Sound Peaks – Icelandic Music in Twin Peaks

“You simply have got to teach me some of these incredible songs.”
– Ben Horne, Twin Peaks, Episode 1006

The music of Twin Peaks was my gateway to David Lynch and Mark Frost’s wonderful and strange world. Following the departure on the Norwegians in the Pilot Episode, Jerry Horne courts a new investment group that has a penchant for singing. So at the request of brother Ben, let’s explore the Icelandic music in Episodes 1005 and 1006 in the latest Sound Peaks article.

THE MUSIC

For starters, let’s review the music heard in both episodes in this short video from the Twin Peaks Blog YouTube channel. There are three songs from Iceland and two well-known songs with lyrics in Icelandic.

DUGPA.COM

For years, the Dugpa.com forum has been a treasure trove of interesting information about Twin Peaks. Several years ago, a user named thegreatnorthern posted images of music cue sheets from Season 1. These were included in a publicity binder distributed by Worldvision Television, which also contained a variety of press materials, articles, etc.

The sheets offered insight into some of the original names of tracks heard throughout the series. The names of these tracks were later updated with the release of the Twin Peaks Archive soundtrack collection. Check out Ross Dudle’s outstanding Twin Peaks Soundtrack Design site for everything you wanted to know about the soundtrack and more.

The music cue sheets listed several of the Icelandic songs which I examine in detail below. Several thing to note about this article – it was nearly impossible to find exact information about Icelandic music, and sadly, I’ve not found the origin of the original sound files. They may be been created especially for the series, yet, I’ve been unable to confirm.

EPISODE 1005

Episode 1005 begins with Special Agent Dale Cooper being woke up by the Icelanders singing. Mark Frost wrote the first draft of this script on September 26, 1989:

FADE IN:
INT. GREAT NORTHERN DALE COOPER’S ROOM – NIGHT 

Through the walls from adjacent rooms we hear whooping and hollering, a blowing of horns and ratcheting noise makers. It sounds like a rodeo in Times Square on New Year’s Eve. DALE COOPER sits up in bed, distraught, sleepless. From the bedside table, he picks up his watch and tape recorder. 

COOPER
Diane, it’s 4:28 a.m., I’ve just  been woken up by the most god-awful racket, which you can probably hear over the sound of my voice…

(holds up the recorder to capture the sound)

Can you hear that?

(holds it up again) 

I’ve experienced nothing at the Great Northern up until this moment but the most pleasant, courteous service imaginable, but this only goes to prove the point that the minute a  traveler leaves home he loses almost 100% of his ability to control his environment. Diane, I’m wondering if you could overnight express to me two pair of those Ear-Pillow Silicon Ear Plugs I used the last time I had to visit New York. Naturally I didn’t bring them with me on this trip  because I didn’t think they’d be  necessary… 

(He holds the recorder up again. )

Öxar við ána

According to the music cue sheet, the song heard in the background is “Öxar við ána.” It’s “Cue 1” and runs for 1-minute and 8-seconds. The composer is listed as “Unknown” but like many things on this site, I uncovered some additional details.

According to Snerpa.is, the music was written by Helgi Helgason with lyrics by Steingrímur Thorsteinsson. The Icelandic composer Helgason was born  in Reykjavik January 23, 1848 and died on December 14, 1922. He studied music in Copenhagen and later founded founded the Horn Blowers Association of Reykjavik.  After finishing his additional studies in Denmark around 1880, he returned to Iceland where composed songs for choir and the Reykjavik Band.

The Icelandic poet and writer Thorsteinsson lived from 1831–1913. He’s known for translating many classic works, such as the fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen, into Icelandic.

The song title “Öxar við ána” translates to “Axes by the River” and it appears to be a traditional folk song performed by young and old alike. There is a video of Icelanders performing a folk dance while singing. This could account for the stomping Cooper hears.

Discogs.com had a listing for a 78RPM of the song. Gosh, I’d love to find a copy.  Meanwhile, here are the lyrics in case you want to sing along.

