Venus As A Boy

Album: Debut (1993)
Charted: 29
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Björk (from Record Collector, August 2002): "I think I wrote it in my living room in Iceland and sang it into my dictaphone. Later, by accident, we were going through sounds and I found this broken bottle sound. It wasn't intentional but it sounded great. It was one of the last songs recorded for Debut - the album was ready to go. Sometimes the more unpredictable side of me does several headstands and flicks-flacks once the album has been delivered and the best song come out. It is about a specific person but I've always been very protective. I've never told the press who a song is about and I always make sure I tell the person themselves. I've shown people lyrics and asked them to live with them for a week, to make sure they would feel comfortable." ' >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Edward Pearce - Ashford, Kent, England
  • It is widely believed that Björk wrote this for her then boyfriend, Bristol DJ Dom Thrupp, who later went out with Jenny Frost of Atomic Kitten. >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Edward Pearce - Ashford, Kent, England, for above 2
  • The music video was inspired by one of Björk's favorite books, Story of the Eye, a 1928 erotic novella by French author Georges Bataille. Sophie Muller, then known for a string of popular videos for the Eurythmics and Annie Lennox, directed the clip, which shows the singer in her kitchen making eggs.
  • It was Debut producer Nellee Hooper who introduced Björk to keyboard player and programmer Marius de Vries. The English studio whiz gave Debut a modern style with the use of keyboards and synthesizers. De Marius recalled his contribution to this track, during an interview with Uncut magazine:

    "I remember the day 'Venus as a Boy' found its tone. It was at a primitive stage of composition, and Bjork and I met at Nellee's house, after an extravagant night out. I wasn't quite on my game, and I cued up a bunch of sound files from another project, which had a strong Bollywood flavor. The computer was triggering tablas and squeaky sitar samples. As I was apologizing to Bjork she said, 'Hang on a minute, don't do anything!' At the end, she turned and said, 'Oh Marius, this is great!' It was like an act of God."

Comments: 1

  • Radiosend from Seville, SpainThe video from this song is based on the book "The story of the eye".
    Björk never wanted to get the egg fried.
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