Been a long while now coming up
Thought we were past it, thought we’d patched it up
Thought the title had passed hands
Thought we’d had enough
But the sun’s gonna go ahead and tag right up
And we don’t understand what we’re standing on
And we sure come in blind
With our timing
So I’ve culled what I can’t tame
I have taken all that I can take
And it got bad enough
I thought that I would leave
Well, I wish you could take that right off
All that shit that rips you right up
Then you’d know that we’d been taught all this from day one
From day one
Hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo (Hmm)
Same old town and you’re passing through
Signs of live and die for you
There’s a million ways you’re falling through
The cost of your mind
Some may say that you lack the stuff
And you burn it down and clack your cuffs
But you may have to toughen up
While unlearning that lie
I’ll go find the tap wire
I’ll go put the pathfinder on waltz
Well, can I get a rewind?
Just this once, if you don’t mind
I don’t know who I am without ya
‘Cause I feel a wild one now coming on
I told you to be patient, I swore that I was wrong
So why can’t we both just now get to understand?
From day one
All this was dry land
Yes, you have just always had your band
But you get sad enough because it’s all you seek
(Oh, hop on, it’ll all be gone) You don’t have to take so very long
And you can’t have it for a song
And that’s why I have rattled on
From day one
From day one
(Yeah-eah)
(Oh yeah)
(Wahoo!)
Reflecting on New Beginnings and Unlearning Old Patterns
Bon Iver’s “Day One” invites listeners into a contemplative journey of emotional resilience and renewal. The lyrics evoke the struggle of moving past old wounds and the realization that some lessons—often learned early—shape us in ways that are hard to unlearn. Through lines that touch on personal struggle, vulnerability, and the desire to heal, the song explores the tension between wanting to leave pain behind and recognizing how deeply it is woven into our experience. The refrain, referencing “day one,” suggests a cyclical return to the basics, a process of starting over and seeking understanding in the aftermath of hardship.
Song Credits
Artist: Bon Iver
Release Year: 2024