"Army of Me" is a song recorded by Icelandic musician Björk for her second studio album ''

Post Post or POST commonly refers to: *Mail, the postal system, especially in Commonwealth of Nations countries **An Post, the Irish national postal service **Canada Post, Canadian postal service **Deutsche Post, German postal service **Iraqi Post, Ira ...

'' (1995). It was released on 24 April 1995 by

One Little Indian One Little Independent Records (formerly One Little Indian Records) is an English independent record label. It was set up in 1985 by members of various anarcho-punk bands, and managed by former Flux of Pink Indians bassist Derek Birkett. In ...

as the

lead single A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. Release s ...

from the album. The song was written and produced by Björk and

Graham Massey Graham Vernon Massey (born 4 August 1960 in Manchester) is a British record producer, musician, and remixer. Early career He was a member of experimental jazz rock group Biting Tongues, once signed to Factory Records. After recording with the ...

, who helped her in producing and writing the majority of her third album. Lyrically, the

industrial rock Industrial rock is a fusion genre that fuses industrial music and rock music. It initially originated in the 1970s, and drew influence from early experimental and industrial acts such as Cromagnon, Throbbing Gristle, Einstürzende Neubauten ...

and

techno-pop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s ...

song was inspired by the damaging behavior of Björk's brother, and in the lyrics, she tells him to stand up and to regain control of his life. It was well received by music critics, who noted its darkness and praised Björk's energy. "Army of Me" was a commercial success and the first single from Björk to enter the top 10 on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

. Björk premiered the song on some gigs during the

Debut Tour The Debut Tour was the first tour by Icelandic singer-songwriter Björk, and it mainly focused on her album ''Debut (Björk album), Debut''. She toured from 1993 to 1994. The tour was released on VHS and DVD as ''Vessel (DVD), Vessel''. A separate ...

before the release of the album. She performed it in a series of TV appearances, and notably, for the first time on ''

Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show. For most o ...

'' with

Skunk Anansie Skunk Anansie are a British rock band whose members include Skin (lead vocals, guitar), Cass (bass, guitar, backing vocals), Ace (guitar, backing vocals) and Mark Richardson (drums and percussion). Skunk Anansie formed in 1994, disbanded in 2 ...

. Additionally, the song was performed on every date of the Post Tour. The song was featured on Björk's compilation album, ''

Greatest Hits A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be crea ...

'' (2002). The song's accompanying

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...

was the product of another collaboration between Björk and

Michel Gondry Michel Gondry (; born 8 May 1963) is a French filmmaker noted for his inventive visual style and distinctive manipulation of mise en scène. Along with Charlie Kaufman, he won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay as one of the writers ...

. It features the singer driving an enormous vehicle through a city, fighting a

gorilla Gorillas are herbivorous, predominantly ground-dwelling great apes that inhabit the tropical forests of equatorial Africa. The genus ''Gorilla'' is divided into two species: the eastern gorilla and the western gorilla, and either four or fi ...

dentist to get back a

diamond Diamond is a solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Another solid form of carbon known as graphite is the chemically stable form of carbon at room temperature and pressure, ...

he took from her mouth, and bombing a museum with dynamite to free a boy. In 2005, Björk, to help the

UNICEF UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to ...

, released a charity benefit compilation entitled '' Army of Me: Remixes and Covers'', which featured a series of covers and remixes by artists from all over the world.

Background

"Army of Me" was written in 1992 by Björk and Graham Massey, during one of the first recording sessions for '' Debut'', along with "The Modern Things", but Björk decided to put the songs on hold and to wait for releasing them. Even so, Björk performed the songs during some dates on her

. The singer further explained the song: "Imagine you're in a club full of heavy metal types and grunge people; 'Army of Me' is like someone's granny blasting out over the PA and saying, 'Snap out of it! Stop whining! Wash your hair! Smarten yourself up! The single was released in the United Kingdom on 24 April 1995 as a cassette and two-CD single. The first CD contained the Icelandic version of "You've Been Flirting Again" and the cave version of "Cover Me", both from ''Post''. The cave version of "Cover Me" was recorded in a cave in

Bahamas The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to 88% of the ar ...

, and sounds of flying bats can be heard in the background. The single also contained "Sweet Intuition", a song composed by Björk and Black Dog, which would form the lyrical basis for the composition of another song written by Björk for Madonna: "

Bedtime Story A bedtime story is a traditional form of storytelling, where a story is told to a child at bedtime to prepare the child for sleep. The bedtime story has long been considered "a definite institution in many families".Dickson, Marguerite Stockm ...

