A Haunting Meditation on Change: Bon Iver's "Awards Season"
"Awards Season" is a standout track from Bon Iver's 2024 EP, Sable. The song masterfully captures the raw emotion and introspection that Bon Iver is known for, while also pushing their sound in a new direction. Opening with a haunting acapella that immediately draws the listener in, the track slowly builds with layers of synths and delicate piano, creating an atmosphere of vulnerability and reflection. Vernon's lyrics, penned during walks around Lake of the Isles in Minneapolis, explore themes of change, guilt, and ultimately, hope.
A Sonic Tapestry of Emotion
The song's strength lies in its ability to convey a narrative of personal transformation. Lines like "Oh, how everything can change / In such a small time frame / You can be remade / You can live again" speak to the power of healing and growth. Vernon's vocals, delivered with his characteristic rawness, perfectly capture the emotional weight of the lyrics. The production, handled by Justin Vernon himself alongside Jim-E Stack and Asher Weisberg, is subtle yet effective, allowing the vocals and lyrics to take center stage.
Evolution of a Sound
While "Awards Season" retains the core elements of Bon Iver's signature sound, it also incorporates new textures and sonic landscapes. The use of synths adds a layer of depth and complexity, creating a more expansive and atmospheric feel compared to some of their earlier work. This willingness to experiment while staying true to their roots is a testament to Bon Iver's artistic evolution.
Exploring the Depths of Human Connection
Thematically, "Awards Season" delves into the complexities of human relationships and the impact they have on our lives. Vernon explores the pain of loss and the struggle to come to terms with change, but also the possibility of finding solace and connection in unexpected places. The song's closing lines, "Why do things gotta change? / We were on our way / To be best to face / All that comes in gray," express a universal longing for stability and understanding in the face of life's uncertainties.
A Powerful and Moving Experience
"Awards Season" is a powerful and moving track that showcases Bon Iver's continued artistry and emotional depth. It's a song that resonates on a deeply personal level, inviting listeners to reflect on their own experiences with change, loss, and renewal. With its haunting vocals, introspective lyrics, and innovative production, "Awards Season" is a standout track in Bon Iver's discography and a must-listen for fans of their music.
Listen to Bon Iver Awards Season
Bon Iver Awards Season Lyrics Meaning Explained
The meaning of "Awards Season" by Bon Iver is a tapestry woven with threads of love, loss, and the enduring power of creation. It's a song that delves into the complexities of human connection, the struggle to navigate change, and the search for solace in a world that often feels unstable. Through evocative lyrics and a haunting soundscape, Bon Iver invites us to explore the depths of human emotion and the enduring legacy of shared experiences.
A Confession and a Cryptic Figure
"Awards Season" opens with a raw confession: "I can handle / Way more than I can handle / So I keep reaching for the handle / To flood my heart." This sets the stage for the song's exploration of emotional coping mechanisms, with "handle" likely referring to a bottle of liquor. The repetition emphasizes the internal conflict of knowing the speaker is pushing their limits but feeling unable to stop. The following lines introduce a cryptic figure, "the Spaniard / In song that I have pandered to," who "Is always handing me the anvil / Saying, 'That's for you.'" This could be a metaphor for any external force encouraging the speaker to dwell on their pain, perhaps even the pressure to create art from suffering.
A Spark of Hope and Shared Vulnerability
A shift occurs with the arrival of "you": "But then you came to me / From Olympic heavy duty / We both needed so much soothing / Played you Rickie Lee." This implies a shared understanding and a need for comfort, with the "Olympic heavy duty" suggesting they've both been through significant struggles. The act of playing Rickie Lee Jones evokes a tender moment of connection. This connection sparks hope: "Oh, how everything can change / In such a small time frame / You can be remade / You can live again." The speaker embraces the possibility of healing and transformation.
Shadows Fall on a Fable
The second verse delves deeper into the relationship: "Felt you through me / In every clue you threw me / Pointing at me asking, 'Who, me?' / What a start." This captures the initial intensity of their connection and deep recognition. "You" offered solace and healing: "And you had taken / All away my aching / Well, how could I ever thank you? / I'd been received." However, a shadow falls with the lines, "But I'm a sable / And honey, us the fable / You said that you were unable / That it's not reprieved." The "sable" represents a tendency towards sorrow, and the relationship, despite its initial promise, becomes a "fable" with a tragic ending.
Clinging to Hope in the Face of Change
Despite this, the speaker clings to hope: "Oh, but maybe things can change / What can wax can wane / Things can get replayed / And if it's all the same / Oh, just take my hand / And place it on your blame / And let it wash away / With you I will remain." They acknowledge the cyclical nature of things and yearn for a way to stay connected. The third verse paints "you" as a source of light: "You came over / Short after it was over / You, as precious as a clover / In a meadow's sun." They found comfort in shared vulnerability: "You had no answers / So we laid back to backs and / Clasped treasure with our hands and / Held all fate."
Enduring Legacy in a Changing World
But separation looms: "But now it's the season / And I know I will be seein' ya / On the TV for some reason / God, my heart." "Awards season" likely signifies a time of growing distance between them. The final lines express a poignant struggle with change: "Why do things gotta change? / We were on our way / To be best to face / All that comes in gray / It's so hard to explain / And the facts are strange / But you know what will stay? / Everything we've made." They find solace in the enduring legacy of their shared experiences and creations.
Bon Iver Awards Season Lyrics
[Verse 1]
I can handle
Way more than I can handle
So I keep reaching for the handle
To flood my heart
And the Spaniard
In song that I have pandered to
Is always handing me the anvil
Saying, "That's for you"
But then you came to me
From Olympic heavy duty
We both needed so much soothing
Played you Rickie Lee
Oh, how everything can change
In such a small time frame
You can be remade
You can live again
What was pain now's gain
A new path gets laid
And you know what is great
Nothing stays the same
[Verse 2]
Felt you through me
In every clue you threw me
Pointing at me asking, "Who, me?"
What a start
And you had taken
All away my aching
Well, how could I ever thank you?
I'd been received
But I'm a sable
And honey, us the fable
You said that you were unable
That it's not reprieved
Oh, but maybe things can change
What can wax can wane
Things can get replayed
And if it's all the same
Oh, just take my hand
And place it on your blame
And let it wash away
With you I will remain
[Instrumental Break]
[Verse 3]
You came over
Short after it was over
You, as precious as a clover
In a meadow's sun
You had no answers
So we laid back to backs and
Clasped treasure with our hands and
Held all fate
But now it's the season
And I know I will be seein' ya
On the TV for some reason
God, my heart
Why do things gotta change?
We were on our way
To be best to face
All that comes in gray
It's so hard to explain
And the facts are strange
But you know what will stay?
Everything we've made