Justin Vernon Quotes

Powerful Justin Vernon for Daily Growth

About Justin Vernon

Justin Verner Vernon, born on April 30, 1981, in Ridgeland, Wisconsin, is an acclaimed American musician, songwriter, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist, best known for his band Bon Iver and solo work. Raised in a musical family, Justin developed an early affinity for music, learning to play the piano at age five. After graduating from St. Lawrence University with a degree in political science, he worked as a teacher and a bartender before fully committing to his music career. In 2007, following a difficult breakup, Justin retreated to his father's cabin near Eau Claire, Wisconsin, to recuperate and create new music. It was during this secluded period that he wrote and recorded the critically acclaimed album "For Emma, Forever Ago," which catapulted him into the limelight with its unique blend of folk, indie rock, and experimental production techniques. Justin's music has been influenced by a wide range of artists, including Brian Eno, Joni Mitchell, Radiohead, and The Microphones. His work often explores themes of love, loss, nature, and the human condition. In addition to Bon Iver, Justin is also one-third of the supergroup Big Red Machine (alongside Aaron Dessner of The National) and has collaborated with Kanye West, James Blake, and many others. He co-produced Kanye's album "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" and contributed to its Grammy-winning single, "Monster." Justin continues to push the boundaries of indie folk music, blending his unique style with various genres, and is widely regarded as one of the most innovative and influential artists of his generation.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Life is full of open doors, just waiting for you to walk through them."

This quote by Justin Vernon emphasizes the abundance of opportunities that life presents to us, suggesting that we should actively seek out these chances and embrace change. The "open doors" symbolize potential paths or experiences waiting for us to step into, indicating a call to action and growth. It encourages one to live proactively and seize opportunities as they come along, rather than remaining stagnant or fearful of the unknown.


"The more I live, the more I learn: patience and time do the work."

This quote by Justin Vernon highlights the importance of patience and time in personal growth and life's journey. It suggests that as one gains more experiences (by living), they also gain wisdom (learning) about the world and themselves. The process of learning and personal development is not hurried but rather occurs gradually over time. This understanding encourages a mindset of endurance, perseverance, and faith in the transformative power of experience and patience.


"You don't have to see where you're going; you just have to take the next step."

This quote emphasizes that one doesn't always need a clear vision or destination in mind, but rather focuses on making progress by taking the next logical step. It encourages trusting the process and believing in the journey itself, rather than becoming too preoccupied with the end goal. It suggests that as long as we continue moving forward, we will eventually arrive at our intended destination.


"I always wonder why birds choose to stay in the same place when they can fly anywhere on earth."

This quote by Justin Vernon suggests a longing for freedom, adventure, or change. It implies that there's a curiosity in us to explore beyond our current circumstances, much like how birds can travel anywhere on Earth. It also raises the question of why some people might choose to stay in one place, despite the opportunity to experience new things. The quote invites us to reflect on our own lives and consider whether we are making the most of our potential for growth and change.


"Maybe I'm the problem. Maybe we all are." (This quote is attributed to Justin Vernon, but it was actually written by Bon Iver collaborator, Sean Carey.)

This quote suggests a self-reflective and empathetic perspective. It implies that the speaker acknowledges his own potential role in problems or issues at hand, and extends this realization to others as well, suggesting an understanding that everyone may bear some responsibility for challenges encountered collectively. In essence, it encourages introspection and compassion, emphasizing the importance of personal accountability and empathy when addressing complex issues.


There's a few times in the past when I wrote a song, and I put the words together, and they were very clear pictures, and I felt like I was putting together a really good story. But I don't think I was ever really able to stay on that. What I've sort of developed lyrically is more about the sound of the vocals and what they are.

- Justin Vernon

Good Story, Very, Putting, Lyrically

Those old Appalachian singers use a falsetto sometimes. They can change their voices to sound high or low or really scratchy. When you're singing, usually you're trying to express some kind of pain or joy. I think that voice allows me to do a lot more of that.

- Justin Vernon

Voice, Some, I Think, Appalachian

I've been singing since I was 12. And I think that all the information is finally starting to chill out. And I don't have to be fancy. I can just kind of do things and simplify things and try to be the best singer I can be.

- Justin Vernon

Fancy, Been, I Think, Starting

I'm really honored that Bon Iver gives me a platform to do whatever I want, but there's only so much time you can spend digging through yourself before you become insular. I'm not in a hurry to go back to that temperature.

