How to Format Lyrics:

  • Type out all lyrics, even repeating song parts like the chorus
  • Lyrics should be broken down into individual lines
  • Use section headers above different song parts like [Verse], [Chorus], etc.
  • Use italics (<i>lyric</i>) and bold (<b>lyric</b>) to distinguish between different vocalists in the same song part
  • If you don’t understand a lyric, use [?]

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About

Genius Annotation

Regarding “Holocene”, Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon told NPR:

Holocene is a bar in Portland, Ore., but it’s also the name of a geologic era, an epoch if you will. It’s a good example of how all the songs are all meant to come together as this idea that places are times and people are places and times are… people? [Laughs.] They can all be different and the same at the same time. Most of our lives feel like these epochs. That’s kind of what that song’s about. “Once I knew I was not magnificent.” Our lives feel like these epochs, but really we are dust in the wind. But I think there’s a significance in that insignificance that I was trying to look at in that song.

Nerdwriter created a video titled “Holocene: How Bon Iver Creates A Mood” in which he analyzes the nuances of how Justin Vernon (producer) layers instrumentation to create tension, as well as exploring other themes and techniques that resonate throughout the song.

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

How did life in Wisconsin influence this song?
Genius Answer

From an interview with Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon with Pitchfork:

The whole second verse is about those years in Eau Claire but the first verse is this weird amalgamation of the darkness that came with those times. I set that verse in Milwaukee because it’s a dark, beer-drunk place. Even though I didn’t spend a lot of time there, it’s a good metaphor for those darker times. And guess what adults do on Halloween in Milwaukee? They get blind drunk and try to forget about their childhoods.

What certifications did this track receive?
Genius Answer

“Holocene” was certified platinum by the RIAA on December 12, 2019.

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