This song's first line is "This my excavation and today is kumran" and Bon Iver's Myspace lists 'the excavation at Kumran' as the album's sole musical influence, Drowned in Sound asked him what he meant by this. The singer-songwriter replied: "It's referring to the excavations where they found the Dead Sea Scrolls. When they found them it changed the whole course of Christianity, whether people wanted to know it or not. A lot of people chose to ignore it, a lot of people decided to run with it, and for many people it destroyed their faith, so I think I was just looking at it as a metaphor for whatever happens after that is new s--t."
re: stacks
Bon Iver Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Day is Qum'ran
Everything that happens is from now on
This is pouring rain
This is paralyzed
I keep throwing it down, two
Hundred at a time
When your money's gone
And you're drunk as hell
On your back with your racks as he stacks your load
In the back with the racks and he stacks your load
In the back with the racks and you're unstacking your load
I've been twisting to the sun
I needed to replace
And the fountain in the front yard is rusted out
All my love was down
In a frozen ground
There's a black crow sitting across from me
His wiry legs are crossed
He's dangling my keys, he even fakes a toss
Whatever could it be
That has brought me to this loss?
On your back with your racks as he stacks your load
In the back with the racks and he stacks your load
In the back with the racks and you're unstacking your load
This is not the sound of a new man
Or a crispy realization
It's the sound of me unlocking and you lift away
Your love will be
Safe with me
The singer of Bon Iver's song, Re: Stacks, is reflecting on the past, while also embracing the present such that everything that happens is from now on. It's a song about self-discovery and self-exploration, using the metaphor of excavation, digging up the past to transform into the person one needs to be in the present. The first verse expresses the pain and hurt that comes from life experiences, including the pouring rain of sadness that paralyzes one's emotions.
The second verse focuses on loss, the need for replacement, and the difficulty in letting go. The fountain in the front yard being rusted out serves as a symbol of the death of the singer's love. In the third verse, a black crow sits across from the singer, dangling his keys and faking a toss. It appears to be a representation of the losses and little things that make up life. The singer is struggling with something that has brought him a sense of loss, and he is trying to find himself through this self-discovery journey.
In the chorus, the singer is seen stacking and unstacking his load with racks, probably alluding to the effort required to find oneself. The song stresses that the journey is not one of being a new man or having an epiphany, but of unlocking oneself and lifting away from the past. The singer promises that the love of the past will be safe with him while he journeys on to his new self.
Line by Line Meaning
This my excavation and to
Day is Qumran
This moment marks a turning point in my life, and I feel like I am uncovering something valuable like an archaeologist at Qumran.
Everything that happens is from now on
I am starting fresh, and everything that happens from this moment on will define my new life.
This is pouring rain
This is paralyzed
I feel overwhelmed and hopeless, like I am stuck in the midst of a rainstorm that paralyzes me.
I keep throwing it down, two
Hundred at a time
I am trying to forget my problems by spending money recklessly, but it only makes me feel worse.
It's hard to find it when you knew it
When your money's gone
And you're drunk as hell
It's difficult to reclaim something you lost when you were in a better state of mind, especially when you have spent your money and are drunk.
On your back with your racks as he stacks your load
In the back with the racks and he stacks your load
In the back with the racks and you're unstacking your load
You are at work, and your boss is unloading a truck, and you are either lying on your back with a stack of items on top of you or standing at the back of the truck unloading the items.
I've been twisting to the sun
I needed to replace
And the fountain in the front yard is rusted out
All my love was down
In a frozen ground
I have been searching for something new to bring me happiness, but everything I try is rusted and broken. Everything I have tried to love is buried in a place where it cannot grow.
There's a black crow sitting across from me
His wiry legs are crossed
He's dangling my keys, he even fakes a toss
Whatever could it be
That has brought me to this loss?
I am confronted by a dark omen, and I wonder what evil forces have led me to this moment of despair.
This is not the sound of a new man
Or a crispy realization
It's the sound of me unlocking and you lift away
Your love will be
Safe with me
I am not suddenly a changed person, nor have I just had a moment of clarity. I am simply opening up to the possibility of new love, assuring you that your love will be secure with me.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Justin Vernon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind