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
Lovin's For Fools
Bon Iver Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Living without you
Inside this house that we built
It seems like the windows
Finally open
Letting the memories out
Go on and love her
I will not tell her
I told you to
You'll never notice
How much I love you
Lovin's for fools
Lovin's for fools
Maybe you'll find me
Walking in the garden
Looking for something pure
Roots that are growing
Deeper and deeper
Maybe you'll pull them too
Go on and love her
Love her forever
I will not tell her
I told you to
You'll never notice
How much I love you
Lovin's for fools
Lovin's for fools
Go on and love her
Love her forever
I will not tell her
I told you to
You'll never notice
How much I love you
Lovin's for fools
Lovin's for fools
Go on and love her
Love her forever
I will not tell her
I told you to
You'll never notice
How much I love you
Lovin's for fools
Lovin's for fools
The lyrics of Bon Iver's "Lovin's for Fools" depict a narrator who is struggling with being alone after a relationship has ended. The singer admits feeling emotionally lost and almost ghostly without the company of their former lover. The imagery of windows opening and memories pouring out suggests that the singer has been trying to suppress their feelings and memories of the past, but they are now coming to the surface.
As the song continues, the singer confesses love for their ex-partner while watching them move on with someone else, acknowledging that it's better to keep this love to themselves. The lyrics "lovin's for fools" suggests the singer believes it's foolish to embrace love again after being hurt. The song ends with the singer seeking solace in the garden with the hope of finding something pure and digging deeper roots. The garden could be a metaphor for both the singer's mind, which they hope to cultivate, and their heart, which they hope to reconnect with.
Overall, "Lovin's for Fools" is a poignant portrayal of the difficulty of moving on after a relationship has ended. It speaks to the universal experience of love and loss.
Line by Line Meaning
Crazy how I feel
It's unusual for me to feel the way I do
Living without you
Life without you is difficult
Inside this house that we built
In this home we created together
It seems like the windows
It appears as though the windows
Finally open
Are now open
Letting the memories out
Allowing memories to escape
Go on and love her
You should love her
Love her forever
Love her for eternity
I will not tell her
I won't inform her
I told you to
About my feelings for you
You'll never notice
You won't ever recognize
How much I love you
The depth of my love for you
Lovin's for fools
Love can be foolish
Maybe you'll find me
Perhaps you'll come across me
Walking in the garden
Strolling through the garden
Looking for something pure
Searching for something genuine
Roots that are growing
The growing roots
Deeper and deeper
Progressively deeper
Maybe you'll pull them too
Perhaps you'll also uproot them
Contributed by Caroline R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@NathanAllebach
I still come back to this from time to time. Brings me back to a simpler, sadder time.
@Anton-cn4mk
word!
@HeyiPlayMusic
I would literally pay sooo much to have just this one song recorded by them in the studio. only to eliminate the static in the background noise, but still keep the raw quality of this glorious music.
@MrJBP3
If you close your eyes and just turn up the volume and listen it sounds like they are playin this in the rain, Perfect
@ayojones2009
So happy to have rediscovered this song all of these years later.
@crumpetsyummy
That is the kind of music that tugs at your soul. Strikingly beautiful.
@NachiV
a decade ago.
@peterpcarroll
Love it - a decade later, still love it
@Trecoolerok
I remember the day I found this video. Two of my favorite bands - Bon Iver and Bowerbirds, sining such a great song. I didn't even know they knew each other
@MaBelleIndifference
I've literally been listening to this for hours on end. It just suits my mood so perfectly right now..... I really don't want to leave this page, but I'll be singing this in my head over and over again when I do. I don't want to lose this feeling...