skinny-love
Bon-Iver Lyrics


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Come on skinny love just last the year
Pour a little salt we were never here
My, my, my, my, my, my, my, my
Staring at the sink of blood and crushed veneer

I tell my love to wreck it all
Cut out all the ropes and let me fall
My, my, my, my, my, my, my, my
Right in the moment this order's tall

And I told you to be patient
And I told you to be fine
And I told you to be balanced
And I told you to be kind
And in the morning I'll be with you
But it will be a different kind
And I'll be holding all the tickets
And you'll be owning all the fines

Come on skinny love, what happened here?
Suckle on the hope in light brassieres
My, my, my, my, my, my, my, my
Sullen load is full, so slow on the split

And I told you to be patient
And I told you to be fine
And I told you to be balanced
And I told you to be kind
And now all your love is wasted
And then who the hell was I?
And I'm breaking at the britches
And at the end of all your lines

Who will love you?




Who will fight?
Who will fall far behind?

Overall Meaning

"Skinny Love" by Bon Iver is a song about the agony of heartbreak and the experience of losing love. The chorus plea to "come on skinny love, just last the year" is a desperate cry for the relationship to endure, hoping that somehow it could last while everything else crumbles around them. The imagery of blood and crushed veneer represents the emotional distress that Bon Iver is going through, while the salt symbolizes the bitterness of it all.


Bon Iver further laments his struggle to let go and move on in such phrases as "I tell my love to wreck it all, cut out all the ropes and let me fall." He also appears to be apologizing and taking responsibility for the end of the relationship. In addition, the line "and now all your love is wasted, and who the hell was I?" shows that he is unsure of his own worth and role in the relationship.


The ending lines of the song "who will love you, who will fight, who will fall far behind?" are a reflection of the difficulty in finding love again after a breakup, and how even once it is found, it may still inevitably end in the same way.


Overall, "Skinny Love" touches on themes of longing, heartbreak, and the challenge of moving on from a lost love.


Line by Line Meaning

Come on skinny love just last the year
Let's try to make our love last for just one year, even though it's fading away.


Pour a little salt we were never here
Let's forget the past and pretend that we were never together.


My, my, my, my, my, my, my, my
An expression of sadness and disappointment.


Staring at the sink of blood and crushed veneer
Feeling overwhelmed and lost, surrounded by destruction.


I tell my love to wreck it all
I ask my partner to destroy our relationship completely.


Cut out all the ropes and let me fall
Set me free and let me face the consequences of my actions and decisions.


Right in the moment this order's tall
At this critical moment, when things seem hopeless and chaotic.


And I told you to be patient
I advised you to wait and stay calm.


And I told you to be fine
I suggested that you try to be okay, even though things are difficult.


And I told you to be balanced
I encouraged you to try to keep things in perspective and keep a level head.


And I told you to be kind
I asked you to treat others with empathy and compassion.


And in the morning I'll be with you
I promise to be by your side in the morning.


But it will be a different kind
Our relationship will change, perhaps for the worse.


And I'll be holding all the tickets
I will be in control of the situation.


And you'll be owning all the fines
You will suffer the consequences of our actions and decisions.


Come on skinny love, what happened here?
What went wrong in our relationship?


Suckle on the hope in light brassieres
Hold onto the hope and possibilities, even though things seem bleak.


Sullen load is full, so slow on the split
The burden of our relationship is too heavy to bear, and we are slowly falling apart.


And now all your love is wasted
Your love was not enough to save our failing relationship.


And then who the hell was I?
I don't even recognize myself or my actions in this relationship.


And I'm breaking at the britches
I am falling apart and reaching my breaking point.


And at the end of all your lines
At the end of your attempts to fix our relationship.


Who will love you?
Who will be there for you and love you after our relationship ends?


Who will fight?
Who will fight for you and your happiness?


Who will fall far behind?
Who will be left behind and forgotten?




Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Justin Deyarmond Edison Vernon

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

SuperBluntman27

Hey, Tristan... Suicide is really hard no matter how you slice it... Either those of us who have tried and sometimes regret not having succeeded, sometimes being those who are thankful and grateful for the 2nd chance on life, or those who may have gone through either of the 1st two but most tragically by those still here mourning those lost to suicide.

I am so sorry for your loss, and I can't imagine what that feels like, as, I am an only child, but... I miss my Oma dearly, and if it wasn't for my son, I would have already tried seeing her again must sooner than my body seems ready to do so, but... Also before I would have the chance to see her again and say I loved her and missed her and... And... Nothing has been the same since she died... And I don't know if it was accidental or intentional, but apparently last year, after 13 other years of difficulty, it was explained that the 14th year of mourning would be questions asking if she helped nudge the sands of time in her favor, as... She was indeed in a lot of pain...

