Hollow

Album: Biophilia (2011)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Three years in the making, Biophilia involved input from a variety of sources including National Geographic and Apple. Bjork wrote this song after taking part in a DNA survey on National Geographic. She told NME: "On both sides, I was from boat people."
  • Bjork explained the song's meaning: "It's just the feeling when you start thinking about your ancestors and DNA that the grounds open below you and you can feel your mother and her mother, hand her mother, and her mother, and her mother 30,000 years back. So suddenly you're this kinda tunnel, or trunk of DNA… All these ghosts come up so it ended up begin a Halloween song and quite gothic in a way… It's like being part of this everlasting necklace when you're just a bead on a chain and you sort of want to belong and be a part of it and it's just like a miracle."
  • Biophilia, in collaboration with Apple, features unique apps for all ten tracks created to add multiple dimensions to each song. Bjork explained this song's app to NME: "You can see how DNA moves. Each protein is a part of the song. And you can cue up what you want to happen."
  • Björk collaborated with biomedical animator Drew Berry for the music video, which explores the inside of the singer's body. Berry explained: "The 'Hollow' music video is a powers-of-10 exploration of the microscopic and molecular landscapes inside Björk's body. The animation was constructed from molecular models of DNA and proteins derived from various forms of scientific data such as x-ray crystallography."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Alan Merrill of The Arrows

Alan Merrill of The ArrowsSongwriter Interviews

In her days with The Runaways, Joan Jett saw The Arrows perform "I Love Rock And Roll," which Alan Merrill co-wrote - that story and much more from this glam rock pioneer.

Dave Mason

Dave MasonSongwriter Interviews

Dave reveals the inspiration for "Feelin' Alright" and explains how the first song he ever wrote became the biggest hit for his band Traffic.

Peter Lord

Peter LordSongwriter Interviews

You may not recognize his name, but you will certainly recognize Peter Lord's songs. He wrote the bevy of hits from Paula Abdul's second album, Spellbound.

Rock Stars of Horror

Rock Stars of HorrorMusic Quiz

Rock Stars - especially those in the metal realm - are often enlisted for horror movies. See if you know can match the rocker to the role.

Bill Withers

Bill WithersSongwriter Interviews

Soul music legend Bill Withers on how life experience and the company you keep leads to classic songs like "Lean On Me."

Al Kooper

Al KooperSongwriter Interviews

Kooper produced Lynyrd Skynyrd, played with Dylan and the Stones, and formed BS&T.