered, whenever I’ve played her music in social settings, people whom I wouldn’t expect have surprised me by knowing who she is, quickly saying, “I love Bjork.” There’s a special quality about her music that’s hard to put a finger on. I’ve found it to have a peaceful and calming effect in otherwise contentious social settings.

It’s not Bjork’s style to preach. When she knows truth, she speaks it, simply, with raw honesty, raw beauty, and raw clarity. Such is the case when she sings about love in her song, “All Is Full Of Love.”

I believe that the very fiber of her music and her being is love.

Here are some things I appreciate about this song.

It’s refreshing in its sound. Whereas the time signature is the common 4/4 (count four beats), her choice of instrumentation provides a rich integration of acoustic and electronic sounds, subtly, yet powerfully, weaving tension with resolution. I particularly love her use of the harp and bell-like sounds, uplifting, symbolizing love.

A lot of Bjork’s music transcends genres, and this song is one of them. There’s something refreshing in unplugging my brain from familiar constructs, allowing it to explore new, unchartered territory.

Bjork has an incredible voice. I chose to include the below live performance to demonstrate this. I recommend watching the video to the end where she holds a note for an impressively long time. I also love this performance because to me she looks so wise, in full knowing.

I’ve also included a video below that provides a great music theory analysis of this song from ixi, who is knowledgeable and entertaining.

An aside, Bjork has talked about how, throughout her career, whenever she’s collaborated with other musicians, that often the collaborators have received credit for the collaboration. When, in fact, it’s been the opposite, she’s written her own arrangements. This song presents an example of her genius.

Enjoy, and have a wonderful day!

Lyrics:

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

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

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)

And be the little angel (all is full of love)

All is full of love (all is full of love)

All is full of love (All is full of love)

All (all is full of love)

All is full of love (all is full of love)

(All is full of love) repeat