". The second CD contained, among other remixes, a version of "Army of Me" which features

. The track was recorded and mixed in less than seven hours, as recalled by the band, and features Björk making heavy use of

screaming vocals Screaming is an extended vocal technique that is popular in "aggressive" music genres such as heavy metal, punk rock, and noise music and others. It is common in the more extreme subgenres of heavy metal, such as death and black metal as w ...

Composition

"Army of Me" is an aggressive

and

song with elements of

electronic music Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electroa ...

and

trip hop Trip hop (sometimes used synonymously with " downtempo") is a musical genre that originated in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom, especially Bristol. It has been described as a psychedelic fusion of hip hop and electronica with slow tem ...

, dominated by a heavy bass line and features synthesizer. The song's main drum part, performed by

John Bonham John Henry Bonham (31 May 1948 – 25 September 1980) was an English musician, best known as the drummer for the rock band Led Zeppelin. Esteemed for his speed, power, fast single-footed kick drumming, distinctive sound, and feel for groove ...

, is sampled from

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ci ...

's "

When the Levee Breaks "When the Levee Breaks" is a country blues song written and first recorded by Memphis Minnie and Kansas Joe McCoy in 1929. The lyrics reflect experiences during the upheaval caused by the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927. "When the Levee Bre ...

". Mim Udovitch has described the song as "grinding techno fusion". The lyrics of the song are about Björk's brother, as revealed by the singer, and show Björk daring him to move up and find a job to keep his life on, and also for him to not fall into bad things and learn to defend himself: "It's actually written to a relative of mine who had been a bit out of order for a while. I'm not sure why I wrote it. Maybe I felt that ''Debut'' had been such a polite, shy album – there was a side of me that was so shy and such a beginner, I was very flattered when everyone loved Debut but also a bit confused because it wasn't really me. Maybe 'Army Of Me' was an attempt to balance it out." In the chorus of the song she sings: "And if you complain once more/You'll meet an army of me!"

Critical reception

Eric Handerson of Slant Magazine found that the song "provocatively merges a Weather Report-esque jazz-fusion bass riff with a heavy-timbered rock drumbeat to match her contemptuous vocal delivery ('Self-sufficience, please!')" Natalie Curtis described the song as "inelegant", on a similar note, Mim Udovitch of ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'' dubbed it as "ominous, anthemic", with Lou Stathis of MTV stating that "Army Of Me" is "booming, martial-march techno". According to Brantley Bardin of ''

Details Detail(s) or The Detail(s) may refer to: Film and television * ''Details'' (film), a 2003 Swedish film * ''The Details'' (film), a 2011 American film * ''The Detail'', a Canadian television series * "The Detail" (''The Wire''), a television epis ...

'', "Army of Me" is "the album’s straightest song, a manifesto about self-sufficiency", while for Liz Hoggard of ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the ...

'', the track is "brutal yet tender".

Stuart Maconie Stuart Maconie (born 13 August 1961) is an English radio DJ and television presenter, writer, journalist, and critic working in the field of pop music and popular culture. He is currently a presenter on BBC Radio 6 Music where, alongside Mark ...

of '' Q'' magazine praised the song by stating that its lyrics carries "bold and refreshing sentiments for a rock song. Refreshingly Icelandic sentiments", and further stating that "'Army Of Me' not only sounds fabulous—Led Zeppelin and techno welded together into a surging, operatic whole—but possesses a briskly pull-yourself-together tone. 'Stand up, you’ve got to manage ... /You're all right, there's nothing wrong / ... get to work / and if you complain once more, you'll meet an army of me". In a very positive review, Heather Phares of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

stated that "Atypical in its relative starkness and darkness, 'Army of Me' casts Björk against type as a warrior goddess fed up with whining, instead of her usual cyber-pixie persona. The first single from 1995's otherwise buoyant Post and a featured track on the ''Tank Girl'' soundtrack, as well as in the film. The song's pounding industrial beat, menacing synth bass, and unusually aggressive lyrics ('And if you complain once more / You'll meet an army of me') stand in sharp contrast to the rest of the album and to most of her previous work. However, 'Army of Me' seems like a precursor of the dark, introspective tone and sparse electronica arrangements of Björk's next album, 1997's ''Homogenic''. The song was also turned into another video collaboration between Björk and her longtime director, Michael Gondry. The clip depicts Björk as a tank girl of sorts who goes to the dentist (which happens to be a gorilla) to have a sore tooth pulled—only to have it turn into a giant diamond, which she uses to fuel her tank. Like the song, it all makes sense in Björk's surreal, intellectually playful way". '' Music & Media'' wrote, "Chased by an extremely dangerous synth baseline and drums, the Icelandic siren with the most peculiar vocal technique – even her breathing is special – accelerates whenever its necessary." ''

Music Week ''Music Week'' is a trade publication for the UK record industry distributed via a website and a monthly print magazine. It is published by Future. History Founded in 1959 as '' Record Retailer'', it relaunched on 18 March 1972 as ''Music W ...

