Beach Baby

It's a matter-of-fact acceptance that the dissolution of his relationship was for the best, but it borders on bitterness - he condescends to tell her to warn her new lover that she will up and leave him as well.

I think there's a lot of hurt hidden by apathy here, he doesn't want to hear the keys in the lock or for her to stay any longer than necessary. I hear "But don't hurry - speed." As in speed instead of hurry, emphasizing that he wants her to get the hell out of there before he weakens again.

Last line is just a good description of some old fashioned beach sex.

Anyone else notice how there are two songs on this EP where babys and sex are correlated? I read somewhere that Blood Bank was about an unwanted pregnancy...be interesting to know if there is any truth to that.

i think its about his woman leaving him... and he's so angry at her - but still loves her, so he's really bitter about it. i feel like every other line is angry and bitter (his anger coming out), and the ones in between are regretful (his sadness and undying love for her)

when you're out, tell your lucky one to know that you'll leave. [i agree with logical_poet, he's bitter, and telling her to warn the next "lucky one" she's with that she's just going to leave and break his heart.]

but you don't lock when you're fleeing I'd like not hear keys [now, he's telling her to leave, but not to lock the door, because the sound of the keys and the padlock will symbolically lock her out of his life]

only hold till your coffee warms, [get the hell out] but don't hurry and speed. [but then again, you don't have to rush...]

one a time put a tongue in your ear in the beach and you clutched kicking heels [just reminding her about how much they both used to love each other, and almost trying to tempt her to stay, because they obviously had a beautiful relationship]

I really really love this song. At first, I thought the material on Blood Bank was good, but not amazing. Listening to it more, though, I have come to the conclusion that this is definitely one of my top three Bon Iver songs. Even if the words were nonsense, I'd feel an emotional connection to this song.

Couple corrections:

1). I believe it's "But don't you lock when you're fleeing. I'd like not to hear keys." 2). It's "Once a time" and "clicking heels."

Interesting. I could see the cheating theme, so then I would take that to mean something a little different.

"When you're out tell you're lucky one to know that you'll leave" - Maybe the lucky one is who she is cheating on him with and he has to know that she'll leave because she is going back to him or the simple fact that she is currently cheating and this would be a habit.

"Don't you lock when you're fleeing. I'd like not to hear keys." - This could mean that he subconsciously knows that she is cheating, so he doesn't want to hear the keys to confirm it or remind him of it as she leaves.

"Only hold 'til your coffee warms, but don't hurry and speed." - This is mostly where I see more of the cheating aspect in the previous lines. Saying she will be with the other man in the night and only be with him until the early morning when he is making coffee and she'll leave to sneak back in to his house like nothing happened.

"Once a time put a tongue in your ear on the beach and you clutched clinging heels." - I'm most curious about this line. Obviously the first part is sex, but the last line I guess I would think it means that she doesn't want him to leave and he is leaving and knows that he should but they are still kind of clinging to stay with her.

One of my favorite of his.

I believe it's 'Once a time'...and 'clicking heels'...but I may be wrong.

he said in concert before he played this that this song is about a girl he went to the beach with, and they did it on the beach, and then she cheated on him shortly after. felt used/insignificant, he is done with her and doesn't want to hear about her actions anymore

one nit-picking thing ... "I'd like not to hear keys"

i wish people who didn't have the lyrics right wouldn't post them. anyway kudos logical poet. your interpretation is perfect. this song is so hautingly beautiful. so tragic, i love it and can relate in my own way.

yeah, i agree with ya logical poet. i really like the line of him not wanting to hear the keys. The bitterness of him not really wanting to hear, or know this woman is leaving. It's sad, but beautiful.