It's Oh So Quiet – English Lyrics

• By: björk

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the dynamic world of emotions through Björk's rendition of "It's Oh So Quiet." This song, a unique blend of jazz and pop, offers a vivid lesson in contrasting feelings — from serene quiet to explosive excitement. Discover how music can capture the full spectrum of human experience, and learn the language of love, surprise, and everything in between.

[English]

Shhhh, Shhhh

It's, oh, so quiet

Shhhh Shhhh

It's, oh, so still

Shhhh Shhhh

You're all alone

Shhh Shhh

And so peaceful until...

You fall in love

Zing boom

The sky up above

Zing boom

Is caving in

Wow bam

You've never been so nuts about a guy

You wanna laugh you wanna cry

You cross your heart and hope to die

'Til it's over and then...

Shhhh, Shhhh

It's nice and quiet

Shhhh, Shhhh

But soon again

Shhhh, Shhhh

Starts another big riot

You blow a fuse

Zing boom

The devil cuts loose

Zing boom

So what's the use

Wow bam

Of falling in love?

It's, oh, so quiet

It's, oh, so still

You're all alone

And so peaceful until...

You ring the bell

Bim bam

You shout and you yell

Hi ho ho

You broke the spell

Gee, this is swell you almost have a fit

This guy is "gorge" and I got hit

There's no mistake this is it

'Til it's over and then...

It's nice and quiet

Shhhh Shhhh

But soon again

Shhhh Shhhh

Starts another big riot

You blow a fuse

Zing boom

The devil cuts loose

Zing boom

So What's the use

Wow bam

Of falling in love?

The sky caves in

The devil cuts loose

You blow blow blow blow blow your fuse

Aaaaah!

When you fall in love...

Ssshhhhhh...

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
quiet /ˈkwaɪ.ət/ A2	adjective - not noisy, silent
still /stɪl/ A2	adjective - not moving or changing
love /lʌv/ A2	noun - deep affection or attachment verb - to feel deep affection for someone
fall /fɔːl/ A2	verb - to move downward
sky /skaɪ/ A1	noun - the space over the earth
boom /buːm/ A2	noun - a loud explosive noise verb - to produce a loud noise
fuse /fjuːz/ B1	noun - a cord for igniting an explosive verb - to ignite or set on fire
loose /luːs/ B2	adjective - not firmly fixed in place
fuse /fjuːz/ B1	noun - a cord for igniting an explosive verb - to ignite or set on fire
riot /ˈraɪ.ət/ B2	noun - a violent disturbance of the peace
spell /spɛl/ B1	noun - a period of time
pause /pɔːz/ B2	noun - a temporary stop
fuse /fjuːz/ B1	noun - a cord for igniting an explosive

Key Grammar Structures

• It's, oh, so quiet

  ➔ Subject-Verb-Adverb Intensifier-Adjective. The use of "so" intensifies the adjective "quiet."

  ➔ The structure expresses a state of being with emphasis on the degree of quietness. "It's" is a contraction of "It is". The "oh" adds an emotional tone.

• You're all alone

  ➔ Subject-Verb-Adverb-Adjective. "All" functions as an adverb intensifying "alone."

  ➔ Expresses a state of being completely isolated. "You're" is a contraction of "You are".

• Is caving in

  ➔ Present continuous tense indicating an action in progress. "Caving in" is a phrasal verb meaning to collapse or fall inward.

  ➔ Describing the sky collapsing, used metaphorically to represent overwhelming emotions.

• You wanna laugh you wanna cry

  ➔ Informal use of "wanna" (want to) + infinitive. Repetition emphasizes the conflicting desires.

  ➔ Expresses mixed and intense emotions, characteristic of being in love.

• You cross your heart and hope to die

  ➔ Idiomatic expression, a vow to tell the truth or keep a promise. Uses simple present tense for general truth.

  ➔ Emphasizes the sincerity of the feeling, even exaggeratedly.

• So what's the use of falling in love?

  ➔ Interrogative sentence questioning the purpose or benefit of something. "What's" is a contraction of "what is". "The use of + gerund" structure is common for asking about purpose.

  ➔ Expresses doubt or cynicism about love, possibly due to previous negative experiences.

• This guy is "gorge" and I got hit

  ➔ Use of slang ("gorge" short for gorgeous) and passive voice ("I got hit"). Connective "and" joins two independent clauses.

  ➔ Expresses strong attraction and the sudden impact of falling in love. "I got hit" implies being struck emotionally or romantically.

• There's no mistake this is it

  ➔ Existential "there is" ("There's" is the contraction) followed by "no" + noun. Demonstrative pronoun "this" referring to the current situation and pronoun "it" as placeholder

  ➔ Expresses absolute certainty or conviction about the feeling of love being real and significant.