666 ʇ by Bon Iver Lyrics Meaning – Unraveling the Enigmatic Echoes of Self-Reflection

You can view the lyrics, alternate interprations and sheet music for Bon Iver's 666 ʇ at Lyrics.org.

Lyrics

Sixes hang in the door
What kind of shit to ignore
I’ve cut the cloth
Ooh, hard line circle
How to know who to write
How to know who can cull up all the questions
We know that I’m right, ’cause
To clean out a night
I fell in love

I heard about it
(Bit by bit, bit by bit)
I heard about it
(Bit by bit, bit by bit)
I heard about it
(Bit by bit, bit by bit) oh

And so it’s not in your clasp
Then what’s the function or the task
Well, I’d stun and I’d stammer
Help me reach the hammer
For then what will I ask?

That’s a pair of them docks
Mooring out two separate lochs
Ain’t that some kind of quandry
Waundry
Take me into your palms
What is left when unhungry?

I learned about it
(Bit by bit, bit by bit)
I learned about it
(Bit by bit, bit by bit)
I’ve learned about it
(Bit by bit, bit by bit) oh

I’m still standing in
Still standing in the need of prayer
The need of prayer
No, I don’t know the path
Or what kind of pith I’ve amassed
Long lines of questions
Lessons, lessons (lessons), lessons
But what do you lose to concede?

Yes, it’s hard to believe
When ’em sold for your sleeves
Just come off of your kneel
Please, please, please
I can admit to conceal
No, that’s not how that’s supposed to feel
Oh, no
It’s not for broader appeal
Fuck the fashion of it, dear

I’ve laughed about it
(Bit by bit, bit by bit)
I’ve laughed about it
(Bit by bit, bit by bit)
I’ve laughed about it
(Bit by bit, bit by bit) oh

In the tapestry of modern music, rare threads weave complex, introspective messages that transcend superficial understanding. Bon Iver’s ‘666 ʇ’, a track that forms part of the fabric of the critically acclaimed album ’22, A Million’, is one such thread. With its haunting melodies and cryptic lyrics, the song invites us on an expedition into the caverns of the soul.

The literary voyage through the heart of ‘666 ʇ’ is not for the passive listener. It requires the exploration of thematic alleyways and emotional undercurrents that Bon Iver—the moniker for Justin Vernon—has meticulously crafted. This article fork-lifts the curtain to reveal a spectacle of existential musings, deliberate obscurities, and raw emotive power encapsulated within the song.

Dialing into 666 ʇ – The Symbolism Behind The Numbers

The title itself, ‘666 ʇ’, is an invitation to ponder. While ‘666’ may evoke immediate associations with the occult or the diabolical, the manner in which it is presented subtly alters its nature into something intriguingly benign. By flipping the number, Vernon suggests a reversal, an inversion of expectations or a confronting of misconceptions.

The number could be a metaphor for internal demons, the qualms that quiver at the edge of our minds. The song becomes a canvas reflecting the struggle between the ungodly and divine within ourselves, the daily battles we fight that hang in the doorway of our conscience—unignorable, omnipresent, and defining.

Between the Lines – The Quest for Clarity Within Chaos

Vernon’s lyrics thrive within the realm of ambiguity, yet there’s a persistent quest for clarity among the confusion. ‘What kind of shit to ignore, I’ve cut the cloth’ speaks to the act of discerning what parts of life’s fabric to tailor, the decisions that shape and cloak our identity.

Who to write, who can cull up all the questions, it seems to plead for guidance on how to manage the narrative of one’s life. The idea of cleaning out a night where one has ‘fell in love’ not just suggests a romantic encounter but a deeper infatuation with moments now gone, with lost innocence, perhaps even with the art itself.

The Haunting Refrain – A Symphony of Learning, Standing, and Laughing

The cyclical repetition of ‘I heard about it,’ ‘I learned about it,’ and ‘I’ve laughed about it’ presents a timeline of emotional processing. First, there is the distant knowledge of an experience, then the direct understanding as one goes through it themselves, and finally, a retrospective detachment, where laughter might mask the pain or the absurdity of the ordeal.

Each iteration is followed by ‘bit by bit’, signifying that this progression of hear, learn, and laugh does not occur all at once, but in incremental and often painstaking steps. These steps are the essence of growth and of shedding naivety, layer by layer.

Unlocking the Concealed Confessions: A Cry for Autonomy & Rejection of Superficiality

The defiant stance in the lyric ‘Fuck the fashion of it, dear’ captures a moment of awakening, rejecting external pressures and superficial standards. It is a declaration of self-autonomy and authenticity, of stripping away pretenses neatly sewn by the world’s demanding hands.

Bon Iver challenges listeners to look beyond the facade, to embrace individuality rather than concede to a collective norm that cheapens personal essence. It’s a poignant reminder that in the pursuit of self-expression, one should never succumb to the ‘broader appeal’.

Memorable Lines of Lyrical Intrigue: The Echoes That Linger

The line ‘to clean out a night I fell in love’ reverberates with a haunting clarity, carrying the weight of a poignant memory that refuses to fade. It stands out as a lyrical landmark, giving voice to the universal human experience of love, loss, and the struggle to move on from the bleary reminiscences of passion’s embrace.

‘No, that’s not how that’s supposed to feel’ grips the soul with an authenticity that is both unsettling and inspiring. Here lies the battle cry against the dissonance between what is promised by life’s various scripts and the raw, often disappointing reality one encounters. It’s a verse that resonates with anyone who has grappled with their place in the confusing drama of existence.