Björk – Atopos Lyrics

“Atopos” is the lead single from Björk’s 10th album Fossora. The title comes from the Greek word “ἄτοπος” meaning “unusual” or “out of place”, relating to the song’s themes of disconnection and the angular beats and bass clarinets forming a sonic labyrinth throughout. The name also coincidentally belongs to a genus of carnivorous, air-breathing land slugs.

Inspired by Roland Barthes’ book A Lover’s Discourse, “Atopos” is a love song where Björk asks herself various questions about the relationship with her partner in order to show empathy and resolve mutual problems. In a brief description of the lyrics in an interview with The Guardian, she said:

Sometimes, when I really love someone, I will have an interrogation lyric and it’s disguised as my doubts, because I want to be nice – but it’s actually their doubts.

[Chorus]
Are these not just excuses to not connect?
Our differences are irrelevant
To only name the flaws
Are excuses to not connect

[Verse 1]
I bow to all that you’ve given me
Thank you for staying while we learn
To find our resonance where we do connect
To find our resonance where we do connect

[Verse 2]
If we don’t grow outwards towards love
We’ll implode inwards towards destruction
If my plant doesn’t reach towards you
There’s internal erosion towards all
Pursuing the light too hard is a form of hiding

[Chorus]
Are these not just excuses to not connect?
Our differences are irrelevant
To insist on absolute justice at all times
It blocks connection

[Outro]
Our union is stronger, our union is stronger than us
Hope is a muscle
That allows us to connect
Hope is a muscle
Hope is a muscle
Hope is a muscle
Hope is a muscle
That allows us to connect