Why NOT To Walk Down the Aisle to Bon Iver’s “Rosyln”

Written by Jane LaCapra

Edited by Julia Preston

This past week, while aimlessly scrolling on TikTok, I came across a young woman’s video where she had the text, “the song I am going to walk down the aisle to,” with the Bon Iver song "Roslyn" playing over it. Initially, I thought it was satire because, if you have paid any attention to the lyrics of the song, you would know it isn’t exactly about everlasting love. However, after checking the comments, almost everyone was praising the song for its elegance and beauty. Now don't get me wrong- it is an amazing song, one of my favorites and most listened to. But it’s gut-wrenching and devastating, so choosing it as your wedding song would not exactly be my first choice. 

For a little background on Bon Iver: they are an indie folk band founded in 2006, led by Justin Vernon, best known for his “wounded falsetto” (who wouldn’t want to start their marriage off with a wounded falsetto, am I right?) The song "Roslyn" was released in 2009 with St. Vincent for the second film in the Twilight Saga, Twilight: New Moon. The film itself is about Bella Swan falling into a deep depression when Edward Cullen leaves, so that alone does not exactly scream everlasting romance. The song itself consists of dual acoustic guitars played with a slide to create a haunting yet beautiful sound. 

Breaking down the lyrics, the song begins: “Up with your turret / Aren’t we just terrified? / Shale, screen your worry / From what you won’t ever find.” The turret, a large tower, alludes to the speaker's partner protecting herself because she is “terrified” in their relationship. The song then repeats the line “Don’t let it fool you” twice, ending the second with an emphasis on the final word “down,” backed by a guitar slide. The next line, “Down’s sitting round / Folds in the gown,” demonstrates how Bella and Edward’s once-perfect relationship, symbolized by the gown, is now flawed, shown by the folds in it.

Next up: “Sea and the rock below / Cocked to the undertow / Bones, blood and teeth erode/ With every crashing node.” The sea is consistently crashing against the rock, which is “cocked to the undertow,” suggesting that despite the tension, something is pulling them back to sea—meaning the relationship. The relationship itself is “eroding,” and despite acknowledging this, something is making it inescapable.

The next lines are, “Wings wouldn’t help you down / Downs fill the ground / Gravity’s proud.” Wings usually symbolize escape or salvation, but here even if this partner had wings, they “wouldn’t help you down,” suggesting that falling is unavoidable. “Downs” can refer to low points in the relationship, and gravity is personified as smug here, as if it is impossible to rise above these barriers. 

“You barely are blinking / Wagging your face around / When’d this just become a mortal home?” The phrase “wagging your face around” feels like someone looking around dazed, as if they are physically present but not emotionally aware. The final lines of the song are, “Won’t let you talk me down / Will pull it taut / Nothing let out.” These final remarks suggest that instead of finally talking through the emotional agony of this relationship in order to heal, they decide to hold everything in and stay rigid, thus diminishing any hope of recovering from this harrowing state. 

This song is not about everlasting love in the slightest. If anything, it is about a relationship so painful it feels like it is slowly wearing you down, like waves against a rock. The people in the song are stuck in a cycle where everything is eroding, yet neither of them is willing or able to say what they actually feel–hardly the emotional tone most people are aiming for when they are beginning a lifelong commitment. So yes, the song is beautiful, the melody is gorgeous, the harmonies are haunting, and Justin Vernon’s voice makes even the most miserable lyrics sound oddly comforting. But when you actually listen to the lyrics, it becomes clear that walking down the aisle to "Roslyn” would be less like celebrating a marriage and more like foreshadowing the eventual divorce.