Heavenly Father

As the song was released for the soundtrack to "I Wish I Was Here" one would probably need to watch the movie to understand some of the context. (having never seen the film, This might be obvious to someone who has, I apologise if that is the case)

The song is a monologue/conversation about a man's feelings regarding God and a personal relationship. The singer makes mention of god "Heavenly Father", and "god". He also makes mention of a lover of some kind "baby", "Honey".

Verse 1:

I think he is trying to come to terms with a failed relationship in his mind. A choler (line 4), assuming it to be a person, is someone with the choleric personality i.e Someone that is short tempered, angry or irascible. He says to his dad (heavenly father) possibly in a sarcastic fashion, that his dad should lead the singer to the choleric person. He refers to someone housing sin, possibly the Father who lead the Choler to him. Another voice then says that he is free. It could be his own voice, stating that he is finally rid of the sin and negative feelings that the other person was bringing to his life. He then tells his Baby to settle down. Yet another flaw associated with Choleric people. Then he refers back to his Father, stating that it (the relationship) is definitely lava. She is hot tempered. Yet another analogy to her temperament.

Verse 2

He uses many vague terms, and many personal pronouns that are difficult to unravel. He refers that they could be learning to close off from each other. He claims to be a coward and then says he can't pretend. He possibly felt overpowered by the other person in the relationship and/or felt guilty about leaving them. He then Implies that his Heavenly father brought an autumn, either to the singer's belief in god or the relationship. But the singer claims that the result is that the love is left in end. It could be that there is still love. But I take it that love is left in a place of cessation...termination. That in the end, there is no love.

Verse 3:

He makes an appeal to empathy (can you see now), to an emotional place where he has been. He has feeling lost and full of fear but he possibly finally finds a place of safety in the end. The last line is a question. It leaves the song open ended. He is questioning his belief in god, and more specifically, does he bring safety in the end.

It seems that throughout the song he believes that god is somehow responsible for the terrible relationship he had, and he's trying to regain faith in some way.

It comes back to the first verse where he states that ever since he heard the howling wind, he never needed to go to where a bible went. The wind could represent desolation and his empty feeling inside. He says that after this he never went to where bibles went. Maybe he stopped going to church after his failed relationship because he blames god for it. He blames god for his "your gifts seem heaven sent". He believed that the relationship seemed like something heavenly and good, but turned out to be hellish and "definitely lava"

The man, free of the burden of a relationship is crying out, still feeling pain and wondering if god will give him safety and security.

I agree with Jyaomo, I think the song is an internal monologue of a person with anger issues, coming to terms with a failed relationship due to a unfaithful partner, and their relationship with God.

An important play on words I see is, "I don't know how you house the sin", when sung, Justin enunciate this line as "house this in".

I think there are four lines that are Justin's interpretation of how God would respond to a person's crisis. The aforementioned lyric being one of them. The others, "But you're free now" in verse 1 and 2, and "Can you see now?" in verse 3.

I think what Justin is trying to communicate with this song is that, God's vision for us is much simpler than the things we often think about and that it's important to be less reactive to stressful situations in life.

was hoping a smart person would have interpreted this song )-: no comments though.

My interpretation is that the song deals with the uncertainty in believing or not believing in a higher power, god eg. The perspective in the song is that of a person who is in some kind of distress, be it dealing with romantic problems or other existencial matters. The person is kinda in a battle between accepting that their isn't a saviour in the form of God, or just turning into believing. I think the last verse is really good (the hole song also of course), and my interpretation of the last lines is that the person could wish that there was a God to help out in his/her situatuion, and asks " is all that he offers a safety in the end".

BTW there is a great cover version of this song by the band Highasakite

My interpretation is that the song deals with the uncertainty in believing or not believing in a higher power, god eg. The perspective in the song is that of a person who is in some kind of distress, be it dealing with romantic problems or other existencial matters. The person is kinda in a battle between accepting that their isn't a saviour in the form of God, or just turning into believing. I think the last verse is really good (the hole song also of course), and my interpretation of the last lines is that the person could wish that there was a God to help out in his/her situatuion, and asks " is all that he offers a safety in the end".

