Lyrics for Skinny Love as interpreted by J.Diddy

Skinny Love Lyrics
Come on skinny love just last the year
Pour a little salt we were never here
My, my, my, my, my, my, my, my
Staring at the sink of blood and crushed veneer

I tell my love to wreck it all
Cut out all the ropes and let me fall
My, my, my, my, my, my, my, my
Right in the moment this order's tall

And I told you to be patient
And I told you to be fine
And I told you to be balanced
And I told you to be kind
And in the morning I'll be with you
But it will be a different kind
And I'll be holding all the tickets
And you'll be owning all the fines

Come on skinny love, what happened here?
Suckle on the hope in light brassieres
My, my, my, my, my, my, my, my
Sullen load is full, so slow on the split

And I told you to be patient
And I told you to be fine
And I told you to be balanced
And I told you to be kind
And now all your love is wasted
And then who the hell was I?
And I'm breaking at the britches
And at the end of all your lines

Who will love you?
Who will fight?
Who will fall far behind?

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salinaaaduong
11-17-2009

Rated 0 
I discovered this while watching grey's. Amazing song.

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Blackmofasa9
11-08-2009

Rated 0 
It makes me think of The Notebook for some reason...

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shamrocknroll
10-12-2009

Rated 0 
I think there are elements of lost religion here. There seems to be an overtone of lostness and disappointment, but I'm not convinced the lost love is a woman. Might it be Jesus? (I really haven't spent enough time with this yet, don't really know enough about Christianity, and apologize if someone has already suggested this and I missed it...)

"Blood and veneer" seems very much like it may be references Jesus on the cross.

"I'll be holding all the tickets and you'll be holding all the fines" seems like maybe a conflict with himself over the guilt he may experience in Jesus having died for his sins.

"Suckle on the hope in light brassieres" perhaps a reference to Mary.

"Who will love you? Who will fight? Who will fall far behind?" seems like a personal struggle with accepting Christ.

I wish I had more time to go through this and knew the Bible and Christianity better to fully analyze it...And of course its important to keep in mind it is poetry so perhaps not meant to be a totally direct (or clear) reference to anything/anyone.

Regardless - AWESOME SONG!

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m00neater
10-08-2009

Rated +1 
This song covers both emotional, and physical forms of loss. Most songs of this nature don't do that, I think this song is a great success because of that. The lines "Suckle on the hope in light brassieres", "Sullen load is full, so slow on the split", and "And I'm breaking at the britches" seem to indicate that he misses her sexually,as well as emotionally.
He manages to do this without:
A) making the song smutty and B) making it popy
Bravo Bon Iver!

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emmadoesthetimewarp
10-01-2009

Rated 0 
for me, this is a song about a daddy who's found out that his daughter has an eating disorder, and is absolutely crushed and disappointed. the way he sings "and i told you to be..." sounds like he's scolding her, she should have known better that to hurt them both. which leads me to think that he's not such a good father, maybe even the cause of the eating disorder.

blaaah, this is just my interpretation. :3

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scruffy2dope
09-28-2009

Rated 0 
an i told u to be patient
an i told you to be fine
an i told you to be balanced
an i told you to be kind
and now all yo love is wasted,
and then who the hell was i
and i breakin at the britches
and at the end of all your lines
who will love you?
who will fight?
who will faallll far behind?

if thats not the most emotional thing youve ever heard, then damn.


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Larriet
09-28-2009

Rated 0 
I believe this song is him talking to his "skinny love," a term of endearment given to the girl in the relationship.
A girl whom, I believe, is someone who's known not to last in relationships. He falls in love with her, and she had no intention of staying with him. She said she was ready to love him, even though she plans on leaving him, too, like all of the rest. Only, in the end, she has fallen in love with him, but is so set on leaving, because it's what she's always done, that she doesn't see what she's losing, or that she did love him.
And he can't make her see that she does love him.

Come on, skinny love, just last the year.
Pour a little salt, we were never here.
My, my, my. My, my, my. My, my.
Staring at the sink of blood and crushed veneer.

We can make it. Just stay with me for a year, then tell me you don't love me.
Salt can help heal a wound,so let's pour a little on and heal the wound in our relationship and act like this mess never happened, even though I'm watching the mess unfold right before my eyes.

"I tell my love to wreck it all,
Cut out all the ropes and let me fall.
My, my, my, my, my, my, my, my
Right in the moment this order's tall."

If you're not going to heal it, put a stop to it, then. If it's not going to get better, let's not drag it out.
Just let me go.
But it's a tall order, because I don't want it to be over, and I know it's going to crush me even worse when it is.
And it's a tall order, because you don't want to let me go.

"And I told you to be patient
And I told you to be fine
And I told you to be balanced
And I told you to be kind"

I TOLD you to wait to say it [I love you].
I TOLD you to be really be ready for it.
I TOLD you not to break my heart.

