And then I read an article on the genesis of this song and I was stopped cold. On this track, I especially like the quirky tempo changes and, of course Justin Vernon's ethereal voice is just so amazing: this song in gives me goosebumps every time I listen to it. That fact that Bon Iver is on the 4AD label just adds to their cred - this is the record label of New Order (nee Joy Division) fame that spawned such iconic bands as The Cocteau Twins, Dead Can Dance, Dif Juz, Colourbox, The Wolfgang Press, This Mortal Coil, and so many others. One of the freshest voices I've heard in a long time and really a great arrangement. Let me say at the outset that when I first hear this song I was blown away. That's not a detraction in any way because that show introduced me to many other great tunes. OK, I admit I heard this song first (like many) in that infamous House episode. In a tweet, Justin Vernon revealed it was his favorite song he ever wrote. I’d been working on so many songs that spring, but nothing really gathered itself until “Flume” came along.'" It was this new falsetto thing that I’d been working on but never landed. When I made “Flume” one afternoon at Christy ’s house, it immediately felt insane. The images in that song are more mysterious, yet more visual to me… I attempted to build odd landscapes that you could exist in that had weird feelings but also cool-sounding words… I really wanted to go deep. When we play live, “Flume” is still the song I can get lost in the most. The subconscious thing I figured out in “Flume” started giving me more meaning. "'After growing up in a Neil Young/ Bob Dylan/ Indigo Girls/ John Prine/ subjective-songwriter kind of world, I finally realized I didn’t have what they had, or I couldn’t do it as well, or I wasn’t exploring deep enough. “Lump Sum” begins with a choir of Vernons echoing cavernously, which, along with that rhythmically rushing guitar, initiates the listener into the song’s strange space. "'After growing up in a Neil Young/ Bob Dylan/ Indigo Girls/ John Prine/ subjective-songwriter kind of world Read Full Bio “Flume” has an eerily interiorized sound, which matches his unsettling similes. The stage name of electronic music producer Flume comes from the title of this song.įrom an interview with Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon with Pitchfork: “Flume” has an eerily interiorized sound, which matches his unsettling similes. Written by: Justin Deyarmond Edison Vernon Reiterating that nature and nurturing are intertwined and essential in love Reiterating that love can be messy and hard to understand Reiterating that love is the most important thing Love is like a deep red blush that brings warmth and life to the speaker Love can also leave scars and painful memories, like rope burns The peaceful sounds of water lapping against rocks, and the cautious calls of loons, symbolize the tranquility and security of love Nothing is more important than love and the speaker's relationship with their mother The speaker is constantly traveling and adapting, like water flowing from one shore to another The speaker sees themselves as a reflection of their mother, who is represented by a picture on the wall The sky is like a mother's womb, and the moon is like a nurturing mother figure Love can be sticky and messy, like feathers stuck to a water slide The only thing that matters is love, which is a deep red color like maroon I wear my emotions on my sleeve, I don't hide them "I am my mother on the wall, with us all" suggests a kind of transcendence, where the speaker's identity becomes one with the collective consciousness. The final lines of the song circle back to the opening, with the speaker again identifying themselves with their mother. The lines are juxtaposed with evocative images such as "gluey feathers on a flume" and "lapping lakes like leery loons", suggesting a mysterious and mystical quality to the natural world around us. The repeated phrase "only love is all maroon" is difficult to interpret but it seems to hint at the enduring power of love even in a world of uncertainty and change. The second verse continues with a dream-like, surreal quality, describing the natural world as if it were a cosmic womb, where the sky itself is a mother figure. The "garment" that the speaker wears "so it shows" could be a metaphor for their character or identity, worn proudly for all to see. The speaker declares, "I am my mother's only one, it's enough." These lines suggest a sense of isolation but also self-sufficiency. The opening lines of Bon Iver's song "Flume" delve deeply into themes of identity and self-reliance.
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