BTW there is a great cover version of this song by the band Highasakite

I believe this song is pretty straightforward, Justin is afraid of death and seeking God but is frustrated by Christianity, why must God go by one name, why only Jesus followers are allowed to go to heaven, why are we burden by sin? Why is there a hell, he’s scared but not happy with God and Christianity and the hatred of others and self hate that comes with it, why would he follow a God that after all this can only safety in the end, what about love, what about life? He’s so unhappy with his version of God he grew up with but he’s afraid of hell and death and he also feels his talents and blessings are from GOD.

The song is about three people: (1) God, (2) his father and (3) a lover.

God and his father are blended into two to create a play on the words 'heavenly father'. The human father he describes in the song is not 'heavenly' but 'sinful'.

Since he saw the brutality of nature (heard the howling wind) he didn't follow the bible (lit. didn't go where the bible went). I.e. he does not believe in the faith he was brought up with.

But, he acknowledges that his father's gifts (God/a real father) did seem to show heaven might be real, only it just lead him to a choler (anger). This suggests to me he left behind the religion of his human father, because his father's religion frustrated him.

His real father is sinful (lit. houses sin), but is now free (perhaps dead or 'saved' from sin by believing in God). The singer was never sure how much he could let him into his life (God/his real father). I.e., the singer didn't want to let God into his life/didn't like his human father. But the singer is free now (his father is dead/they are estranged, or in relation to God - he is free from religion).

He tells his lover to settle down, the singer's love has been through the history above with his father (God/his father) which explains his beliefs (rejection of God/estrangement from his father). The existence of God is like lava (like hell) - why doesn't God carry the names of other religions? I.e., why only one religion?

'Know' has been dropped - possibly from what happens after death - it is an unknown. Another day passes to close (death). The singer is a coward in the face of adversity (a coward wind), and seems to admit that he fears death. But he convinces himself he is free now (without God). His father (God/his father) turns around and counts to 10, possibly in anger to wait until the rage subsides. He has seen his father go now (perhaps die).

He addresses his lover - he can't pretend to her. His 'heavenly' father (his sinful father) has been brought to the end of his life/his deathbed (his autumn), and love is left in the end despite the pain of when he was younger/alive. This could also be a reference to Nietzsche's phrase 'God is dead' - now that God is dead (religion is over in the West), there is love.

He has been enlightened ('up here') for years. Or perhaps, another reference to Nietzsche's character Zarathustra who comes down the mountain (also where the reference to 'God is dead' comes from). He asks if his lover can see now - his enlightenment or his 'message' (Jesus used the phrase 'eyes to see'). Although he has enough fear (of death) to sink a ship (fill a hull) - he is free now (without God). He knows what his lover is trying to say (perhaps that God is real) - he has seen it all himself (and disagrees). He asks whether the only thing that belief in God offers is safety in death (the end).

References to 'the singer' are not to Justin. He is writing from someone else's point of view: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/bon-iver-employs-electronic-choir-for-new-track-heavenly-father-238148/

My interpretation is that the song deals with the uncertainty in believing or not believing in a higher power, god eg. The perspective in the song is that of a person who is in some kind of distress, be it dealing with romantic problems or other existencial matters. The person is kinda in a battle between accepting that their isn't a saviour in the form of God, or just turning into believing. I think the last verse is really good (the hole song also of course), and my interpretation of the last lines is that the person could wish that there was a God to help out in his/her situatuion, and asks " is all that he offers a safety in the end".

BTW there is a great cover version of this song by the band Highasakite

My interpretation is that the song deals with the uncertainty in believing or not believing in a higher power, god eg. The perspective in the song is that of a person who is in some kind of distress, be it dealing with romantic problems or other existencial matters. The person is kinda in a battle between accepting that their isn't a saviour in the form of God, or just turning into believing. I think the last verse is really good (the hole song also of course), and my interpretation of the last lines is that the person could wish that there was a God to help out in his/her situatuion, and asks " is all that he offers a safety in the end".

BTW there is a great cover version of this song by the band Highasakite

My interpretation is that the song deals with the uncertainty in believing or not believing in a higher power, god eg. The perspective in the song is that of a person who is in some kind of distress, be it dealing with romantic problems or other existencial matters. The person is kinda in a battle between accepting that their isn't a saviour in the form of God, or just turning into believing. I think the last verse is really good (the hole song also of course), and my interpretation of the last lines is that the person could wish that there was a God to help out in his/her situatuion, and asks " is all that he offers a safety in the end".

BTW there is a great cover version of this song by the band Highasakite