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With Bon Iver’s latest release, SPEYSIDE’s fragmented, sparse lyrics carry a weight of introspection, similar to Justin Vernon’s previous work, but with an added emotional depth.
As someone with a background in English Literature from the University of Oregon, I find these themes particularly striking because they echo motifs from some of the most timeless poems in literary history. After a close reading, I see clear parallels between Bon Iver’s exploration of inner turmoil and classic works by poets like Robert Frost, Dylan Thomas, and William Blake.
In my view, SPEYSIDE dives deep into universal struggles, much like these classic poems.
The song’s reflection on regret echoes Frost’s The Road Not Taken, where the weight of choices and their consequences hit big. Likewise, Bon Iver’s fight against emotional collapse mirrors the defiance in Thomas’s Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night, which grapples with resisting inevitable loss. Blake’s A Poison Tree also aligns with the song’s theme of unchecked inner conflict spiraling toward destruction. These connections aren’t definitive, but they show how modern music still reflects timeless themes and human truths.
The parallels between the personal crises in these poems and Bon Iver’s lyrics reveal how music can echo the same truths poets explored centuries ago. This is just my interpretation after a close reading, but I think these comparisons shed light on the deeper meanings within the song.
[embed]https://youtube.com/watch?v=th4u1yrpuRE&si=wc3VuCvwg3S7Sk-G[/embed]Bon Iver SPEYSIDE Lyrics
Bon Iver SPEYSIDE Meaning
Let’s take a close look at Bon Iver’s SPEYSIDE, keeping in mind its themes of regret, personal failure, and a search for redemption. These are concepts that have been explored deeply in poetry across centuries, and they help frame our understanding of the lyrics here. As we break down each verse, I’ll reference how various poets and works have tackled similar ideas, which, in my view, helps us appreciate the emotional and philosophical weight of the song.
SPEYSIDE is a reflection on personal shortcomings, emotional fallout, and the difficult process of seeking redemption. The lyrics are fragmented and sparse, yet packed with a quiet intensity that reflects the speaker’s internal struggle. The title itself, referencing a region in Scotland known for its whisky production, may evoke ideas of escape or contemplation, but the song is less about the physical location and more about a metaphorical journey through regret and a hope for transformation.
In my opinion, this exploration of regret and the desire to correct past mistakes brings to mind several notable works of poetry. For example, The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost comes to mind when considering the speaker’s longing to undo past choices. Frost’s work, much like this song, reflects on the roads not traveled, the weight of choices, and the inevitability of living with regret.
Let’s dive into each verse, examining the themes more closely.
Verse 1: “I know now that I can’t make good / How I wish I could / Go back and put / Me where you stood / Nothing’s really something now the whole thing’s soot”
This first verse opens with an immediate admission of failure. “I know now that I can’t make good” suggests a harsh realization that it’s too late to repair the damage. The speaker wishes they could go back and place themselves in someone else’s position, perhaps to understand their perspective or undo a past wrong. This longing to rewrite history is a classic theme in poetry.
Robert Frost’s The Road Not Taken deals with similar themes of regret and reflection on past choices. The speaker in Frost’s poem, much like Bon Iver’s narrator, looks back on decisions that led them to where they are now, grappling with the consequences. Frost’s famous lines “I doubted if I should ever come back” echo the irreversibility of our choices—a sentiment that resonates with Bon Iver’s lyric “How I wish I could / Go back and put / Me where you stood.”
The final line, “Nothing’s really something now the whole thing’s soot,” is particularly powerful. It reflects the aftermath of destruction—what was once meaningful has now turned to ash. This evokes the theme of wasted potential, which is often seen in poetry about the human condition. In William Blake’s A Poison Tree, for example, the consequences of suppressed emotions lead to destructive outcomes. Blake’s speaker allows anger to fester, which ultimately results in ruin, much like the sense of loss and disintegration present in this verse.
Verse 2: “It serves to suffer, make a hole in my foot / And hope you look / As I fill my book / What a waste of wood / Nothing’s really happened like I thought it would”
In this verse, the speaker turns inward, expressing a sense of futility and self-inflicted suffering. “It serves to suffer, make a hole in my foot” suggests a kind of deliberate sabotage, as if the speaker believes that their suffering has some purpose or meaning. The idea of hoping for someone’s acknowledgment—”hope you look”—adds another layer of vulnerability. The speaker wants their pain to be recognized, yet they also seem to understand that their actions are ultimately fruitless.
Dylan Thomas’s Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night provides an interesting comparison here.
While Thomas’s poem is about resisting death with a fierce, defiant energy, both works grapple with the idea of struggling against inevitability. In Thomas’s poem, the speaker encourages his father to “rage against the dying of the light,” while Bon Iver’s narrator seems to be caught in a quieter battle, one of internal suffering and personal failure. Both, however, reflect a desire to resist the consequences of their circumstances—whether it’s death in Thomas’s case or the emotional wreckage in Bon Iver’s.
The line “What a waste of wood” hints at a wasted opportunity or effort. The speaker feels as though the resources (whether emotional, mental, or physical) they have invested are squandered. This concept of squandered potential ties in with The Second Coming by W.B. Yeats, where the collapse of structure and order leads to chaos. In Yeats’ poem, the world is on the brink of unraveling, much like the speaker in SPEYSIDE who confronts the fact that “nothing’s really happened like I thought it would.”