"And in the morning I'll be with you
But it will be a different kind
And I'll be holding all the tickets
And you'll be owning all the fines"

In the morning, you'll be gone, but I'll be on your mind. (Hence, with her, but not with her.)
But I'll be the one who's stuck with all of the pain, even though you're reason for the pain, so I'm paying for something that's your fault.

"Come on skinny love, what happened here?
Suckle on the hope in light brassieres
My, my, my, my, my, my, my, my
Sullen load is full, so slow on the split"

Come on, what happened? I know you always leave, but why are you leaving me?
Can't you see that it wasn't just lust this time? Can't you taste the hope of actual love, here?
The other guys were "take what you want and go," guys. What's different that you're so slow to leave this time?
What's different is that you actually love me.
Isn't there hope you'll see that?

"And now all your love is wasted
And then who the hell was I?
And I'm breaking at the britches
And at the end of all your lines

Who will love you?
Who will fight?
Who will fall far behind? "

You said you wasted all of your love on other guys, so there's none left anymore.
But what was this? This is love!
I'm tearing apart at the seams, and you're leaving.
I'm tired of your reasons for leaving, they're just a bunch of B.S. You're leaving because you're afraid to stay.
But who else is going to love you like I do?
Who would fight for you like I am?
I'm the one guy who would do anything for you,
But I'm the one guy who's getting left far behind.


Then again, that could just be my personal life sneaking into the story.
But I see it, as plain as day.

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1 Reply
KatherineLouise
09-22-2009

Rated 0 
This song is so brilliant and sad and beautiful. It perfectly captures that sort of desperation and bitterness you feel at the end of a painful relationship.

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ab0987
09-17-2009

Rated +1 
I agree with most of these comments but I wanted to see if anyone feels the same about this:

The line:
"And in the morning I'll be with you/But it will be a different kind"

At one point in my life, I felt that just that single line (taken out of the context of the rest of the song) can mean that maybe someone is longing to be with another.. maybe a friend, a roommate, a bf's friend.. and she sees him every morning so she thinks "I'll be with you in the morning, but it won't be in the way I want it to be"

Or maybe the person you're in love with, has a gf/bf and you're thinking it'll be a different kind than that of your significant other.

Just a thought.

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givemethesun
08-06-2009

Rated 0 
when I listen to this song, I get the uncontrollable urge to break down crying. to me, it’s about a man whose love is dying, and getting skinnier and skinnier as she gets weaker and weaker. “just last the year,” the man is hoping that she will survive just a little while longer. there seems to be a lot of references to suffering and death, such as the “sink of blood.” he might be going through the anger/frustration phase of grief, especially noticeable with the lyrics “I told you to be patient/fine/balanced/kind.” as for “all your love is wasted” – she is too young to die, and he feels guilty (“who the hell was I”) that her love was “wasted” on him. the last three lines show his worry about who else will be there to help her keep living (“who will love you? who will fight?”), and who will “fall far behind” and abandon her.

so there’s for the lyrics. as for the musicality of the piece… he sings and plays with desperation, sadness, and grief. he sings the “encouragement” part of the song (come on, skinny love…) with a slow, sad style. as for the “frustration/desperation” portion, he picks up the volume and the force, especially with the words “told you.” also, there is a beat in the background that sounds exactly like a heartbeat…

I read one of the earlier posts with what Justin said about this song, so I realize that this may not be an interpretation he had in mind. but I think that’s the beautiful thing about music and poetry—it is up to the listener to determine what it means to her.

bon iver has hauntingly beautiful music, and I am so glad that I have now discovered their music for myself.

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peaco
08-04-2009

Rated 0 
I took this more as HE is no longer in love with HER while she still loves him.
He still cares for her and wants her to be "fine" , "patient" (he tells her it will get better with time), "kind" (she's probably angry and saying hurtful things back).

He says that he could stay "in the morning I'll be with you" but argues that "it will be a different kind" , rather than be there because he loves her he will be there just to keep from hurting her, a different sort of "kind" .

He wants out of the relationship. He's willing his love to "just last the year". Maybe he's been putting off breaking up not wanting to hurt her. He's going to try and wait it out to see if things change.

"now all your love is wasted? then who the hell was I?" this could be something he tells her to comfort her when she says she's wasted her time with this relationship. He doesn't see their love as something that meant nothing, maybe it meant a lot to him but he just no longer feels the same way for her.

"suckle on the hope" could be a touch sarcastic. Saying that she is clinging on to hope that they will overcome what she thinks is just a speed bump in the relationship. Hope is all that keeps her going. Maybe she's making him stay saying that they can work things out. but he just wishes she would ."..wreck it all, cut out all the ropes and let", him, "fall". But he knows that "right in the moment this order's tall". It's hard for her to let him go and he realizes how hard it is for her.

Just a theory : )
beautiful song.





