This my excavation and today is Qumran
Everything that happens is from now on
This is pouring rain
This is paralyzed
I keep throwing it down two-hundred at a time
It’s hard to find it when you knew it
When your money’s gone
And you’re drunk as hell
On your back with your racks as the stacks are your load
In the back and the racks and the stacks of your load
In the back with your racks and you’re un-stacking your load
Well I’ve been twisting to the sun and the moon
I needed to replace
The fountain in the front yard is rusted out
All my love was down
In a frozen ground
There’s a black crow sitting across from me
His wiry legs are crossed
He is dangling my keys, he even fakes a toss
Whatever could it be
That has brought me to this loss?
On your back with your racks as the stacks are your load
In the back and the racks and the stacks of your load
In the back with your racks and you’re un-stacking your load
This is not the sound of a new man or crispy realization
It’s the sound of the unlocking and the lift away
Your love will be
Safe with me
Unpacking Vulnerability and Renewal
“re: Stacks” by Bon Iver is a deeply introspective song that weaves themes of loss, self-discovery, and emotional release. The lyrics, laden with metaphors like “racks,” “stacks,” and references to excavation, capture the struggle of carrying emotional burdens and the hopeful act of unburdening oneself. Images such as a rusted fountain and a black crow evoke a sense of stagnation and contemplation, while the repeated lines about unstacking loads suggest a gradual process of healing. Rather than a triumphant breakthrough, the song gently explores the subtle, ongoing unlocking of the heart, offering comfort and assurance that love will remain safe, even in times of personal upheaval.
Song Credits
- Songwriter: Justin Vernon
- Release Year: 2007
- Label: Jagjaguwar