"Of Monsters and Men" is a musical group from Iceland that is known for its mixture of folk and pop influences. The group's album "My Head is an Animal" includes the hit song titled "Little Talks." The lead vocals are sung by two people: a female, Nanna Hilmarsdóttir, and a male, Ragnar þórhallsson. The song's various elements contribute to developing the theme of death. Specifically, the song expresses the difficulty that people experience when they have lost a loved one. The form of "Little Talks" includes the use of an instrumental introduction, verses, and a repeated chorus. The first part of the song is in the form of a dialogue, with Nanna and Ragnar taking turns singing the lyrics. In the second part of the song, the two vocalists sing together. The lyrics describe a woman who feels alone and a man who reassures her. The chorus includes the line, "though the truth may vary this ship will carry our bodies safe to shore" (Of Monsters and Men). According to Nanna, the story of "Little Talks" is about "a couple and the husband passed away and it's from the conversation between the two of them" (Kaplan). Ironically, although the lyrics are concerned with a sad story, the music has a happy sound. One critic has referred to the song as "a blast of radiant sonic sunshine" (Reed 33). .
There are two voices in the song's lyrics rather than just one. The female voice expresses how sad and lonely she feels. The male voice is the ghost of the woman's husband. For example, in the first line of the song, the woman sings, "I don't like walking around this old and empty house." The male voice replies, "So hold my hand, I'll walk with you my dear" (Of Monsters and Men). Although the man is a ghost, he misses being with the woman just as much as she misses being with him. For example, when the woman says, "There's an old voice in my head that's holding me back," he responds with the line, "Well tell her that I miss our little talks" (Of Monsters and Men).