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
Beth / Rest
Bon Iver Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the rain let in
And the hawser rolls, the vessel's whole and Christ, it's thin
Well, I'd know that you'd offer
Would reveal it, though it's soft and flat
Won't repeat it, cull and coffers that
For the soffit, hang this homeward
Sending lost and alone standing offers
It is steep, it is stone
Such recovery
From the daily press, the deepest nest, in keeper's keep
All the news at the door
Such a revelry
Well, it's hocked inside of everything you said to me
It was found what we orphaned
Didn't mention it would serve us picked
Said your love is known, I'm standing up on it
Aren't we married?
I ain't living in the dark no more
It's not a promise, I'm just gonna call it
Heavy mitted love, our love is a star
Sure some hazardry
For the light before and after most indefinitely
Danger has been stole away
This is Axiom, oh
The song "Beth/Rest" by Bon Iver is a beautifully crafted song that can speak to the emotions of the listener on many levels. The first stanza of the song creates a sense of chaos, heat, and rain. It is a metaphor for the emotional turmoil that the singer is feeling. The use of the word "hawser" suggests a rope or cable that is holding a ship in place - it evokes a sense of tension and pressure. The second stanza seems to be addressing someone who is offering comfort but the singer is hesitant to accept it, preferring to keep their feelings hidden. The imagery of the "soffit" hanging "homeward" suggests that the singer is looking for a way to escape from their current situation, possibly by retreating into themselves, and they are hoping for some love or support to help them on this journey. The third stanza hints at a desire for recovery from a difficult or traumatic experience, represented by the "daily press" and "keeper's keep". The "news at the door" suggests that the singer is seeking some sort of new beginning or change in their life, perhaps to forget or move on from the past. The fourth and final stanza seems to be a declaration of love - the singer is no longer living in the dark and is ready to embrace life and love. The phrase "heavy mitted love" means that love can be difficult and painful, but it is still worth pursuing. The final line, "Danger has been stole away" suggests that the singer has moved beyond their past troubles and is ready to face the future with a positive outlook.
Line by Line Meaning
Errant heat to the star
The heat has been wrongly directed towards the star
And the rain let in
The rain has penetrated into something
And the hawser rolls, the vessel's whole and Christ, it's thin
The rope is rolling and the ship is barely holding on, it's dangerous
Well, I'd know that you'd offer
I understand that you would have offered something
Would reveal it, though it's soft and flat
You would have disclosed it, even though it's not clear
Won't repeat it, cull and coffers that
I won't say it again, it's been edited and saved
For the soffit, hang this homeward
Put this on the underside of the roof, going towards home
Pry it open with your love
Open it with love and care
Sending lost and alone standing offers
Making offers while feeling lost and alone
It is steep, it is stone
It's a sharp and solid place
Such recovery
A great deal of overcoming and healing
From the daily press, the deepest nest, in keeper's keep
From the daily grind, the most intimate place, held by a keeper
All the news at the door
The latest news is available
Such a revelry
It's a joyful celebration
Well, it's hocked inside of everything you said to me
It's embedded in everything you've said to me
It was found what we orphaned
What we relinquished was discovered
Didn't mention it would serve us picked
Didn't say it would be delivered to us
Said your love is known, I'm standing up on it
You said your love is recognized, and I'm relying on it
Aren't we married?
Don't we have a close relationship?
I ain't living in the dark no more
I'm not living in ignorance anymore
It's not a promise, I'm just gonna call it
It's not a guarantee, but that's what I'm going to name it
Heavy mitted love, our love is a star
Our powerful and intense love is like a star
Sure some hazardry
There might be some risk involved
For the light before and after most indefinitely
For the illumination that comes before and after, and continues indefinitely
Danger has been stole away
The danger has been removed
This is Axiom, oh
This is a self-evident truth
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Justin Deyarmond Edison Vernon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@dasaddestklown2896
I'm not sure what Justin's meaning of this section is but it so parallels my final devastating conversation with my then wife after I found out she had been cheating on me behind my back for so long. These are the only lyrics I even "hear" when listening to this song. And it's all I can think about when I hear it.
"Aren't we married?"
"I ain't living in the dark (of your infidelity) no more"
"It's (your marriage vows) not a promise (anymore)"
"I'm just gonna call it (calling this marriage off)"
As sad as this is to me, I listen to it multiple times a week. It's been 13 years since the event.
@rashidulhasan5873
Errant heat to the star
And the rain let in
And the hawser rolls
The vessel's whole
And Christ, it's thin
Well, I'd know that you'd offer
Would reveal it, though it's soft and flat
Won't repeat it, cull and coffer's that
Or the Prophet, sing this homeward
Pry it open with your love
Sending lost and alone standing offers
It is steep / it is stone
Such recovery
From the daily press
The deepest nest
In keeper's keep
All the news at the door
Such a revelry
Well, it's hocked inside
Of everything
You said to me
It was found what we orphaned
Didn't mention it, would serve us picked
Well your love is known, I'm standing up on it
Aren't we married?
I ain't living in the dark no more
It's not a promise, I'm just gonna call it
Heavy mitted love
Our love is a star
Sure some hazardry
For the light before
And after most indefinitely
Danger has been stole away
This is axiom
@rkitekt5076
[Verse 1]
Errant heat to the star
And the rain let in
And the hawser rolls, the vessel's whole and Christ, it's thin
[Chorus 1]
Well, I'd know that you'd offer
Would reveal it, though it's soft and flat
Won't repeat it, cull and coffers that
For the soffit, hang this homeward
Pry it open with your love
Sending lost and alone standing offers
[Verse 2]
It is steep, it is stone
Such recovery
From the daily press, the deepest nest, in keeper's keep
All the news at the door
Such a revelry
Well, it's hocked inside of everything you said to me
[Chorus 2]
It was found what we orphaned
Didn't mention it would serve us picked
Said your love is known, I'm standing up on it
Aren't we married?!
I ain't living in the dark no more
It's not a promise, I'm just gonna call it
[Verse 3]
Heavy mitted love
Our love is a star
Sure some hazardry
For the light before
And after most indefinitely
[Outro]
Danger has been stole away
This is axiom
@MrDbrizzle
This song is CRIMINALLY underrated.
@chrilborn4138
Big facts
@banjocricketusa
Agreed Derek.
@alexamaral1262
so TRUE
@richardgeorge6255
I think it's my favourite song of all time.
@scalz420
@Richard George if you like this song you will also like Primitive Radio Gods - Standing Outside A Broken Phone Booth With Money In My Hand
@icecreammmmman1991
Justin described this song as "'Beth seems like this really cool name for a place you just go to be in paradise forever... Eventually, you start waking up to the fact that you might be ready to spend your life with somebody and still feel good about who you are and what kind of changes you're going to go through no matter what. And 'Beth/Rest' is that reward. It's that place you get to be in for the rest of your life…" It's so cool how he depicts that place in this music video.
@nickdaboii
Wow this gave me the dopest chills. Thank you.
@JulieMae
Damn I love this 🙏💚💙
@user-rl3iu4vd2g
It's weird how sad the song sounds to me. And that that's his description of it