Öxar við ána
Öxar við ána, árdags í ljóma,
upp rísi þjóðlið og skipist í sveit.
Skjótum upp fána, skært lúðrar hljóma,
skundum á Þingvöll og treystum vor heit.
Fram, fram, aldrei að víkja.
Fram, fram, bæði menn og fljóð.
Tengjumst tryggðarböndum,
tökum saman höndum,
stríðum, vinnum vorri þjóð.

Þorraþræll (Nú er frost á Fróni)

Later in the morning, Cooper enters the Great Northern Hotel dining room for breakfast. The script describes the action:

INT. GREAT NORTHERN DINING ROOM – DAY
Dale Cooper, dressed and slightly bleary-eyed, enters and
takes the corner table. Off screen, through a door to a
private dining room, we HEAR a rowdy group of about twelve
men and women singing a bawdy Icelandic drinking song. Harried
WAITRESSES come and go out of the room, bearing huge platters
of food. TRUDY approaches Cooper.

Trudy the waitress immediately serves Cooper coffee and explains that the business junket from Iceland arrived at the hotel about 3:00 a.m. In the background, we hear “Þorraþræll (Nú er frost á Fróni) (roughly translated as “Frost on Frog.”). It’s Cue 2 and runs for 23 seconds.

Snerpa.is lists the song’s author as Kristján Jónsson who lived from June 20, 1842 to April 9, 1869. During his brief life, he worked as a school teacher in East Iceland.

While the script describes the song as a “bawdy Icelandic drinking song,” the song heard is also performed by school children and adults alike. I didn’t find any reference to it being associated with drinking.

Enjoy this performance by Thula Folk Music Group in Hof, Akureyri and sing along with some of the lyrics below.

Þorraþræll (Nú er frost á Fróni)
Nú er frost á Fróni,
frýs í æðum blóð,
kveður kuldaljóð
Kári í jötunmóð.
Yfir laxalóni
liggur klakaþil,
hlær við hríðarbyl
hamragil.

Mararbára blá
brotnar þung og há
unnarsteinum á,
yggld og grett á brá.
Yfir aflatjóni
æðrast skipstjórinn,
harmar hlutinn sinn
hásetinn.

Ríðum, ríðum (A Sprengisandi)

When Leland Palmer breaks down in Ben Horne’s office, we heard the Icelandic chorus singing a different tune. This time it’s a traditional folk song  titled “Ríðum, ríðum (Á Sprengisandi).”

The script mentions another “ribald” song by the Icelanders:

He crumbles into a chair. From the hallway, we hear the voices of approaching ICELANDERS, singing another ribald song. Jerry  nimbly moves to the door and quietly shuts it. Ben tries to  hush Leland’s sobs. The singers continue singing, directly  outside the door now. Then they move on… Ben and Jerry  breathe a sigh of relief. Ben points at Leland, then sticks  up his thumb, “get this guy out of here.”

The music cue sheet credit Sigvaldi Kaldalóns as the author (spelled “Sigaldi”). It’s Cue 4 and plays for 15 seconds as background vocals.

One of Iceland’s recognizable lyric composers, Dr. Kaldalóns lived from January 13, 1881 to July 28, 1946. While working as a doctor in remote areas of Iceland, he penned about 350 songs for mainly solo voice and piano.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQxDJ0BVOB4

Here’s a version of the song with partial lyrics below (since we barely hear it in the series):

Ríðum, ríðum (Á Sprengisandi)
Ríðum, ríðum og rekum yfir sandinn,
rennur sól á bak við Arnarfell,
hér á reiki er margur óhreinn andinn,
úr því fer að skyggja á jökulsvell;
Drottinn leiði drösulinn minn,
drjúgur verður síðasti áfanginn.
Drottinn leiði drösulinn minn,
drjúgur verður síðasti áfanginn.

HOME ON THE RANGE

At a gathering in The Timber Room at The Great Northern Hotel, server-turned-musician Trudy serenades the room with Icelanders singing a version of “Home on the Range,” which is mentioned in the script.

INT. GREAT NORTHERN HOTEL BANQUET ROOM NIGHT
A banner reads:
“FROM ICELAND TO TWIN PEAKS: A GREAT NORTHERN WELCOME!!”

