Poking fun at motherhood: The lighthearted song Björk co-wrote with her daughter
Many musicians have distinctive aesthetics, but perhaps no one is more exceptional and striking than Björk. The Icelandic innovator of the avant-garde is probably one of the most experimental musicians to have ever lived, and her music often deals with various existential themes and issues, from self-identification to environmental and natural topics.
An artist as individualistic as Björk naturally prompts curiosity about her influences, the initial drive behind her career choice, and how she bravely tackles unconventional themes and musical arrangements. In reality, however, Björk’s artistry draws from many threads, including the trailblazing singers who broke the mould before her.
For instance, Joni Mitchell’s more experimental, jazz-leaning album Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter first taught the singer about vocal control and geographical visceral context. “It has probably had the biggest influence on me,” Björk explained during an interview with Mojo. “It has the stark, Northern thing where you look out your window and there are no trees. This album is really under-appreciated.”
Although Björk found a longtime favourite in the album, so much so that she has yet to attempt any reimagining of the treasured songs, many more influences sit a little closer to home. like most artists, the performer’s first set of inspirations can be found in the simple mechanics of living on Earth. The people, the relationships, the difficulties and the joys of humanity can be found in her work. Her daughter, for instance, left a hole in her soul when she left home, an experience that inspired her to write ‘Her Mother’s House’, which she wrote and recorded in collaboration with her daughter.
When Isadóra Bjarkardóttir Barney left home, Björk was struck by how clingy she had become as a mother, almost laughably, and so she filtered this tongue-in-cheek element into the song. In fact, to make the tune appear as truthful and authentic as possible, she told Isadóra to be as honest as she wanted to be about their relationship.
The result was a track that appeared incredibly heartfelt and amusing as they each navigated a transitional period underscored by their unseverable bond. “A mother’s house / Has a room for each child / It’s only describing the interior / Of her heart,” she sings. According to Björk, the lyrics purposefully poke fun at her full-on parenting and overprotectiveness.
“I’m trying to make fun of how clumsy and clingy you can be,” she elaborated to Uncut magazine. “When your kids are leaving, you gather up your courage to do a really graceful goodbye, and of course for five years you are still saying goodbye, and they are still coming back because you have to help them through things,” she added. Continuing, “So, asking my daughter to do this song with me was really trying to make fun of myself.”
