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
The Wolves
Bon Iver Lyrics
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Will mark you
Harness your blame, harness your blame
And walk through
With the wild wolves around you
In the morning, I'll call you
Send it farther on
Solace my game, solace my game
It stars you
Swing wide your crane, swing wide your crane
And run me through
And the story's all over you
In the morning I'll call you
Can't you find a clue
when your eyes are all painted Sinatra blue
What might have been lost
What might have been lost
What might have been lost
What might have been lost (don't bother me)
What might have been lost (don't bother me)
What might have been lost (don't bother me)
What might have been lost (don't bother me)
What might have been lost (don't bother me)
What might have been (don't bother me) (what might have been lost)
What might have been lost (don't bother me) (what might have been)
What might have been lost (don't bother me)
What might have been lost
What might have been lost
What might have been lost
Ah
Ah
Someday, my pain
Someday, my pain
Someday, my pain
Someday, my pain
Bon Iver's song The Wolves is a hauntingly beautiful ballad about pain, loss, and acceptance. The first two verses seem to be in conversation with someone who has experienced some kind of emotional hurt. The first verse establishes the pain as something that is transmutable, something that can be passed from one person to another. The second verse offers a possible solution, to harness the blame and move forward through the pain. The chorus, "with the wild wolves around you," seems to refer to the idea that pain and loss are a part of a larger natural cycle, which must be experienced in order to grow.
The third and fourth verses are more introspective, with the singer asking for solace, and then seemingly willing themselves toward acceptance of the painful experience. The lines "swing wide your crane, swing wide your crane, and run me through," seem to evoke the image of a bird caught in flight on a power line, struggling against an invisible force, before inevitably being electrocuted. This imagery is echoed later in the song with the lines "what might have been lost" repeated ominously.
The "Sinatra blue" line seems to be a reference to the pain of loss, something that Frank Sinatra himself experienced often in his turbulent personal life. The song ends on an ambiguous note, with the last verse repeating the first and the final lines saying "someday, my pain." It's unclear whether the singer has found solace or is still struggling with their grief, but the repetition of the phrase suggests that the pain is something that must be accepted and maybe even embraced.
Line by Line Meaning
Someday my pain, someday my pain
The singer is acknowledging that they have pain that they've been carrying around for a while.
Will mark you
The singer implies that their pain will have a significant impact on the person they're addressing.
Harness your blame, harness your blame
The singer is telling the addressee to accept responsibility and acknowledge that they contributed to the situation at hand.
And walk through
The singer wants the addressee to face the situation head-on.
With the wild wolves around you
The singer is painting the picture of the addressee being vulnerable in a dangerous environment.
In the morning, I'll call you
The singer implies that they'll be checking up on the addressee in the near future.
Send it farther on
The singer might be talking about their pain or the situation that caused it, and telling the addressee to move past it.
Solace my game, solace my game
The singer is asking the addressee to provide them with comfort or relief from their pain.
It stars you
The addressee is the focal point of the singer's request for solace.
Swing wide your crane, swing wide your crane
The singer seems to be asking the addressee to be aggressive or forceful toward them.
And run me through
The singer wants the addressee to metaphorically attack them, potentially as punishment for the situation at hand.
And the story's all over you
The singer is saying that the repercussions of the situation will be felt by the addressee.
Can't you find a clue
The singer is potentially annoyed that the addressee doesn't understand the gravity of the situation or the singer's pain.
when your eyes are all painted Sinatra blue
The singer uses a simile to describe the addressee's eyes as being blue (potentially from crying), but with a nod to the classic performer Frank Sinatra who also had blue eyes.
What might have been lost
The singer is reflecting on what might have happened differently to prevent their current situation.
(don't bother me)
The singer is saying that reflecting on what might have been lost isn't helpful for their current situation.
Ah
The singer gives a vocalization, possibly to express sadness or frustration.
Ah
The singer gives another vocalization, possibly to punctuate the end of the song.
Lyrics © O/B/O DistroKid, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Justin Deyarmond Edison Vernon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind