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
Faith
Bon Iver Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Shattered in paint
Oh, and the lengths that I'd
Stay up late
But brought to my space
The wonderful things I've learned to waste
I shoulda known
To compromise and to covet
All what's inside
There is no design
You'll have to decide
If you'll come to know if I'm the faithful kind
Time and again
(Got all that I need)
It's time to be brave
Content to the phrases
That at dawn, we ain't mazes
Just some kind of pages
This for my sister
That for my maple
It's not going the road I'd known as a child of God
Nor to become stable
(So what if I lose? I'm satisfied)
Am I dependent in what I'm defending
And do we get to hold what faith provides?
Fold your hands into mine
Do I believe in
Seeing every time
I know it's lonely in the dark
And this year's a visitor
And we have to know that faith declines
I'm not out all the way
The lyrics to Bon Iver's song "Faith" seem to touch on themes of shatteredness, compromise, and the search for faith. With lines like "Shattered in history, shattered in paint" and "content to the phrases that at dawn, we ain't mazes," Justin Vernon (the lead singer of Bon Iver) appears to be exploring the idea that we are often broken in some way by the past or by our experiences, but we can still find peace and fulfillment by accepting ourselves as we are.
One of the most striking lines in the song is "There is no design, you'll have to decide if you'll come to know if I'm the faithful kind." This line seems to suggest that there is no predetermined path that one must follow in order to be considered "faithful," but rather each person must make that decision for themselves.
In the final verse, Vernon sings "I know it's lonely in the dark and this year's a visitor, and we have to know that faith declines, I'm not out all the way." This appears to be a message of hope despite the difficulties that life can bring, and a reminder that even if our faith waivers at times, it is not gone entirely.
Overall, the lyrics of "Faith" are reflective and introspective, touching on themes that many of us can relate to in some way or another.
Line by Line Meaning
Shattered in history
My past is broken and fragmented
Shattered in paint
My present is colored with chaos and confusion
Oh, and the lengths that I'd
Stay up late
I used to push myself to the limit, trying to figure things out
But brought to my space
The wonderful things I've learned to waste
Now I'm surrounded by distractions and indulgences that keep me from moving forward
I shoulda known
That I shouldn't hide
To compromise and to covet
All what's inside
There is no design
You'll have to decide
If you'll come to know if I'm the faithful kind
I realize now that I can't keep my true self hidden, and I have to be honest with myself and others about who I am. There's no predetermined plan, and it's up to you to decide if I'm trustworthy
Time and again
(Got all that I need)
It's time to be brave
Content to the phrases
That at dawn, we ain't mazes
Just some kind of pages
I keep reminding myself that I have everything I need to succeed, but it's a challenge to muster the courage to face what's ahead. I'm learning to accept that life is difficult, but also realizing that it's not impossible to navigate
This for my sister
That for my maple
It's not going the road I'd known as a child of God
Nor to become stable
(So what if I lose? I'm satisfied)
I'm doing things my way now, pursuing what's important to me even if it doesn't align with my upbringing or society's expectations. I'm okay with the possibility of failure because staying true to myself brings me fulfillment
Am I dependent in what I'm defending
And do we get to hold what faith provides?
Fold your hands into mine
Do I believe in
Seeing every time
I question if I'm relying too much on what I'm advocating for and if faith is really something that provides tangible rewards. I'm asking you to hold my hands and join me in searching for answers and seeing clearly
I know it's lonely in the dark
And this year's a visitor
And we have to know that faith declines
I'm not out all the way
I acknowledge the struggle of feeling lost and disconnected, especially during this challenging year. I understand that faith can experience peaks and valleys, and though I may not be fully committed, I still have hope
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Brandon Burton, Camilla Staveley-Taylor, Francis Starlite, Justin Deyarmond Edison Vernon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@thejesuschrist
Faith is a true hymn for the ages, praise be!
@curtisamrein1231
Jesus Christ we need to get Jesus at a bon iver concert
@KyleSantin
Thanks Jesus!
@TheWayofGrace89
Well said, Lord
@sdaniel724
guys even Jesus Christ likes Bon Iver
@esayascohn7019
Jesus, were you in a Shane Dawson video?
@ThomC
Everytime I come back to a Bon Iver song, there's that feel that makes me know it's gonna be overwhelming, not in a bad way. It's like a big journey you know you're gonna undertake. You know there's gonna be a lot of research in the sound design, and as a musician, I'll first question whether it's gonna be genuine, whether it's truly gonna come from the heart and not try to appear intelligent.
And though the cleverness is always there, with Bon Iver, it hits you right in the heart. You can hear sounds you've been familiar with over the previous albums, the love of the saxophones, the distinctive guitars, Justin's doubled voice and great vocal range, soothing low vocal notes and aerial falsetto. That sound is a sound that takes years to master. The perfect amount of control and of things left to chance. The clumsiness and vulnerability, playing effortlessly with the skills, the knowledge. I love that the abstract lyrics are spoken with such faith. That's what makes their music so great. That ability of making something clever and emotionally strong at the same time. I just love it.
@b.andromeda
this might be it, I think this is the one, the one after all these years, this is the one. This is what he was made to make. I can't imagine life without this song.
@kfctwigs136
"And we have to know that faith declines. I'm not all out of mine" ....what deeply beautiful lyric. It has such an intimate value, yet it feels universally relatable
@mikethomas2191
It's like if 22, A Million and For Emma Forever Ago had a baby 🥰