Bjork - Oceania

This is Bjork performing "Oceania," from her album Medulla, at the 2004 Athens Summer Olympics

• Category

  Music

[robokopo]

I think very few of that audience understood the ephemeric beauty of her music, they were surely expecting something cheap and spectacular.

[drstrangeluv3975]

Yes, Actually, she wanted to sing live, but in the trip to athens, the track without her voice ended damaged. The production couldnt find other track in time, so she has not other chance to do playback. But she refused to use a fake microphone.

[Аня Жулиана Пюлщка]

I just assumed it was the ocean singing to world, or maybe a love song about a naiad of some sort, and the dress is just supposed to be evocative of that, is there some other meaning?

[robokopo]

Mmmmm... And you think that you are so smart and you understand the true meaning because you see something that majority does not see?

[robokopo]

And you really think I am interested with your "do not comment"? Yo do not comment, if that is your wish... And, yes, if you don't know words, then look for them, learn them, and only then comment...

[lvleminckx]

Well, the song itself is amazing but I don't grasp how you can say that the performance is amazing given that everybody seems to agree that 1) it is play back 2) the filming is shitty... But I agree on you that Bjork songs are usually difficult to understand, although I would say that Oceania is one of the most simples (it's a pure vocal song, that's why I don't get why the audience would not understand it...)

[drstrangeluv3975]

It's a pity that I have to agree with him. If people had really understood this perfomance, they would still be talking about this.I mean, I have seen a lot of perfomances,but this one, is one of the most meaningful, misterious, and underrated of all. I'm not saying that everyone is dumb, is jusy that is really hard to understand bjork at first. (I say this by my own exprience)

[drstrangeluv3975]

well, I heard this on tv, so I decided to search more info... some people say that is a rumour, and that, actually, the importance of the event made playback necessary (such as perfomances on the superbowl)... however, there is a version with the "acapella begining" that was used for the medulla promo (i'm almost sure that must be on youtube). meanwhile, look her amazing live perfomance: /watch?v=M54wswKz75I

[lvleminckx]

Mmhmmh. You mean that you think that everybody in the audience is dumb and mainstream, and you on the contrary are so smart that you understand the true meaning of Bjork's music ? (funny thing is that a majority likes your comment ; a majority of people who think they are the "few" who "understood the ephemeric beauty")

[lvleminckx]

How come then that the beginning is accapella ? That version must have been prepared for the olympics... I'd be glad to hear your sources for that information. I think that she sang playback because it would be so difficult to re-sing something as perfect as it is on the album and she is right : that version is beautiful and deserves to be on the olympics.

[yannis zaxaro]

you just think wrong... better keep the cheap for whatever country you come from.. that was in Greece 2004 .. and do not comment in fake crisis when usa just vote a new law for unlimited debt... ..what do you mean by ephemeric? is there some misspelling?

[LAkate888]

Truly mystical.