Both texts depict a sense of crumbling expectations and personal crisis.
Verse 3: “I can’t rest on no dynasty / What is wrong with me? / Ah, I’m so sorry / I got the best of me / I really damn been on such a violent spree”
This third verse brings the theme of identity and self-worth to the forefront. The line “I can’t rest on no dynasty” suggests that the speaker feels disconnected from any kind of legacy or tradition that might give them a sense of stability or validation. This sentiment of not being able to rely on the past resonates with John Clare’s I Am, where the speaker grapples with a loss of self and longs for peace. Clare’s lines, “I am—yet what I am, none cares or knows,” reflect a similar sense of disconnection and existential crisis that Bon Iver’s narrator is experiencing.
The question “What is wrong with me?” signals an internal reckoning. The speaker is coming to terms with their own role in their suffering. The apology—”Ah, I’m so sorry”—feels directed inward, suggesting that the speaker is apologizing for losing control of themselves (“I got the best of me”). The phrase “violent spree” likely refers not to physical violence but to an emotional or psychological outburst. In this sense, the speaker’s turmoil mirrors the emotional intensity seen in Blake’s A Poison Tree, where unchecked emotions lead to destructive consequences.
In my view, Bon Iver’s SPEYSIDE is a profound meditation on regret, personal failure, and the hope for redemption. Through sparse yet evocative language, the song captures the internal struggle of a speaker grappling with their past and their sense of self. The themes of wasted potential, suffering, and a desire for transformation are timeless, echoing the works of poets like Frost, Blake, and Thomas. Ultimately, the song suggests that while the past cannot be undone, there remains the possibility for renewal and growth, even in the aftermath of personal destruction.
Outro: “But maybe you can still make a man from me / Here on Speyside quay / With what’s left of me / As you live and breathe / Really know now what had hold on me”
The outro offers a glimmer of hope. The speaker, addressing another person, expresses a desire for transformation: “maybe you can still make a man from me.” This reflects the classic theme of redemption through the influence of others, a concept explored in many poetic works. Andrew Marvell’s To His Coy Mistress touches on the urgency of action before time runs out. While Marvell’s poem is more focused on seizing the day in a romantic context, the sense of time slipping away parallels the speaker’s plea for redemption before it’s too late.
The location “Speyside quay” may symbolize a place of refuge or rebuilding, and the idea of being remade “with what’s left of me” suggests that the speaker feels incomplete or damaged but still holds onto the possibility of change. This theme of being renewed by another echoes the sentiment found in Thomas’s Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night, where the speaker urges a fight against finality—whether that finality is death, failure, or personal disintegration.
Finally, the line “Really know now what had hold on me” suggests clarity. The speaker has gained some understanding of what has been controlling them—whether it’s regret, past mistakes, or personal flaws. This insight may not undo the past, but it suggests that the speaker is moving toward acceptance, much like the reflective tone found in The Road Not Taken, where the speaker comes to terms with the consequences of their choices.
Themes, Meanings, And Main Takeaways
The themes of regret, self-awareness, and the desire for transformation that drive SPEYSIDE mirror similar concerns in the poems The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost, Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night by Dylan Thomas, and A Poison Tree by William Blake. At the heart of these works is a deep reflection on the consequences of personal choices and the emotional toll of those decisions. In Frost’s poem, the speaker contemplates the roads they did not take, much like the narrator in Bon Iver’s lyrics longs to return to a past moment and “go back and put me where you stood.” Both Frost and Bon Iver’s narrators are haunted by paths not taken or actions not performed, suggesting a universal truth about the weight of decisions and the impossibility of fully understanding their consequences until it’s too late.
This idea of confronting the consequences of one’s choices aligns with Dylan Thomas’s Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night, where the struggle against the inevitable is rendered in more defiant terms. While Thomas speaks to the fight against death, Bon Iver’s narrator wrestles with the inevitable failure and disappointment that comes from choices they regret. The plea for redemption in the final verse—“But maybe you can still make a man from me”—resonates with the urgency in Thomas’s poem to fight against the “dying of the light,” suggesting that both figures are grasping for a way to reclaim control over their lives, even as they face overwhelming odds. In both texts, there is a sense that redemption or victory is possible, but only through active resistance or the influence of another person.
Similarly, the emotional turmoil and self-sabotage seen in Blake’s A Poison Tree provide a parallel to Bon Iver’s portrayal of internal conflict and personal failure. Just as Blake’s speaker allows anger to grow into a destructive force, Bon Iver’s narrator reflects on the “violent spree” they have undergone, suggesting that their unresolved emotions have led them down a path of self-destruction. Both texts explore how unchecked emotions—whether anger or regret—can take hold of an individual, leading to deeper personal failures. Yet, just as Blake’s poem ends with a grim finality, Bon Iver’s song leaves a window open for redemption, hinting at the possibility that, despite the damage done, there may still be a way to rebuild. This common thread across the song and these poems underscores a timeless human struggle: the quest for transformation in the face of irrevocable mistakes.
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