Flume (Bon Iver cover)

Song MeaningSince this was the first version of the song that I heard, I will comment on Peter Gabriel's forum. By the way I think its awesome that he did this song and produced a whole album of very interesting material. My hats off to this project - nicely done!

I was intrigued for several days thinking about this song and its possible meanings. I have read the comments in Iver's forum so I will contribute my thoughts here.

I am my mother's only one, its enough
To me this means that it only takes one child to form a special bond between mother and child. A mother could have more children, but really one is enough to form this bond.

I wear my garment so it shows, now you know
Proof again that there is a bond between mother and child with a proud mother wearing a maternity top

Only love is all maroon
A mother's love for her child goes much deeper than red

Gluey feathers on a flume
Either school projects requiring much assistance and a mother's loving help or perhaps as the waters of life flow by there are sticky situations a child can get into which are impossibly messy like feathers and glue, but a devoted mother will be right beside her child through it all.

Skies the womb and she's the moon
The moon is the brightest thing in the dark night sky (womb). The bond of motherhood with the mother (moon) being the brightest thing in the child's life from gestation through all of the life of her child.

I am my mother on the wall, with us all
He's telling us exactly who he is describing - the idea that a mother's love is always with us

I move in water shore to shore, nothings more
Especially strong case for nothing being more powerful than the love of a worried praying mother for a son or daughter going into harms way on ships headed for war. and even the reverse of that wherein a soldier heading for war has with him or her the great ever-present love of his mother

Lapping lakes like leary loons
The special bond of a mother in a child's upbringing where the mother reads silly poems or sings silly songs, or even helps the child's understanding of the alphabet by emphasizing all of the "L" sounds in a silly way.

Leaving rope burns reddish ruse
Perhaps another bonding moment where mother shows tender love and takes care of her injured child

To me it all points to the physical and spiritual bond between mother and child.

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