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It's Not Up To You Lyrics
I wake up
And the day feels
Broken
I tilt my head
I'm trying to get an angle
'Cause the evening
I've always longed for
It could still happen
How do I master
The perfect day
Six glasses of water
Seven phonecalls
If you leave it alone
It might just happen
Anyway
It's not up to you
Oh it never really was
It's not up to you
Oh it never really was
It's not up to you
Well it never really was
It's not up to you
If you wake up
And the day feels
Ah broken
Just lean into the crack
(Just lean into the crack)
And it will tremble
Ever so nicely
Notice
How it sparkles
Down there
I can decide
What I give
But it's not up to me
What I get given
Unthinkable surprises
About to happen
But what they are
It's not up to you
Well it never really was
It's not up to you
Oh it never really was
It's not up to you
Oh it never really was
It's not up to you
Oh, me, share
It's not up to you
It's not up to you
Oh, it never really was
It's not up to you
Well, it never really was
It's not up to you
It's not up to you
It's not up to you
It's not up to you
There's too much
Clinging
To peak
There's too much
Pressure
And the day feels
Broken
I tilt my head
I'm trying to get an angle
'Cause the evening
I've always longed for
It could still happen
The perfect day
Six glasses of water
Seven phonecalls
It might just happen
Anyway
Oh it never really was
It's not up to you
Oh it never really was
It's not up to you
Well it never really was
It's not up to you
And the day feels
Ah broken
Just lean into the crack
(Just lean into the crack)
And it will tremble
Ever so nicely
Notice
How it sparkles
Down there
What I give
But it's not up to me
What I get given
Unthinkable surprises
About to happen
But what they are
Well it never really was
It's not up to you
Oh it never really was
It's not up to you
Oh it never really was
It's not up to you
Oh, me, share
It's not up to you
It's not up to you
Oh, it never really was
It's not up to you
Well, it never really was
It's not up to you
It's not up to you
It's not up to you
It's not up to you
Clinging
To peak
There's too much
Pressure
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This song is just about going with the flow.
@Riko I disagree. It's not about going with the flow. It says that you shouldn't feel bad when you can't change things that need greater power than yours.
@Riko I disagree. It's not about going with the flow. It says that you shouldn't feel bad when you can't change things that need greater power than yours.
@Riko I think it's about waiting for the muse. you can't force it, you just have to be ready when it strikes.
@Riko I think it's about waiting for the muse. you can't force it, you just have to be ready when it strikes.
"How do I master/ the perfect day" I love that line. But to go off topic (kind of). Why would I want to master the perfect day. What makes life intereting to live is the combination of good and bad days, the suspense!
Just gorgeous and so inspiring. I have trouble giving up control. I must control everything or in my mind everything will fall apart. This song booms what i already know and makes me want to be better.
No matter how hard you try, you can't make the perfect day happen; you have to let it happen on its own.
I can decide What I give But it's not up to me What I get given
this is a good realization (which she probly made before also) but its good to think of when people are mean to you, and you could so easily be vengeful back but you just take the higher road.
the choir sort of reminds me of the wind.
the lyrics are explanatory enough. Björk uses such a lovely and easy philosophy for her lyrics!
i just love how this song is so simple and poignant at the same time... "I can decide what i give/ But it's not up to me what I get given" ...so true... love that line.
Ah, the beauty of destiny in action. Our best aims often thwarted and the lingering sadness these things throw off.
It's reassuring to tell yourself you are not in charge. It's a sanity check.
It's also a contradiction with "It's in our hands". Or maybe not. Individually, we may be weak, together, we are stronger.
I think that this one and "It's In Our Hands" actually express the same. In "It's In Our Hands" she says: look no further, it's right here; you already have all you need, don't be cruel to yourself: it mustn't get any better off. Nature should be enough for us, but we always foolishly struggle for more. In "It's Not Up To You" she says: there's too much clinging, too much pressure. You can't decide what you receive, so just accept things as they come to you. Don't struggle looking for some magic formula - it mustn't get any better off than...
I think that this one and "It's In Our Hands" actually express the same. In "It's In Our Hands" she says: look no further, it's right here; you already have all you need, don't be cruel to yourself: it mustn't get any better off. Nature should be enough for us, but we always foolishly struggle for more. In "It's Not Up To You" she says: there's too much clinging, too much pressure. You can't decide what you receive, so just accept things as they come to you. Don't struggle looking for some magic formula - it mustn't get any better off than this. Don't be cruel to yourself, it's not up to you... and I could even add: it's not meant to be a strife. So it's quite the same, you see.
I am reminded of preparations for a big event, like marriage or a family reunion. The song's reference to phonecalls and drinking water remind me of the stress that comes with contacting guests.
The narrator is with her lover while getting out of bed to answer a phonecall.