Who doesn’t remember Björk’s appearance at the 2001 Academy Awards, gracing the red carpet and stage in that now-infamous swan dress? While most folks were focused on her fashion “fowl pas” (and understandably so), I was disappointed she was snubbed by Oscar.

Björk was nominated in the Best Original Song category for “I’ve Seen It All” from Dancer In The Dark. (She also played the lead in the Lars von Trier film.) The odds-on favorite to win was “Things Have Changed,” Bob Dylan’s Wonder Boys entry. So because Academy members could finally understand Mr. Mumbles’ words, he did indeed take home the Oscar that night.

I’m kidding about the reason for his win, of course. But the category is Best Original Song, so beyond having been written specifically with the movie in mind, shouldn’t the nominees also be, you know, truly original?

Björk’s “I’ve Seen It All” is an organic composition, taking musical cues from sound effects of a train chugging along. The bittersweet song flirts with becoming something totally, gloriously grand before returning back to earth, ending as it began (the train again). As such, “I’ve Seen It All” is fully integrated into the film, an argument between two characters (Björk’s Selma is losing her sight):

A different version of “I’ve Seen It All,” a duet with Radiohead’s Thom Yorke, appears on Björk’s Selmasongs CD, a sort of Dancer In The Dark soundtrack.

Admittedly I haven’t seen Wonder Boys for ages, but doesn’t “Things Have Changed” run over the closing credits? Maybe the video had folks thinking Dylan really appeared in the movie. (Don’t get me wrong; I do like the song. Miles more than “My Funny Friend and Me.”)

In the end, it’s a shame that Björk’s frock overshadowed her song. That swan dress even came with six eggs, which she scattered along the red carpet (security guards kept returning them, thinking she’d accidentally dropped them). And while she left the 2001 ceremony with only a goose egg for her efforts, Björk continues to soar above all others, a true original.