The stage name of electronic music producer Flume comes from the title of this song.
From an interview with Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon with Pitchfork:
"'After growing up in a Neil Young/ Bob Dylan/ Indigo Girls/ John Prine/ subjective-songwriter kind of world, I finally realized I didn’t have what they had, or I couldn’t do it as well, or I wasn’t exploring deep enough.
The subconscious thing I figured out in “Flume” started giving me more meaning. When we play live, “Flume” is still the song I can get lost in the most. The images in that song are more mysterious, yet more visual to me… I attempted to build odd landscapes that you could exist in that had weird feelings but also cool-sounding words… I really wanted to go deep. When I made “Flume” one afternoon at Christy [Smith, Justin’s girlfriend at the time and a player on For Emma]’s house, it immediately felt insane. I’d never done anything like that. It was this new falsetto thing that I’d been working on but never landed. It felt really scrappy. I’d been working on so many songs that spring, but nothing really gathered itself until “Flume” came along.'"
In a tweet, Justin Vernon revealed it was his favorite song he ever wrote.
Flume
Bon Iver Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's enough
I wear my garment so it shows
Now you know
Only love is all maroon
Gluey feathers on a flumeSky is womb and she's the moon
I am my mother on the wall, with us all
I move in water, shore to shore
Nothing's more
Only love is all maroon
Lapping lakes like leery loons
Leaving rope burns
Reddish rouge
Only love is all maroon
Gluey feathers on a flume
Sky is womb and she's the moon
The opening lines of Bon Iver's song "Flume" delve deeply into themes of identity and self-reliance. The singer declares, "I am my mother's only one, it's enough." These lines suggest a sense of isolation but also self-sufficiency. The "garment" that the singer wears "so it shows" could be a metaphor for their character or identity, worn proudly for all to see. The second verse continues with a dream-like, surreal quality, describing the natural world as if it were a cosmic womb, where the sky itself is a mother figure.
The repeated phrase "only love is all maroon" is difficult to interpret but it seems to hint at the enduring power of love even in a world of uncertainty and change. The lines are juxtaposed with evocative images such as "gluey feathers on a flume" and "lapping lakes like leery loons", suggesting a mysterious and mystical quality to the natural world around us. The final lines of the song circle back to the opening, with the singer again identifying themselves with their mother. "I am my mother on the wall, with us all" suggests a kind of transcendence, where the singer's identity becomes one with the collective consciousness.
Line by Line Meaning
I am my mother's only one
I'm the only child my mother has
It's enough
She's content with having just one child
I wear my garment so it shows
I wear my emotions on my sleeve, I don't hide them
Now you know
I'm being transparent about my emotions
Only love is all maroon
The only thing that matters is love, which is a deep red color like maroon
Gluey feathers on a flume
Love can be sticky and messy, like feathers stuck to a water slide
Sky is womb and she's the moon
The sky is like a mother's womb, and the moon is like a nurturing mother figure
I am my mother on the wall, with us all
The artist sees themselves as a reflection of their mother, who is represented by a picture on the wall
I move in water, shore to shore
The artist is constantly traveling and adapting, like water flowing from one shore to another
Nothing's more
Nothing is more important than love and the artist's relationship with their mother
Lapping lakes like leery loons
The peaceful sounds of water lapping against rocks, and the cautious calls of loons, symbolize the tranquility and security of love
Leaving rope burns
Love can also leave scars and painful memories, like rope burns
Reddish rouge
Love is like a deep red blush that brings warmth and life to the singer
Only love is all maroon
Reiterating that love is the most important thing
Gluey feathers on a flume
Reiterating that love can be messy and hard to understand
Sky is womb and she's the moon
Reiterating that nature and nurturing are intertwined and essential in love
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Justin Deyarmond Edison Vernon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
David
on For Emma
So apropose
Saw death on a sunny snow
For every life
Forgo the parable
Seek the light
My knees are cold
Running home, running home
Running home, running home
Go find another lover
To bring a, to string along
With all your lies
You're still very lovable
I toured the light so many foreign roads
For Emma, forever ago