- Justin Vernon

Through, Back, Before, Insular

There's a large opportunity for Bon Iver to be a special thing, even from a business standpoint - just trying to do cooler things. Every band sells t-shirts and plays certain auditoriums, but I'm sick of being like everyone else, because I'm not.

- Justin Vernon

Sick, Things, Else, Standpoint

The way I see it is that I grew up with a good set of values, but it was never too strict. I was always encouraged to be a free-thinking individual. I spent the first five years out of high school trying to make it work in Eau Claire, then I had to leave because there wasn't enough going on in town.

- Justin Vernon

Values, I See, Had, Strict

Our lives feel like these epochs, but really, we are dust in the wind.

- Justin Vernon

Feel, Like, Lives, Wind

I could go on and on and on about how we use the word 'place' in so many different ways. About how somebody might ask you 'Where you at?' And they're not asking where are you sitting, where are you living, they're asking: 'How are you doing?

- Justin Vernon

Doing, Asking, Use, Sitting

I can pour myself into Bon Iver. It's a thing about self- and mental discovery, and those are all important things. But it's not 148-shows-over-a-year-and-a-half important, though. It's a machine, and it's money, and you just get put on this indie rock cart, and it's embarrassing.

- Justin Vernon

Mental, Indie, About, Embarrassing

I don't want to get myself in trouble - and I don't think I'm super important or anything - but I think it's so funny that when you look at the business and the way that people make decisions in their lives, whether they're in art or music or they're in industry, they forget that being unique is the answer.

- Justin Vernon

Anything, Industry, I Think, Being Unique

I don't want the big flashing lights and red carpet, like, 'Here comes another Bon Iver album!' I just want it to be my bedroom-y thing. But that'll take a while to figure out.

- Justin Vernon

Big, Here, Another, Lights

Growing up, all I did was write about the fact that I'm from where I'm from. I was a big champion of where I was from and Wisconsin in general, and the Midwest.

- Justin Vernon

Fact, Big, Wisconsin, Champion

I know too many musicians that have to tour on the same 10 songs, and they burn out. They get back to their house, and they have no reason to write new music. They are music'd out.

- Justin Vernon

Reason, New, Burn, New Music

Just in general as a person, not necessarily as a songwriter, being in cities wasn't the right fit. I couldn't escape and be in the woods in 10 minutes if I needed to. I like that in Eau Claire, I can walk to a bar or a coffee shop, and there's city-ish things, but I can also drive and in eight minutes be at my parents' land outside of town.

- Justin Vernon

Needed, Shop, Claire, Escape

I'm just living in Eau Claire, not really leaving for much. I go to the farmers market, go to the studio, go home and play with my cats. I don't know if I've ever been this happy, which is really awesome.

- Justin Vernon

Play, Been, Studio, Claire

I'm barely at home enough to enjoy the simple lifestyle that I want to live.

- Justin Vernon

Enjoy, Want, Barely, Lifestyle

I kind of miss writing songs the way that I used to write songs, in the sense that I would just sit down, and all these words that told a story would come out. There's one Bon Iver song called 'Blood Bank' that is more representative of an older lineage of songs, which I like and I sort of miss. But it just doesn't happen anymore for me.

- Justin Vernon

Used, Anymore, Lineage, Representative

I'm a creature of comfort.

- Justin Vernon

Comfort, Creature

It just didn't seem to fit the story and lineage, I guess. So I just sort of surrounded 'Blood Bank' with three other songs that were very different from one other, and they all kind of came together as a palette cleanser for the last record. And I'm really excited about it.

- Justin Vernon

Surrounded, Very, Lineage, Palette

The falsetto stuff, it must be a reaction to the black gospel singers that I really enjoy listening to.

- Justin Vernon

Listening, Reaction, Singers, Gospel

For the most part, I've been influenced by black singers and singers I couldn't sound like. Whenever I tried to do a dark note or a bent note, I would just sound like Hootie And The Blowfish.

- Justin Vernon

Been, Singers, Note, Bent

I don't really write songs anymore.

- Justin Vernon

Write, Songs, Really, Anymore

I really have to be in a specific headspace to even begin to illuminate an idea that would create another Bon Iver record, and I'm just not there.

- Justin Vernon

Idea, Another, Really, Specific

I'm just happy and proud to be playing music every day. Recognition is really cool, but it can also be kind of scary.

- Justin Vernon

Proud, Every Day, Kind, Scary

Honestly, before I settled on a name for the Bon Iver project in general, Chigliak was in the running for what I was going to name the band.

- Justin Vernon

Going, Before, Honestly, Project

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