I waited outside
I took it remote
I wanted a bath
“Tell the story or he goes,
Tell the story or he goes”
Full time you talk your money up
While it’s living in a coal mine
Tall time, to call your Ma
Hey Ma, Hey Ma
Tall vote, you know you mope it up
Well you wanted it your whole life
You’re back and forth with light
I waited outside
I was toking on dope
I hoped it all won’t go in a minute
With the past that you know
I wanted all that mind sugar
I want it all mine
I had a heavy mind, sugar
I took it, it was right
Full time you talk your money up
While it’s living in a coal mine
Tall time, to call your Ma
Hey Ma, Hey Ma
Tall vote, you know you mope it up
Well you wanted it your whole life
You’re back and forth with light
(Hey Ma, Hey Ma, Hey Ma)
I waited outside
Then you took me in the room
And you offered up the truth
My eyes crawling up the window to the wall
From dusk till dawn
Let me talk to em
Let me talk to em all
Full time you talk your money up
While it’s living in a coal mine
Tall time, to call your Ma
Hey Ma, Hey Ma
Tall vote, you know you mope it up
Well you wanted it your whole life
You’re back and forth with light
Unpacking the Layers of “Hey, Ma”
Bon Iver’s “Hey, Ma” is a beautifully introspective track, weaving together themes of memory, familial bonds, and the blurred lines between youth and adulthood. The repeated call to “Hey Ma” anchors the song in a sense of longing and vulnerability, suggesting a desire for comfort or understanding. With its fragmented imagery—waiting outside, moments of introspection, and references to past habits—the song captures the complex, often bittersweet process of reflecting on one’s choices and relationships. The lyrics hint at the tension between independence and the pull of home, as well as the struggle to reconcile personal ambition with emotional needs. Justin Vernon’s gentle delivery and the song’s atmospheric instrumentation enhance its emotional resonance, inviting listeners to find their own meaning within its poetic ambiguity.
Song Credits
- Artist: Bon Iver
- Songwriters: Justin Vernon
- Release Year: 2019
- Label: Jagjaguwar