'' gave the song three out of five, saying that "the long-awaited return isn't quite the quirky pop we come to exprect from the singer but a more brooding. darker affair". They added, "Expect healthy chart action." Andy Beevers from the magazine's ''RM'' Dance Update noted that it "is built around a downtempo beat and a dirty great throbbing synth line with the unmistakeable and defiant vocals soaring above." According to ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'' writer

Joy Press Joy Press (born 1966) is an American writer and editor. In the 1980s she was a music critic for American magazines and for the English weekly music paper ''Melody Maker''. In 1996 she became the editor of the ''Village Voice'' literary supplement, ...

, Army of Me' is so menacing and inorganic-sounding it verges on industrial rock", and in a review, '' Pulse!'' defined the song "a staggering juggernaut of a track". While reviewing ''Post'', Andy Smith of ''

The Providence Journal ''The Providence Journal'', colloquially known as the ''ProJo'', is a daily newspaper serving the metropolitan area of Providence, Rhode Island, and is the largest newspaper in Rhode Island. The newspaper was first published in 1829. The newspape ...

'' stated that "''Post'' is an eclectic affair, opening with the assertive industrial clang of Army of Me. In 1995, "Army of Me" won an Icelandic Music Award for Song of the Year. The song was also ranked number 316 in ''Blender'' magazine's "The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born". In 2012, the song was ranked number 71 in

Consequence of Sound ''Consequence'' (previously ''Consequence of Sound'') is an independently owned New York-based online magazine featuring news, editorials, and reviews of music, movies, and television. In addition, the website also features the Festival Outlook ...

's "Top 100 Songs Ever".

Music video

Background

For the music video of the song, Björk collaborated again with French film director

, who'd directed her video for "

Human Behaviour Human behavior is the potential and expressed capacity ( mentally, physically, and socially) of human individuals or groups to respond to internal and external stimuli throughout their life. Kagan, Jerome, Marc H. Bornstein, and Richard M. ...

" in 1993. (Gondry and Björk would continue their collaboration until 2011 when the video for "

Crystalline A crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constituents (such as atoms, molecules, or ions) are arranged in a highly ordered microscopic structure, forming a crystal lattice that extends in all directions. In addition, macros ...

" was released.) In the odd and surreal music video, Björk is the driver of a tanker truck. The singer "said that she wanted to capture that 'tanker-truck' feeling, the sense of a big machine grinding unstoppably through town" and further stated: "I thought I should be driving a very, very big truck to try to wake this person who's asleep, so I get the biggest truck in the world, and I'm so mad I've got metallic teeth, because when you're really angry, you grind your teeth. So I have to go to the dentist, who tries to steal away from me a diamond I don't know I have." The dentist is actually a

, and Björk explained: Björk and her label declined to use footage from the film ''

Tank Girl ''Tank Girl'' is a British comic book character created by Alan Martin and Jamie Hewlett, and first appeared in print in 1988 in the British comics magazine ''Deadline''. After a period of intense popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s, ...

'' (which features the track on its soundtrack) in the music video for "Army of Me".

Synopsis

The first seconds of the music video show a young man in cryonic slumber. It then cuts to Björk, wearing a black

karate gi ''Karategi'' (空手着 or 空手衣), also called keikogi or dogi, is the formal Japanese name for the traditional uniform used for Karate practice and competition. A karategi is somewhat similar to a judogi (柔道着 or 柔道衣, ''Judo unif ...

