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
Skinny Love#
Bon Iver Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pour a little salt we were never here
My, my, my, my, my, my, my, my
Staring at the sink of blood and crushed veneer
I tell my love to wreck it all
Cut out all the ropes and let me fall
My, my, my, my, my, my, my, my
And I told you to be patient
And I told you to be fine
And I told you to be balanced
And I told you to be kind
And in the morning I'll be with you
But it will be a different kind
And I'll be holding all the tickets
And you'll be owning all the fines
Come on skinny love, what happened here?
Suckle on the hope in light brassieres
My, my, my, my, my, my, my, my
Sullen load is full, so slow on the split
And I told you to be patient
And I told you to be fine
And I told you to be balanced
And I told you to be kind
And now all your love is wasted
And then who the hell was I?
And I'm breaking at the britches
And at the end of all your lines
Who will love you?
Who will fight?
Who will fall far behind?
Ooh, ooh
Woo, ohh ooh
The song Skinny Love by Bon Iver is a hauntingly beautiful track about a love that is fading away. The opening line "Come on skinny love just last the year" is a plea to keep the love from fading for just one more year. The metaphor of "skinny love" implies that the love is feeble and fragile, hard to sustain. The line "Pour a little salt we were never here" suggests a desire to forget the past and to move on from it, salt being a symbol of purification.
The second verse "I tell my love to wreck it all, cut out all the ropes and let me fall" is a request to end the relationship completely, to cut any ties and let it be done. The line "Staring at the sink of blood and crushed veneer" conjures up images of destruction and despair, perhaps representing the pain and suffering of the singer.
The chorus is a repetition of the advice that the singer had given to their partner, to be patient, fine, balanced, and kind. The line "And now all your love is wasted, and then who the hell was I?" suggests a feeling of remorse and regret, that the singer believes they have failed in keeping the love alive. The final line "Who will love you? Who will fight? Who will fall far behind?" poses questions about the future, who will be there for the lover, who will support them, and who will be left behind.
Line by Line Meaning
Come on skinny love just last the year
Give me your love for one whole year
Pour a little salt we were never here
Let's forget about the past and move on
My, my, my, my, my, my, my, my
An expression of distress, disbelief or sadness
Staring at the sink of blood and crushed veneer
Feeling overwhelmed and hopeless, surrounded by pain and decay
I tell my love to wreck it all
I want my love to destroy everything and start anew
Cut out all the ropes and let me fall
Take away any control you have and let me experience the consequences
Right in this moment this order's tall
This decision has huge importance in the current moment
And I told you to be patient
I asked you to wait and give things time
And I told you to be fine
I asked you to take care of yourself and to not worry
And I told you to be balanced
I asked you to find stability and inner peace
And I told you to be kind
I urged you to be good to yourself and others
And in the morning I'll be with you
I'll be there for you in the morning
But it will be a different kind
Things will be different when I'm there
And I'll be holding all the tickets
I will be in control of the situation
And you'll be owning all the fines
You will have to face the consequences of our actions
Come on skinny love, what happened here?
What went wrong with our love?
Suckle on the hope in light brassieres
Keep holding onto hope no matter how light it is
Sullen load is full, so slow on the split
Feeling heavy and burdened by emotions, not able to move on quickly
And now all your love is wasted
All the love you gave was for nothing
And then who the hell was I?
I'm questioning my own identity and my role in our relationship
And I'm breaking at the britches
I'm at my limit and can't take it anymore
And at the end of all your lines
At the end of everything you've done for us
Who will love you?
Who will be there for you and love you?
Who will fight?
Who will stand up and fight for you?
Who will fall far behind?
Who will be left behind and forgotten?
Ooh, ooh
An expression of sadness or longing
Woo, ohh ooh
An expression of pain or grief
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Justin Deyarmond Edison Vernon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind