‘SPEYSIDE’ by Bon Iver - Lyrics & Meaning

September 19, 2024 4:29 pm GMT

Last Edited October 16, 2024 9:11 am GMT

Bon Iver - ‘SPEYSIDE’

Label: Jagjaguwar

Release Date: September 20th, 2024

EP: SABLE,

Producers: Justin Vernon, Jim-E Stack, Asher Weisberg & Ryan Olson

Songwriters: Justin Vernon, Ryan Olson & BJ Burton

The Background:

When Bon Iver released his fourth album, i i, in 2019, many fans feared this would be the final record we'd hear from the enigmatic, shape-shifting Eau Claire, Wisconsin maverick. Each of his four albums until were designed to represent a season, with For Emma, Forever Ago symbolising winter, Bon Iver, Bon Iver capturing the mood of spring, 22, A Million being linked to summer and i i denoting fall.

However, in 2020 Bon Iver followed up i i with two singles from a mysterious ‘Season Five’, which offered a glimmer of hope to his loyal fanbase. That chink of light seemed to grow dimmer as the years went by, until Bon Iver - a project devised by Justin Vernon - announced his first single in four years would arrive on September 20th.

The new track, ‘SPEYSIDE’ (stylised ‘S P E Y S I D E’), serves as the first single from Bon Iver's forthcoming SABLE, EP, which arrives on October 18th, 2024, and feature three other songs: ‘...’, ‘THINGS BEHIND THINGS BEHIND THINGS’ - which Vernon performed at a 2020 Bernie Sanders rally - and ‘AWARDS SEASON’.

Accompanied by an atmospheric black and white music video on the release date, it's safe to say ‘SPEYSIDE’ has been a long time coming. Bon Iver first performed the introspective offering during his 2022 tour-stop at the OVO Hydro Arena in Glasgow, UK.

The Sound:

Although it's not yet clear whether ‘SPEYSIDE’ is intended to align with the ambience of a season, as all of Bon Iver's past projects have, it certainly feels like a return to the acoustic, folkier mood of the ‘Exile’ crooner's debut album, For Emma, Forever Ago.

The majority of the track finds Bon Iver's weighty voice gliding hauntingly across a sparse, intricate acoustic guitar. Vernon's now-iconic falsetto flits into the picture after the second verse, before returning again towards the beginning of the final verse.

Even so, his vocals are noticeably more lucid, tangible and in-focus compared to the ethereal, mercurial and volatile nature of his visceral singing across much of 22, A Million and ii.

Justin Vernon plays the guitar, while Rob Moose offers subtle viola flourishes. The live rendition of ‘SPEYSIDE’ featured a saxophone, which has been omitted from the studio version.

The Meaning:

“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”

When introducing ‘SPEYSIDE’ in at London's OVO Wembley Arena in October 2022 following its live debut in Glasgow, Justin Vernon explained that the track pivots around a feeling of guilt. Although Bon Iver's lyrics are often highly cryptic, it appears ’SPEYSIDE’ is written from the perspective of someone looking wistfully back at a past relationship, after realising that they were the cause of its breakdown.

As the protagonist yearns to go back in time and put “Me where you stood”, it feels as though he's wishing he'd been more empathetic and seen things from his partner's viewpoint. Although he initially dismissed the signs of problems as ‘nothing’, these seemingly trivial issues in the relationship quickly exploded into ‘something’, causing the break-up. He evocatively describes the current status of their relationship as being ‘soot’, portraying how the flame that once burned has now been extinguished. Perhaps crucially, though, ‘soot’ is produced when something has burned incompletely, which could hint that the relationship could still be resurrected.

“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”

The phrase ‘It serves to suffer’ seems to imply the protagonist feels as though it makes him feel better if he suffers, because it means he's getting what he thinks he deserves for ruining the relationship. The subsequent lyric, ‘Make a hole in my foot’, could be a reference to Jesus’ crucifixion. Many depictions of Jesus on the cross show nails in both his hands and his feet. This extends the theme of suffering.

He then confesses that he hopes his ex-lover sees him suffering, so they know he is seeking to make amends for past mistakes. The narrator dismisses the ‘book’ containing all the successful chapters of his life as a mere ‘waste of wood’ without his love.

“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”

The protagonist continues this idea in the third verse, with Bon Iver reiterating how his previous successes and the ‘dynasty’ he has built is worth nothing to him if he doesn't have his old flame by his side. He again hints that he played an key role in the relationship's demise by expressing how he “got the best of me”, suggesting he didn't give enough of himself to his lover, keeping ‘the best’ parts of himself for himself.

This could also convey how the protagonist was his own worst enemy, as the phrase they ‘got the best of me’ can be interpreted to mean someone was defeated. This notion of self-destruction is consolidated with the nod to violence in the last line.

“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 fourth and final verse carries a welcome tone of optimism and hope regarding the future prospects of the relationship. Bon Iver admits he still harbours dreams of his ex returning one day to aid him in his quest to become the man he wants to be.

The titular lyric mentioning ’Speyside quay’ has sparked much debate online, with many fans believing this to be a reference to the north-east region of Scotland by the river Spey. The fact that Bon Iver debuted ’SPEYSIDE’ in Scotland makes this feel like the intended meaning. Other listeners suggest that there could be a playful, underlying connotation relating to whiskey. Vernon revealed he was drunk when he wrote ’SPEYSIDE’, and the Scottish region is famous for its whiskey. The depiction of him being in ‘Speyside quay’ could conjure up images of the protagonist being surrounded by whiskey as he tries to drown his guilt.

However, it's worth highlighting that at London's OVO Wembley Arena in 2022, when introducing the new song, Justin Vernon recalled being drunk on rum, not whiskey, when he wrote ‘SPEYSIDE’, which makes this interpretation feel a little more tenuous.

The narrator elucidates his moment of realisation at the end of ‘SPEYSIDE’, as he confirms he is now aware of “what had hold of me” when he was being a disappointing partner. This suggests he is continuing to work on himself as he attempts to win back his ex.

What has Bon Iver said about ‘SPEYSIDE’?

At London's OVO Wembley Arena in October 2022, Justin Vernon explained how ‘SPEYSIDE’ came about, “When I made this song, I was feeling a lot of guilt, which is an important emotion to have. It's also an important emotion to put yourself past”.

The man behind Bon Iver then joked, “The day I wrote it, I got a little drunk on rum. I sent it to a couple of friends who are here tonight. I'm thankful. Thankful to have a friend to send a song to, you know? Can't just put that shit on MySpace anymore”.