, driving a large vehicle through a city. The passers-by seem to ignore the mass of the vehicle. The vehicle begins to sputter and slow, prompting Björk to check the motor. Before floating off the vehicle, she turns to the camera and shows metallic teeth. The vehicle's engine assembly consists of a mouth in which all of the teeth appear rotten, comically exaggerated by a shaggy-looking man engulfed in a stench-cloud crawling out of the mouth and offending passers-by. Björk touches her cheek, appearing to have a toothache, and proceeds to a nearby dentist's office. While she is going to the room of the dentist, her image appears reflected in a series of mirrors that make it impossible to distinguish her real self. She is examined by the dentist, an anthropomorphic gorilla, who discovers a diamond in her mouth. The dentist attempts to steal the diamond for himself, but Björk leaps onto his back and pummels him, and, retrieving the diamond, escapes the office. She takes the diamond back to her vehicle, all the while it multiplies in size until she is barely able to carry it. Björk tosses the diamond into the vehicle's mouth, apparently correcting its earlier affliction. She then drives to a museum and proceeds inside, carrying a satchel containing a bomb. Sneaking past the museum's guards, she places the bomb on one of the exhibits - the young man seen in the beginning of the video lying on an altar in a deep sleep. She then bolts toward the museum's exit, concerning the guards and other patrons. She makes it out of the building just moments before the bomb explodes. After the explosion, she re-enters the building to find the man from the altar, who appears to have been just wakened by the blast. Björk hugs him, crying teardrops of jewels.

Reception

The video was well received by critics. Tim Walker of ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publish ...

'' thought that "catchy, commercial song that was utterly original, and she's easily beautiful enough to have taken advantage of her sexuality in the video, but instead she got Michel Gondry to make a brilliant promo about her going to a gorilla dentist to get a huge diamond pulled out of her mouth". Gondry's visual imagery was heavily praised: "Gondry is a treat with visual details in defining his realities, and he provides in 'Army of Me'. The museum sequence furnishes an example: Before Björk bombs it, there are many artworks on the walls, each piece reflecting the apparent banality of the museum. One area shows a person observing a work which is a painting of a person in an art museum observing a work. After the explosion, everything is torn apart, bathed in smoke. Björk comes and retrieves her loved one, crying small diamonds onto his shoulder." The ending of "Army of Me" music video depicted Björk bombing an art museum, and due to a recent terrorist bombing in Oklahoma City, MTV removed it from its playlist before it even aired. However, within weeks it was broadcast, but cut off before the bomb goes off. There exists some version of the music video which censored the explosion of the bomb, and some showing "To Be Continued" at the end. In 1995, The video was nominated for two MTV Video Music Awards, one for Best Special Effects in a Video and one for International Viewer's Choice Awards – MTV Europe, losing the former to "

Love Is Strong "Love Is Strong" is a song by English rock band the Rolling Stones, released as the opening track, and first single, from their 20th British and 22nd American studio album, ''Voodoo Lounge'' (1994). Issued as a single on 4 July 1994, the son ...

" by

The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the g ...

and the latter to "

Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It was released as a single from the ''Batman Forever'' soundtrack album on 5 June 1995. A number-one single in their home country of Ireland, as well as in seven other co ...

" by U2.

Live performances

The song was performed in a few live shows. Björk premiered the song four days before the release of the single, on 20 April 1995, on ''

'', with the

. This particular performance featured additional vocals by

Skin Skin is the layer of usually soft, flexible outer tissue covering the body of a vertebrate animal, with three main functions: protection, regulation, and sensation. Other animal coverings, such as the arthropod exoskeleton, have different de ...

. Björk performed the song live on Italian musical show ''

Festivalbar The Festivalbar was an Italian singing competition that took place in the most important Italian squares during summer, such as the Piazza del Duomo, Catania or Piazza Bra, Verona. The first edition took place in 1964 and was broadcast by RAI. ...

'' and on ''The White Room'', along with " I Miss You". The song was performed on the

before the official release. The performance on the Post Tour was called "explosive" by Adrien Begrand of

PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...

and was released on '' Live Box'', in the Post Live CD, with the same performance being released on Björk's video '' Live at Shepherds Bush Empire''. The song was performed on the

Vespertine World Tour The Vespertine World Tour was a tour by the singer Björk that focused on her album ''Vespertine''. She also performed songs from ''Debut'', ''Post'', ''Homogenic'' and ''Selmasongs''. She performed 35 shows on this tour and 31 different songs. Th ...

, where it was accompanied by

Zeena Parkins Zeena Parkins (born 1956) is an American composer and multi-instrumentalist active in experimental, free improvised, contemporary classical, and avant-jazz music; she is known for having "reinvented the harp". Parkins performs on standard har ...