Festive, folksy Icelandic music, plays over the sound system.  The reception party is just under way. CITIZENS mingle with  the Icelanders, who cluster around the L-shaped buffet. The  Horne brothers mingle prominently. At the piano, Trudy leads  a group of Icelanders in an Icelandic version of Home on the Range.”

In the music cue book, the song is listed as Cue 24A and runs as a “Visual Vocal” for 55 seconds.

Dr. Brewster M. Higley (November 30, 1823 – December 9, 1911) of Smith County, Kansas, wrote the lyrics in the poem “My Western Home” in 1872. His friend Daniel E. Kelley (1808–1905) wrote the melody on his guitar. This classic Western tune later became the official state song of Kansas.

The original poem differs slightly from the version we all know and love. The Wikipedia article about this song has a great comparison of the lyrics.

Here’s a version sung by Roy Rogers, Dale Evans and the Sons of the Pioneers.

In case you want to try singing the song in Icelandic, here are the translated lyrics:

Ó, gefðu mér heimili þar sem buffalóar streyma,
Þar sem dádýrin og antilópurinn spila,
Þar sem sjaldan heyrist letjandi orð,
Og skýin eru ekki skýjuð allan daginn.

Heim, heima á svið,
Þar sem dádýrin og antilópurinn spila,
Þar sem sjaldan heyrist letjandi orð,
Og skýin eru ekki skýjuð allan daginn.

Ríðum, ríðum (A Sprengisandi)

Following Trudy’s performance, we see Pete Martell discussing the timberline of Iceland with Einer Thorson. In the script, the action takes place in the King Salmon Room which I’d love to visit!

INT. KING SALMON ROOM – NIGHT
Pete stands next to Einer Thorson, the head Icelander, both
holding plates of food.

PETE
Now let me get this straight; your entire country is above the timber
line?

His mouth full of food, Einer nods.

In the broadcast version, we hear Cue 26, a 39-second clip of “Ríðum, ríðum (A Sprengisandi)” which was first heard in Ben Horne’s office during Leland’s breakdown.

Þorraþræll (Nú er frost á Fróni)

As Agent Cooper returns to his hotel room at the end of Episode 1005, he is interrupted by more Icelandic singing as mentioned in the script:

INT. GREAT NORTHERN CORRIDOR – NIGHT

Dale Cooper rounds the corner, takes out his room key. He stops, listens to the sounds of the still raucous Icelandic  party going on downstairs. Cooper sadly shakes his head,  starts to unlock his door and realizes it’s open. He draws
his gun.

It’s the same track – Þorraþræll (Nú er frost á Fróni) – that he heard during breakfast (Cue 32 which plays for 20 seconds).

EPISODE 1006

More singing is found in Episode 1006 when Jerry Horne and the Icelanders serenade Ben with a rendition of “99 Bottles of Beer.”

An early version of this scene included Catherine Martell meeting Einer Thorson. There were mentions of “Icelandic drinking songs” but no specific mention of “99 Bottles.”

This Public Domain song is Cue 22 and is listed as a “Visual Vocal” that plays for 21 seconds.

No one knows the original of this song (which is why it’s listed as “Public Domain.” Some websites say this folk tune “is often linked to the traditional UK nursery rhyme ‘Ten Green Bottles,’ which teaches kids to count backwards from ten by removing one bottle at a time.”

Comedian Tim Nyberg published a book in 2006 with the complete lyrics (yes, it’s every number from 99 to 1).

Using Google Translate, here’s the lyrics in Icelandic:

99 flöskur af bjór á veggnum, 99 flöskur af bjór.
Taktu einn niður og farðu það í kring, 98 flöskur af bjór á vegg.

WE ARE ALL ICELANDERS

After researching these tunes, I feel a little like Jerry Horne who said it best, “Við erum öll Íslendingar. We are all Icelanders.”

Thank you to Twin Peaks Archive, Dugpa.com, and Dugpa forum user @theGreatNorthern for their help with this article.

Where’s my leg of lamb?