I’m tearing up, acrost your face
Move dust through the light
To fide your name
It’s something fane
This is not a place
Not yet awake, I’m raised of make
Still alive who you love
Still alive who you love
Still alive who you love
In a mother, out a moth
Furling forests for the soft
Gotta know been lead aloft
So I’m ridding all your stories
What I know, what it is, is pouring – wire it up!
You’re breaking your ground
A Haunting Journey Through Memory and Emotion
Bon Iver’s “Perth” opens with vivid, enigmatic imagery that immediately sets a tone of introspection and emotional turbulence. Lines like “I’m tearing up, acrost your face” and “Move dust through the light” evoke the sense of sifting through memories, searching for meaning in the aftermath of loss or change. The lyrics weave together themes of longing and resilience—phrases such as “Still alive who you love” suggest that the bonds we form persist, even as circumstances shift. The song’s abstract verses, including references to “a mother, out a moth” and “furling forests for the soft,” hint at cycles of transformation and renewal. Ultimately, “Perth” captures the complexity of holding onto love and identity amid uncertainty, all underscored by Bon Iver’s signature blend of poetic minimalism and aching sincerity.
Song Credits
Written by Justin Vernon. Released in 2011 on the album Bon Iver, Bon Iver by Jagjaguwar.