. The performance was called "extra-gritty" and the accompaniment of Parkins was described as giving the song "fresh urgency". The song was performed on the Greatest Hits Tour and on the Volta Tour, with the latter performance being included on ''

Voltaïc ''Voltaïc'' refers to five separate releases of related material from musician Björk's seventh studio album '' Volta''. The full version of the release includes a CD of eleven songs performed live at the Olympic Studios, a DVD of Björk's liv ...

'', both in the live version recorded at the Olympic Studios in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, and in the DVD ''Live in Paris''. The song was performed again in summer 2012 in

Lollapalooza Chile Lollapalooza Chile is the Chile-based version of the popular music festival Lollapalooza (). It is held in Santiago, Chile. History The annual festival launched in April 2011 in Santiago’s O'Higgins Park and features alternative rock, heav ...

as part of the

Biophilia Tour The Biophilia Tour was the seventh concert tour by Icelandic musician Björk. The tour was centered on her multimedia project and studio album '' Biophilia'' (2011). The tour premiered at the Manchester International Festival and visited Europe, A ...

replacing most of the instrumental part with a

Tesla coil A Tesla coil is an electrical resonant transformer circuit designed by inventor Nikola Tesla in 1891. It is used to produce high-voltage, low- current, high-frequency alternating-current electricity. Tesla experimented with a number of differen ...

Covers

The song received a wide coverage from other artists. German metalcore band

Caliban Caliban ( ), son of the witch Sycorax, is an important character in William Shakespeare's play '' The Tempest''. His character is one of the few Shakespearean figures to take on a life of its own "outside" Shakespeare's own work: as Russell H ...

covered this song on their 2006 album '' The Undying Darkness''. The female vocals on the chorus were recorded by Tanja Keilen. Belgian metal band Silent covered this song on their 2005 self-titled demo. The

alternative metal Alternative metal (also known as alt-metal) is a genre of heavy metal music that combines heavy metal with influences from alternative rock and other genres not normally associated with metal. Alternative metal bands are often characterized by ...

/ post-hardcore band

Helmet A helmet is a form of protective gear worn to protect the head. More specifically, a helmet complements the skull in protecting the human brain. Ceremonial or symbolic helmets (e.g., a policeman's helmet in the United Kingdom) without protect ...

recorded a cover of "Army of Me" which was released on a '' Music for Our Mother Ocean'' benefit compilation. The Australian metal band Many Machines on Nine covered "Army of Me" on their self-titled 2000 EP. A jazz cover was released by the Yaron Herman Trio on their album ''A Time for Everything'' in 2007.

Abandoned Pools Thomas Edward Walter (born October 30, 1970) is an American musician and songwriter, best known for his alternative rock band, Abandoned Pools, as well as being the former bassist and one of the founding members of Eels. Early years and the E ...

, an alternative rock band have also covered the song, which is available on ''The Reverb EP''. Powerman 5000 released a cover of this song on their ''

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Vol. 1 ''The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Vol. 1: Rare & Previously Unreleased '91–'96'' is a compilation album by American rock band Powerman 5000, released in 2004. It contains rare and unreleased tracks from the band's early days. The album sold a ...

'' compilation. Sin, a French industrial band, covered the song, available on ''Errare Digital Est'', Recall 2003. Oliver Weers, a Danish rock vocalist made semi-famous by his participation in the Danish ''

X Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for ''Pop Idol'' (2001–2003) ...

'' in 2008, released a heavy metal-style cover version of "Army of Me" in 2008 on an album entitled ''Get Ready''. Australian

band

Beanbag A bean bag (also beanbag) is a sealed bag containing dried beans, PVC pellets, expanded polystyrene, or expanded polypropylene. The bags are commonly used for throwing games, but they have various other applications. Furniture Designed by ...

covered the song on their 2001 second album ''Welladjusted''. English

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

band

Drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has b ...

recorded a cover of the song to perform at the 2010 UK Live & Unsigned regional final in

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

, 7 March. Polish

progressive metal Progressive metal (sometimes shortened to prog metal) is a broad fusion music genre melding heavy metal and progressive rock, combining the loud "aggression" and amplified guitar-driven sound of the former with the more experimental, cerebral ...

post-metal Post-metal is a music genre rooted in heavy metal but exploring approaches beyond metal conventions. It emerged in the 1990s with bands such as Neurosis and Godflesh, who transformed metal texture through experimental composition. In a way si ...

band Proghma-C recorded a cover version on their debut album ''Bar-do Travel'', 2009. French

band Klone also recorded a cover of the song as a bonus track on their 2010 album ''Black Days''. Italian nu metal band

