Birthday

"Birthday" is a song written and recorded by Icelandic band The Sugarcubes for their 1988 debut album Life's Too Good. It was their first international single and the first single released from the album. The Icelandic-language version "Ammæli" was released on an Iceland-only single Einn Mol Á Mann (One Cube Per Head) the previous year and was included as the B-side on the international single. After "Birthday" became the single of the week in Melody Maker magazine and NME in August 1987, and was selected as number one in John Peel's Festive Fifty list, the band attained worldwide recognition and success. According to Björk, "Birthday" is a "tasteless pop song" about a five-year-old girl who has a love affair with the man next door, who is celebrating his fiftieth birthday.The chorus features Björk singing a wordless melody with a distinctive loudness and force of voice. This song was most recently covered by The Mars Volta. References 1.“It's a story about a love affair between a five year old girl, a secret and a man who lives next door. The song's called Birthday because it's his fiftieth birthday, but not many people can figure that out of the lyrics 'cos it's more about the atmosphere around it and how they touch. It's a tasteless pop song - not even that. A pop song - very unusual” B-side - "Christmas Eve"" Released - October 1987 (1987-10), Format - 7", 12", cassette, CD Genre - Alternative rock Length - 3:58 Label - One Little Indian Writer(s) - The Sugarcubes Producer - Ray Shulman, Derek Birkett

She lives in this house over there Has her world outside it Scrabbles in the earth with her fingers and her mouth She's five years old Threads worms on a string Keeps spiders in her pocket Collects fly wings in a jar Scrubs horse flies And pinches them on a line Ohhh...! She has one friend, he lives next door They're listening to the weather He knows how many freckles she's got She scratches his beard She's painting huge books And glues them together They saw a big raven It glided down the sky She touched it Ohh...! Today is her birthday They're smoking cigars He's got a chain of flowers And sews a bird in her knickers Ohhh...! They're smoking cigars They lie in the bathtub A chain of flowers