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Charlie2727
07-22-2009

Rated 0 
I originally thought this song was speaking personally about a past or even current relationship. But having looked over it in more depth, i feel that it is infact Bon Iver speaking to himself - as if one would do out of comfort and control. I think he's looking over past love interests, and in light of a new relationship, is saying to himself to take it easy, not to rush, put the past behind you and see this in light of what it really is - unrelated and unconnected to the previous heartache. I do feel however, that in the last verse, he is filled with self doubt - can i be loved? Will i be ok? Will i get hurt again? Will i be able to see this new venture in a different light to the rest, or will i fall like i've done so many times before?

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dicktar
07-08-2009

Rated 0 
I've always thought this song was about a miscarriage, or dying baby, (or an abortion) and the aftermath on the relationship of the parents("skinny love" could be the dying child, or maybe a reference to the sick mom AND the child)

The line "Staring at the sink of blood and crushed veneer" has always haunted me. Especially in light of the vaguely maternal imagery which follows, and the references to a sudden (and apparently fatal) change in the romantic relationship.

Just a thought. The truth is, it's so personal to the author, we'll never know what it means for sure. The best kind of poetry, imo.

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henrystennett
07-08-2009

Rated 0 
I love this song: the lyrics almost read like poetry.
Just a couple of thoughts:

'Crushed Veneer' - a veneer is a thin surface covering a surface, used to preserve the underlying structure and to make what's beneath look more appealing. So I'd go ahead and say this line is referring to the way that this relationship is falling apart - the preserving 'veneer' is 'crushed'. Or it could be that after the veneer has come off, he's seen what the relationship really is.

'Suckle on the hope' - a maternal image; a baby gets necessary sustenance and nutrition by suckling, and in the same way, he wants to 'suckle on the hope' or let the hope that the relationship will suceed sustain him and/or the relationship.

The last three lines are definately adressed at the singer, Justin Vernon. I'd agree that it's as though he's addressing himself with an internal question: who can possibly love him now that he's so broken from a past failed relationship? Who will ever bother to fight for a relationship with him that seems doomed to fail? Who will fall far behind? (answer: him.)

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postmortem
07-05-2009

Rated 0 
The part that completely gets me is

" Now all your love is wasted?
Then who the hell was I?"

"Who will love you?
Who will fight?
Who will fall far behind?"

An incredibly emotional song. I love it.

True love is NEVER wasted. Even if I fall far behind, I will still love you. Ugh. Caring for someone so much hurts.

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danaavery
06-26-2009

Rated 0 
oh my goodness. this song is perfect.

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donaoli
06-20-2009

Rated 0 
i can listen to this song on repeat for hours, and i still love it.
its peacefull, relxaing and comforting in a wierd way.

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donaoli
06-20-2009

Rated 0 
i can listen to this song on repeat for hours, and i still love it.
its peacefull, relxaing and comforting in a wierd way.

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staticsea
05-17-2009

Rated 0 
Now all your love is wasted?
Then who the hell was I?

like quite a few other people this is the line that always gets me.
the fact that hes posing it as a question, to me, suggests that she had implied that being with him had been a waste of her time and effort, which would obviously leave him feeling bitter in the second line because this seems to be someone he really did love. i mean if he could have loved her that much then it was never all bad, but shes disregarding any of that.
its just sort of a slap in the face to all the bittersweet memories he has with her, since its almost as though those dont even mean anything now.

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samantha91
05-10-2009

Rated 0 
This is most definitely because I've just finished reading A Million Little Pieces by James Frey but I hear it as him talking about his addicted girlfriend.

Skinny - because of the addiction,
just last the year
being patient, balanced
wasted love

??

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littlelulu
05-06-2009

Rated 0 
someone showed this to me once.
i was high and it was the most beautiful thing
i had ever heard. i wonder if by showing this to me
does it mean something?

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CiaranFitz
05-03-2009

Rated 0 
And I've just realised that I've written what those line mean to me and their something completely different to Justin Vernon... a Freudian slip.

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CiaranFitz
05-03-2009

Rated 0 
I agree with 'shortandsweetem' on the point they made about unreciprocated love. Tis a good point well made. I love the lines about holding all the tickets and she'll be holding all the fines; it's like he's optimistic that this experience, whilst painful, is a necessary part of maturing whereas, because of her own personality traits, she will constantly keep penalising and sabotaging herself in relationships. Bon Iver are a wonderful band both musically and in the way they compose lyrics; Mr. Vernon take a bow.

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hippydippy
05-03-2009

Rated 0 
I absolutely love this song! definately my favourite this year.

Alot of people have put what they think the song is about, usually about relationship troubles and the term 'skinny love' is refering to the amount of love in the relationship, or it is the nickname for the mans partner.

When i first heard the song i thought it was about suicide, i know a bad thought, but the lyrics 'Sink of blood' gave me that idea, silly really. But i also thought that it might be about a fathers daughter who is suffering from an eating disorder, maybe, and it could have been about their parents being woried about them. just an idea.

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reytim
05-01-2009

Rated 0 
So I'm thinking his morning of a different "kind" is really MOURNING over his old relationship. Maybe this is obvious to everyone else.. but i just thought it was interesting.

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