Isobel

For other uses, see Isobel (disambiguation).

"Isobel"
Single by Björk
from the album Post
B-side	"Charlene" "I Go Humble" "Sweet Intuition"
Released	August 14, 1995
Format	CD, 12"
Genre	ambient, Trip-Hop, Electronica
Length	5:47
Label	One Little Indian
Writer(s)	Björk, Nellee Hooper, Marius de Vries, Sjón
Producer	Björk Nellee Hooper
Björk singles chronology
"Army of Me" (1995) "Isobel" (1995) "It's Oh So Quiet" (1995) Alternative cover UK CD2 EUR CD FRA CD promo

"Isobel" is a song by Icelandic singer Björk. It was released as the second single from her 1995 album Post. The lyrics describe a primitive girl who seems to be a personification of Mother Nature, and who tries to warn the technological world of its potential dangers. The music is underscored by lush strings, electronic beats, and a cinematic, orchestral introduction that eventually fades into a jungle influenced beat. The song was rumored to have been inspired by the piece "The Wonderful Widow of 18 Springs" by John Cage.

Background

Björk has stated that a track on Homogenic, "Bachelorette", is a continuation of "Isobel". In an interview with Paper in September 1997, Björk explains, "So Isobel decides to return to the city and to take a train, like in the 30's, in South America somewhere. She decides to confront love with love and confronts the cowards that don't have the guts to fall in love with love. So you see - it's like Isobel has returned." Björk's other songs "Human Behaviour", "Alarm Call", and "Wanderlust" are also believed to be part of the "Isobel cycle".

The lyrics to both "Isobel" and "Bachelorette" were penned by long-time collaborator, Icelandic poet Sjón. The repeating phrase "moth delivers her message/unexplained on your collar" in the chorus is a reference to when Björk found a moth on her favourite shirt. She wore the shirt all day, and even removed it to go swimming, but the moth remained.

Björk had also decelerated this song is dedicated to "Elis Regina", one of the most famous and talented Brazilian singer, dead in 1982. The name Isobel is maybe the mix between her first name "Elis" and "B" and" "O" in Björk's name.

"I Go Humble"

The B-side "I Go Humble" is an exact replica of an electronic composition by the British techno band LFO albeit with vocals by Björk being sung over it. The original track can be found on the LFO album Advance, and is titled "Shove Piggy Shove". "Declare Independence" (Björk's 28th single, and third from her album Volta) was originally conceived as an individual electronic composition, without any vocal track, by Mark Bell and was played at his live LFO shows over a year before Björk's release of the "Declare Independence" single.

Music video

Björk harvests planes from the lamps she has seeded in the Isobel music video

The surreal music video was shot in black and white, near Dolgellau, by director Michel Gondry. It features a number of dream-like images. Björk plays a piano that is full of pipes that fill it with water. Children play in the water, and wear masks. Björk is later shown lying beside a river wearing a dress with lights in it. She pulls some light bulbs off her dress and plants them in the ground. The light bulbs grow and act as incubators or cocoons for toy airplanes inside them. When the airplanes grow big enough, they break out of the bulbs and fly away. At the same time, numerous skyscrapers grow out of the ground and eventually are covered in cockroaches. Björk is also shown walking through the countryside, up a mountain, and beside a river.

Speaking on Eurotrash she explained the song this way: "It's the story of Isobel. She was born in a forest, by a spark, and as she grew she realised that the pebbles on the forest floor were skyscrapers, and by the time she was a grown up woman and the skyscrapers had taken over the forest she found herself in a city and she didn't like all the people there so much because they were a bit too clever for her. She decided to send to the world all these moths that she trained to go and fly all over the world, to go inside windows of people's houses, the ones that are too clever, and they sit on their shoulders and remind them to stop being clever and start to function by their instincts. And they do that by singing 'Na, na na, na na na, na na..' to them. And they say 'Oh, sorry, I was being all clever there', and they start functioning on instinct." She told the programme that she worked well with Gondry: "I guess I've got a soft spot for scientists. When I was in school I used to fall for the boys with the thick glasses who sat at the back of the class and had insect collections round their house, and I guess, in a certain way, Michel fits on to that."

Track listing

UK CD1

(172TP7CD; Released: August, 1995)

1. "Isobel" – 5:48
2. "Charlene" – 4:45
3. "I Go Humble" – 4:46
4. "Venus as a Boy" (Harpsichord) – 2:13

UK CD2

(172TP7CDL; Released: 1995)

1. "Isobel" – 5:48
2. "Isobel" (Deodato Mix) – 6:11
3. "Isobel" (Siggtriplet Blunt Mix) – 4:50
4. "Isobel's Lonely Heart" (Goldie Remix) – 8:09

UK CD promo

(172TP7CDR; Released: 1995)

1. "Isobel" (radio edit) – 3:38
2. "Isobel" (Radio, Radio Edit) – 3:08

UK 12" vinyl

(193TP12GH; Released: 1997)

Side A

1. "Isobel's Lonely Heart" (Goldie Remix)

Side B

1. "Hyperballad" (Robin Hood Riding Through the Glen Mix)

EUR CD

(579850-2; Released: 1995)

1. "Isobel" – 5:47
2. "Charlene" – 4:44

EUR CD

(579851-2; Released: August, 1995)

1. "Isobel" – 5:47
2. "Isobel" (Deodato Mix) – 6:09
3. "Isobel" (Siggtruplet Blunt Mix) – 4:49
4. "Isobel Lonely Heart" (Goldie Mix) – 8:09

DEU CD promo

(NO 1; Released: 1995)

1. "Isobel" (radio edit) – 3:38
2. "Isobel" (Radio, Radio Edit) – 3:08

FRA CD

(577 703-2; Released: 1995)

1. "Isobel" – 5:46
2. "Isobel" (Deodato Mix) – 6:09
3. "I Go Humble" – 4:44
4. "Sweet Intuition" – 4:42

FRA CD promo

(3185; Released: 1995)

1. "Isobel" (radio edit) – 3:35
2. "Isobel" (Radio, Radio Edit) – 3:08

FRA CD promo

(3219; Released: 1995)

1. "Isobel" (Deodato Mix Edit) – 4:10
2. "Isobel" (radio edit) – 3:35

FRA 12" vinyl

(2580; Released: 1995)

Side A

1. "Isobel" (Dim's Enchanted Forest) – 9:31

Side B

1. "Isobel" (Transfunk Mix) – 8:40
2. "Isobel" (LN's Remix) – 6:40

Side C

1. "Isobel" (Dim's Ol' School Instrumental) – 7:35

Side D

1. "Isobel" (Dim's Hi Contact French Touch) – 7:24

US CD promo

(PRCD 9236-2; Released: 1995)

1. "Isobel" – 5:49

Remixes

• Deodato mix
• Dim's Enchanted Forest
• Dim's Hi Compact French Touch
• Dim's Old School Dubstramental
• Isobel's Lonely Heart (Goldie remix)
• Ln's remix
• Radio mix
• Siggtriplet Blunt mix
• The Carcass mix
• Transfunk mix
• Xiu Xiu

Charts

Chart Peak position Finnish Singles Chart 18 UK Singles Chart 23 New Zealand Singles Chart 47 External links [1]