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
Wash.
Bon Iver Lyrics
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Is all we know
When thaw
Is not below us
No, can't grow up
In that iron ground
Claire, all too sore for sound
Is hardly shown
Scraped
Across the foam
Like they stole it
And oh, how they hold it
Claire, we nearly forfeit
I, I'm growing like the quickening hues
I, I'm telling darkness from lines on you
Over havens fora full and swollen morass, young habitat
All been living alone, where the ice snap and the hold clast are known
Home
We're savage high
Come
We finally cry
Oh and we don it
Because it's right
Claire, I was too sore for sight
I, we're sewing up through the latchet greens
I, un-peel keenness, honey, bean for bean
Same white pillar tone as with the bone street sand is thrown where she stashed us at
All been living alone, where the cracks at in the low part of the stoning
The lyrics to Bon Iver's "Wash" explore themes of growth, resilience, and the struggle to survive in harsh environments. The first stanza describes the difficulty of growing when the thaw is not below us and we cannot thrive in the iron ground. The singer, named Claire, is too sore for sound and they nearly forfeit, suggesting that getting through tough times is not easy, but it is necessary for growth.
The second stanza introduces the idea of betting and theft, which speaks to the idea of survival in a harsh environment. The mention of holding onto something that was stolen suggests the need to hold onto all we have and not let go, even when it may seem immoral. The singer then speaks of growing like the quickening hues, which suggests the process of growth is ongoing, and they are telling darkness from lines on you, which suggests an ability to discern between good and bad.
The final stanza speaks of coming home and finally crying, which suggests that the struggle is over and they have survived. They do it because it's right, suggesting that the act of survival is not always easy, but it's necessary. The singer, Claire, was too sore for sight but has now grown, indicated by the phrase "we're sewing up through the latchet greens." This final stanza, along with the previous stanzas, ties together the themes of growth, resilience, and survival in harsh environments.
Line by Line Meaning
Climb
The only thing we can do is keep moving forward
Is all we know
It's the only thing we've ever done
When thaw
During the warm season
Is not below us
When the cold season hasn't ended
No, can't grow up
We cannot progress in this environment
In that iron ground
In this harsh, unforgiving landscape
Claire, all too sore for sound
It's too painful to even talk about it, Claire
Bet
Our chances
Is hardly shown
Are very low
Scraped
Struggling
Across the foam
Across the water
Like they stole it
As if someone took it from us
And oh, how they hold it
And how they cling to it
Claire, we nearly forfeit
We almost gave up, Claire
I, I'm growing like the quickening hues
I'm maturing and changing quickly like the colors of the sky at dawn
I, I'm telling darkness from lines on you
I can discern your features even in the dark
Over havens fora full and swollen morass, young habitat
In places where there's shelter in the midst of chaos, in a new and growing environment
All been living alone, where the ice snap and the hold clast are known
We've been living for so long by ourselves, where the sound of ice breaking is familiar
Home
Our refuge
We're savage high
We're in a state of wildness and intensity
Come
We've finally arrived
We finally cry
We finally release our emotions
Oh and we don it
And we embrace it
Because it's right
Because it's the only way
Claire, I was too sore for sight
I was in too much pain to really look, Claire
I, we're sewing up through the latchet greens
We're finding our way through the dense vegetation
I, un-peel keenness, honey, bean for bean
I'm unraveling the details, one by one
Same white pillar tone as with the bone street sand is thrown where she stashed us at
The same color as the bones buried in the street where she hid us
All been living alone, where the cracks at in the low part of the stoning
We've been surviving on our own, where the cracks are in the low part of the rocks
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Justin Deyarmond Edison Vernon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind