The name 'Bon Iver' (pronounced "bon ee-VAIR") is a play on the French phrase 'bon hiver' meaning 'good winter'. Vernon independently released Bon Iver's debut album For Emma, Forever Ago in 2007, most of which was recorded during a four-month stay in a remote cabin in Wisconsin.
While in high school and college Vernon founded the indie-rock bands Mount Vernon and DeYarmond Edison in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, where he still resides.
According to the For Emma Songfacts, after the break-up of De Yarmond Edison, Vernon retreated to his father's log cabin, out in the woods of north-east Wisconsin to hibernate for three snowy months. There he collected his thoughts and formulated them into a suite of songs, For Emma, Forever Ago . The album was originally self-released in late 2007 in a run of 500 copies and sold out instantly.
The album garnered critical acclaim, and was picked up by the indie-rock label Jagjaguwar, which gave the album a proper release on February 19th, 2008. The album was released in the UK and Europe by iconic indie 4AD on May 12, 2008.
When released in the UK, For Emma, Forever Ago received 5/5 and "Album of the Month" reviews in both MOJO and Uncut magazines. It is currently the third highest rated album of 2008 on review-aggregator site Metacritic, with accolades from publications including The Village Voice, The Hartford Courant and The A.V. Club.
The group's second album Bon Iver, Bon Iver was released on June 17, 2011 to universal acclaim. It was named by Pitchfork Media as the best album of 2011 on their annual list. At the 2012 Grammys, the album won Best Alternative Album and the group was awarded Best New Artist, despite having debuted in 2007.
www.boniver.org
33 "GOD"
Bon Iver Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is the company stalling?
We had what we wanted: your eyes
(When we leave this room it's gone)
With no word from the former
I'd be happy as hell if you stayed for tea
(I know so well that this is all there is)
A child ignored
These will just be places to me now
The foreman is down
(When we leave this room it's gone)
We're rising the stairs
(I find God)
(And religion, too)
Staying at the Ace Hotel, if the calm would allow
Then I would just be floating to you now
It would make me pass to let it pass on
I'm climbing the dash, that skin
(Here in this room, this narrow room)
(Where life began when we were young last night)
Well we walked up on that bolt in the street
After you tied me in in the driveway of the apartment of his bede
Sent your sister home in a cab
Said I would've walked across any thousand lands
(No, not really if you can't)
I didn't need you that night
Not gonna need you anytime
Was gonna take it as it goes
I could go forward in the light
Well I better fold my clothes
(I've been looking through your mind)
(All my goodness)
(I've been looking through your mind)
(I've been looking through your mind)
(All my goodness to show)
(Why are you so far from saving me?)
(Why are you so far from saving me?)
The lyrics to Bon Iver's song 33 "GOD" are both cryptic and emotional, leaving the listener with a sense of unease and longing. The repeated line "When we leave this room it's gone" suggests a sense of impermanence, that once something has passed, it cannot be reclaimed. The stanza beginning "Is the company stalling?" could be interpreted as a reference to capitalism and the expendability of human emotion within that system. The line "We had what we wanted your eyes" suggests an interchangeability and a sense of consumerism, that people can be bought and sold for their perceived value. The repetition of the line "This is how we grow now, woman/A child ignored" implies a sense of stagnation and being stuck in one's ways, at the expense of human connection and spiritual growth.
The stanza beginning "We find God and religions to/Staying at the Ace Hotel" could be interpreted as a commentary on the lack of spirituality and connection in modern society, with people substituting consumerism and materialism for a deeper sense of purpose. The line "If the calm would allow/I would just be floating now" suggests a desire for release from the stresses of daily life, but that the sense of unease remains. The stanza beginning "Well, we walked up on that bolt in the street" depicts a sense of detachment and lack of emotional vulnerability, with the singer stating that they "didn't need you that night" and that they were "gonna take it as it goes". The repeated line "All my goodness to show" could be interpreted as a desire for connection and an expression of one's true self, but that the barriers to that expression remain, represented by the question "Why are you so far from saving me?".
Line by Line Meaning
(When we leave this room it's gone)
We cannot hold onto moments and experiences forever, they are fleeting.
Is the company stalling?
Is progress being held back by external factors?
We had what we wanted your eyes
We were content with one another's company, without any need for words.