Exilia Exilia is a nu metal band from Milan, Italy. It was formed in 1998 and as of 2022 is composed of vocalist Masha Mysmane, guitarist Wolve, bassist Simone Matteo Tiraboschi, and drummer Mark Campailla. They have played with a number of bands whil ...

recorded a cover of this song on their album ''Can't Break Me Down'' in 2005. Rapper Ryu sampled this song in the music video for his song "The One". In 2005, Björk opened a contest to choose from various remixes for the song, to release a compilation to help raise funds for charity. Over 600 remixes were submitted and Björk was helped in the choosing of the tracks by fellow writer and composer

. The compilation, called '' Army of Me: Remixes and Covers'' was released in May 2005 and as of January 2006, the album had raised around £250,000 to help

's work in the south east Asian region.

Usage in media

In addition to appearing in ''

'' in 1995, the song was included in the soundtrack of ''

Sucker Punch A sucker punch (American English), also known as a dog shot, coward punch, king hit or one-punch attack ( Australian and New Zealand English) or cold-cock (American English), is a punch made without warning or while the recipient is distracted ...

'' with further instrumentation by

and remixing by

Marius de Vries Marius de Vries (born 1961) is an English music producer and composer. He has won a Grammy Award from four nominations, two BAFTA Awards, and an Ivor Novello Award. Education Marius de Vries was educated at St Paul's Cathedral School, Bedfor ...

. The song has also been used in an episode of The Handmaid's Tale, and more recently in the second episode of the first season of A Discovery Of Witches.

Track listings

* Australian and UK cassette single # "Army of Me" — 3:58 # "Army of Me" ( ABA All-Stars Mix) — 3:51 * UK CD single 1 and digital download 1 # "Army of Me" — 3:57 # "Cover Me" (Cave Version) — 3:07 # "You've Been Flirting Again" (Icelandic) — 2:25 # "Sweet Intuition" — 4:43 * UK CD single 2 and digital download 2 # "Army of Me" (ABA All-Stars Mix) — 3:53 # "Army of Me" (Masseymix) — 5:17 # "Army of Me" (feat.

) — 4:39 # "Army of Me" (Instrumental ABA All-Stars Mix) — 3:49 * European CD single 1 # "Army of Me" — 3:57 # "Cover Me" (Extended Version) — 3:06 * European CD single 2 and Japanese CD single # "Army of Me" — 3:58 # "Army of Me" (ABA All-Stars Mix) — 3:46 # "Army of Me" (Masseymix) — 5:12 # "Army of Me" (feat. Skunk Anansie) — 4:33 # "Army of Me" (Instrumental ABA All-Stars Mix) — 3:46

Credits and personnel

* Björk - vocals, songwriter, producer, keyboards *

- songwriter, producer, keyboards, programming *

- keyboards, programming *

Nellee Hooper Nellee Hooper (born Paul Andrew Hooper on 15 March 1963) is a British record producer, remixer and songwriter known for his work with many major recording artists beginning in the late 1980s. He also debuted as a motion picture music composer w ...

- producer * Al Fisch - recording *

Mark Stent Mark may refer to: Currency * Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark, the currency of Bosnia and Herzegovina * East German mark, the currency of the German Democratic Republic * Estonian mark, the currency of Estonia between 1918 and 1927 * Fin ...

- mixer Credits adapted from ''Post'' album liner notes.

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Versions

* ABA All-Stars Mix (

Mike D Michael Louis Diamond (born November 20, 1965), better known as Mike D, is an American rapper, musician, and music producer. He is best known as a founding member of the hip hop group Beastie Boys. Early life Diamond was born in New York Cit ...

) * ABA All-Stars Mix Instrumental (Mike D) * Featuring

* Featuring Skunk Anansie with

* Masseymix (

) * ''

'' Remix featuring Skunk Anansie (

Marius De Vries Marius de Vries (born 1961) is an English music producer and composer. He has won a Grammy Award from four nominations, two BAFTA Awards, and an Ivor Novello Award. Education Marius de Vries was educated at St Paul's Cathedral School, Bedfor ...

) Several other remixes (and covers) appear on '' Army of Me: Remixes and Covers''.

References

External links

Army of Me webpage
*

{{Authority control Björk songs 1995 singles Industrial rock songs Music video controversies Music videos directed by Michel Gondry Number-one singles in Iceland Songs written by Björk Song recordings produced by Björk Song recordings produced by Nellee Hooper