Bon Iver consists of 10 songs, each of them named after or describing a place. Vernon explained to UK newspaper The Guardian: "We have these intense relationships with our places, and that's loosely what the record is draped over," he said. Vernon then explained that not all of the places are geographical locations so much as sentiments or states of being. "I could go on and on and on about how we use the word 'place' in so many different ways," he said. "About how somebody might ask you 'Where you at?' And they're not asking where are you sitting, where are you living, they're asking: 'How are you doing?'"
Vernon sees the album as one coherent piece, with "Perth" representing the beginning or birth and "Beth/Rest" the ending or death.
Justin Vernon wrote this song after director, Matt Amato, learnt of the death of his best friend, actor Heath Ledger, while he was shooting a video at Vernon's parents' house. Vernon told Rolling Stone: "So I've got this guy [Matt Amato] in my house whose best friend [Heath Ledger] just passed away. He's sobbing in my arms. He can't go back to L.A. because the house is under siege. Michelle Williams is calling my parents' phone. All this stuff." Vernon added to Clash Music: "And his best friend was from Perth. It just sort of became the beginning of the record. And Perth has such a feeling of isolation, and also it rhymes with birth, and every song I ended up making after that just sort of drifted towards that theme, tying themselves to places and trying to explain what places are and what places aren't."
Vernon told Q magazine this was the last track completed for Bon Iver, delaying the album mastering by an extra fortnight in order to make it perfect. The night he recorded the final vocal alone in his studio, listened to the playback, broke down and sobbed.
Perth
Bon Iver Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Move dust through the light
To fide your name
It's something fane
This is not a place
Not yet awake, I'm raised to make
Still alive, who you love
Still alive, who you love
Still alive, who you love
In a mother, out a moth
Furling forests for the soft
Gotta know been lead aloft
So I'm ridding all your stories
What I know, what it is, it's pouring, wire it up
You're breaking your ground
The lyrics to Bon Iver's song Perth have a haunting quality to them, taking the listener on a journey of self-discovery and emotional turbulence. The opening lines "I'm tearing up, across your face, move dust through the light, to find your name" hint at an emotional breakdown and a desperate search for something that's been lost. It's almost as if the singer is revisiting a painful memory, trying to come to terms with it in their mind. The line "It's something fane" is ambiguous and can be interpreted in many different ways, perhaps suggesting that the singer is struggling to articulate their emotions.
The second verse "In a mother, out a moth, furling forests for the soft, gotta know been lead aloft" adds to the overall sense of confusion and introspection. There's a lot of imagery and symbolism here, with the moth and the forest perhaps representing something that's both fragile and powerful. The line "So I'm ridding all your stories, what I know, what it is, it's pouring, wire it up, you're breaking your ground" suggests that the singer is reflecting on their own experiences and trying to make sense of them.
Overall, the lyrics to Perth are both enigmatic and deeply emotive. They deal with themes of loss, love, and self-discovery, weaving together a tapestry of images and ideas that are both beautiful and haunting.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm tearing up, across your face
The emotions are intense and overwhelming to the extent of making one cry
Move dust through the light
Manipulating the surroundings to find clarity in the path ahead
To find your name
Searching for identity and connection amidst the chaos of life
It's something fane
The familiarity of someone or something which beckons to a deeper connection
This is not a place
The current situation and surroundings are not representative of one's true self and identity
Not yet awake, I'm raised to make
The feeling of being awakened to a higher purpose and driven towards fulfilling it
Still alive, who you love
No matter what happens, we will continue to love those who are important to us
In a mother, out a moth
The process of transformation and rebirth, from nurturing to flight
Furling forests for the soft
Creating a protective layer around oneself to shield from the harshness of life
Gotta know been lead aloft
An understanding that we are guided towards our destiny
So I'm ridding all your stories
Letting go of the narratives that hold us back, in order to move forward
What I know, what it is, it's pouring, wire it up
The overwhelming nature of truth and knowledge, we must channel it effectively to avoid being short-circuited
You're breaking your ground
Pushing boundaries and breaking free from previously held beliefs and limitations
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Justin Deyarmond Edison Vernon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@perro_muerto
I'm tearing up, across your face
Move dust through the light
To fide your name
It's something fane
This is not a place
Not yet awake, I'm raised to make
Still alive, who you love
Still alive, who you love
Still alive, who you love
In a mother, out a moth
Furling forests for the soft
Gotta know been lead aloft
So I'm ridding all your stories
What I know, what it is, it's pouring, wire it up
You're breaking your ground
@mohammediradkhan6869
This song will live just the way Heath Ledger will live forever.
@yungleary
I heard he died
@freyrik
ImmorTTal(e)
@jessepinkman6183
Always rember leath hedger. Lived more than all concerend
@SkateAwayTheDay
@@jessepinkman6183 I love Mitch hedberg rip
@BloodandSoil990
@@yungleary He's been dead since 2008. Where the hell have you been?
@user-mt4jx1lx3g
"perth" is one of the only songs that has me crawling back to it for emotional support.
It drops me to my lowest and induces nostalgia but at the same time it feels like a pat on the back of encouragement.
It's like rebirth, makes me want to keep on living life and to treasure every single moment.
I'm grateful that I am alive today.
@batosato
well said!
@ulascancakmak4051
A perfect description of the songs's spirit, thanks.
@Mighty_Atheismo
Damn... seldom does a YouTube comment go this hard. Well said