If only I could wait
If only I could wait
If only I could wait
But before me is a ways out
Can I live inside this state?
Where the summers are charades now
Can I incur the weight?
Am I really this afraid now?
Ah, ahh
For what’s at stake
Oh, babe
I’ll take the pain
If only you could wait
I ain’t up at your pace yet
I take the steps to stage
And they hit me with the rays now
But if I could only pray
In the blaze of a northern bar
I’d bend another straight
We’ll decay in other ways now
If only you could wait (I, I know that it’s hard)
Or is it folded either way now? (To keep holding)
The common leads away (Keep holding strong)
But is it only years away now? (Keep holding on)
I have come to learn replace (I, I know that it’s best)
And I resemble other traits of the lord (To keep going)
I have rendered other fates (These memories hold)
And I’ve been prowling on the brakes now (These memories fade)
Ah, ahh
But what a taste
Oh, babe
In every way
Not for the freight
I’ll best alone
In high ways
Mm-hmm-mm
Longing and Vulnerability in “If Only I Could Wait”
Bon Iver’s “If Only I Could Wait” delicately explores themes of patience, self-doubt, and emotional endurance. The repeated refrain, “If only I could wait,” sets a tone of yearning, suggesting a struggle with timing and personal limitations. Imagery like “the summers are charades now” and “blaze of a northern bar” evokes a sense of faded warmth and nostalgia, while questioning lines such as “Am I really this afraid now?” highlight inner conflict. The interplay between waiting and moving forward is palpable, reflecting the tension between hope and resignation. Intermittent expressions of pain and resilience—”I’ll take the pain,” “I’ll best alone”—reveal a journey toward acceptance, where vulnerability becomes a quiet strength.
Song Credits
- Artist: Bon Iver