With no word from the former
Without any news or communication from those who came before us.
I'd be happy as hell, if you stayed for tea
I would be overjoyed if you would stay and spend more time with me.
(I know so well that this is all there is)
We must accept that the present moment is all we have and cherish it fully.
This is how we grow now, woman
This is how we learn and evolve, by embracing new experiences and challenges.
A child ignored
Someone who has been neglected and overlooked, possibly even by their own parents.
These will just be places to me now
These places and memories will no longer hold the same significance or emotional weight that they once did.
The foreman is down
The leader or guide who once gave direction is no longer in control or present.
(When we leave this room it's gone)
Again, reiterating the impermanence of moments and experiences.
We're rising the stairs
We are moving upwards, progressing to a new level or stage of life.
We find God and religions to
We seek out spirituality and faith to find meaning and purpose in life.
Staying at the Ace Hotel
A reference to a specific hotel, potentially representing a departure from the norm or seeking out a new experience.
If the calm would allow
If we could find peace and stillness, we would be able to fully appreciate the world around us.
I would just be floating now
I would feel weightless, unburdened by the stress and concerns of everyday life.
It would make me pass to let it pass on
Letting go of negative emotions or experiences would allow me to move on and continue growing.
I'm climbing the dash, that skin
Metaphorically climbing over obstacles and difficulties in life.
(Here in this room, this narrow room where life began when we were young last night)
Reflecting on a place or moment that holds special significance, where meaningful experiences or connections were formed.
Well, we walked up on that bolt in the street
Remembering a specific event or encounter that was unexpected or surprising.
After you tied me in in the driveway of the apartment of his bed
Describing a memory of being bound or tied up, potentially in a romantic or sexual context.
Sent your sister home in a cab
A detail that adds to the narrative of the memory being described, possibly indicating a sense of secrecy or needing to hide something.
Said I would've walked across any thousand lands
Expressing devotion and commitment to another person, willing to endure any hardship or obstacle to be with them.
(No not really if you can't)
Admitting that this kind of devotion may be unrealistic or impossible to achieve.
I didn't need you that night, not gonna need you anytime
Acknowledging a sense of independence or self-reliance, not wanting to be too dependent on another person or relationship.
Was gonna take it as it goes I could go forward in the light
Choosing to live in the moment and not hold onto expectations or specific plans for the future.
Well, I'd better fold my clothes
Returning to mundane, everyday tasks and responsibilities after reflecting on past memories or experiences.
(I’ll be looking through your eyes)
Viewing the world from another person's perspective or trying to understand their point of view.
All my goodness
Expressing a sense of benevolence or positive intention towards others.
(Why are you so far from saving me?)
Questioning the distance or separation between oneself and others in moments of need or vulnerability.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Justin Deyarmond Edison Vernon, Willis S. Graham
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@kevincote6778
I can't get over these lyrics.
Said I woulda walked across any thousand lands
(No not really if you can't)
I didn't need you that night
Not gonna need you anytime
Was gonna take it as it goes
I could go forward in the light
Well I better fold my clothes
it gives me goosebumps every time I hear it sung or read.
@littlemetalpixie
I paused the song to find out if anyone in the comments section had explained the meaning of the number 33 in the title.
Another commenter did indeed post that information.
I took a screenshot of it, because God did that thing where he used Bon Iver to completely and totally blow my mind...
Because I'd unintentionally and randomly paused the song at exactly 33 seconds.
Jeremiah 33:3 - Call to Me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things which thou knoweth not.
@Zvn1c
When he says "I better fold my clothes."
I felt that. I'm doing laundry right now.
@VK-pk8uz
It's a Gatsby reference.
@jproxursoxoff
😂🤣
@boastherkildsen1120
Stay strong. Doing laundry is no joke.
@runaway09
😂😂😂
@sendmommyhelp
omg same
@Wild__Jed
something about the line: 'i'd be happy as hell if you stayed for tea' Makes me so happy
@krazykat9709
Aint no happiness in hell. I pretty much can guess that there won't be any tea either. Plenty of opportunities to boil water mind.
@han5965
Krazy Kat dude wtf
@FinnaeusEasterly
Strangely that line makes me cry. I have a different connection to his music because of a friend that was murdered.