But.... In a random act of love and trying to help a friend be heard by their Aunt Cher, I adopted Aunt Cher into my family, and then learned she is my friend's Oma, just by a different name... And... I poured my heart out... I got to say everything I wished I could say before she died.... And... It happened by accident. By sheer coincidence and happenstance. But it happened...

I'm crying as I'm writing this, and I don't even know if you're going to read this or not, but... As someone who has woken up when they didn't intend to, and has been, for the last 15 years been wondering how much more misery I'd have to go through, especially when Oma's been gone for 14 of them... I don't know if I'd see her if I took my own life... But... I know I wouldn't have seen her if I didn't do what I did and love a stranger like my family and find who they remind me of and to love them twice as much because they are themselves, and somehow this loved person that... I never thought I would get to say another word to... And... While still not okay... I'm at least a little better...

I think I recall you saying you lost a brother.... I'm... I've never had a sibling.. So I don't know what it's like to lose one, and I so sorry for your loss... I can guarantee you that you were not thought of as a reason for blame or hurt or anything, and that if anything..... You were thought of and painfully missed and acknowledge to be hurt deeply by.... Oh man... I just wanted to water you and help you grow, and... I'm apparently working through trauma I didn't realize was still so painful.... Because.... I just wanted to stop hurting when I tried to kill myself.... I didn't want to hurt anyone else but I knew it would and I fucking hated it and.... I know it's a tall ask, but... I would very much like to adopt you as a sibling and someone to be grateful for that I woke up and can maybe, hopefully shed some light on something yiu may not know yourself, if you haven't woken up after planning not to... Because...

You were absolutely there in all the best ways that you could be, and... As someone who has accepted you into my chosen family as my sibling, and in being a chosen brother who has survived suicide... I hope to be able to remind you even a bit of who your brother might have been, even if presenting a hypothetical scenario that is based on somebody else's lived experiences...

I love you, Tristan, and... I'm here if ever you need someone to talk to. Even if that person is gone and you can know that someone else who loves you is listening and hearing you and seeing you... Even if you just need someone to hear you. Or anyone else... I can answer many questions of my own experiences such as surviving things such as suicide, rape, false imprisonment, kidnapping, bank robbery, childhood molestation, bullying, racial hate crimes, racial discrimination, ableist discrimination, physical abuse, verbal abuse, psychological abuse, torture, pretty much anything except childbirth and menses...

Anyways... This isn't the book I'm writing, but maybe a page or two of it... Tristan. I love you. Your brother loved you. Your brother also didn't blame you... That much I can guarantee.....

Take care and be safe...
💜💙💚🧡💛❤️



Limits98

Lyrics

[Verse 1]
Come on, skinny love, just last the year
Pour a little salt, we were never here
My my my, my my my, my my
Staring at the sink of blood and crushed veneer
I tell my love to wreck it all
Cut out all the ropes and let me fall
My my my, my my my, my my
Right in this moment, this order's tall

[Chorus]
And I told you to be patient
And I told you to be fine
And I told you to be balanced
And I told you to be kind
And in the morning I'll be with you
But it will be a different kind
And I'll be holding all the tickets
And you'll be owning all the fines

[Verse 2]
Come on, skinny love, what happened here?
Suckle on the hope in light brassieres
My my my, my my my, my my
Sullen load is full, so slow on the split

[Chorus]
And I told you to be patient
And I told you to be fine
And I told you to be balanced
And I told you to be kind
And now all your love is wasted
And then who the hell was I?
And I'm breaking at the britches
And at the end of all your lines

[Verse 3]
Who will love you?
Who will fight?
Who will fall far behind?



All comments from YouTube:

EthicsClan

Have you ever felt so empty, yet so alive?


That’s this song.

Juan Fernando Simental

Sure

Christopher Barr

Some of us have to feel the void to remember to fill it. And to keep us humble

Alex Galloway

No that's Bon Iver

Elijah Alonso

EthicsClan honestly that hit me hard man I feel you brotha I love you dawg

Anubhav Joshi

This comment is too accurate to hang around on the internet.

17 More Replies...

Kaiapanda94

When he wrote this album, Justin Vernon literally shut himself away heartbroken in a cabin, where he steeped in his sadness. This is distilled depression in song form.

Evan DeGray

Kaiapanda94 I feel this 💯

Dusty 450

And yet people call it Birdys song 🙄

James Harned

Fucking brilliant!!!

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