Everything Is Peaceful Love

Album: Sable, Fable (2025)
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Songfacts®:

  • In the world of Bon Iver, where music has often felt like trudging through fog, "Everything Is Peaceful Love" arrives like a burst of confetti in the middle of a dreary afternoon. The song finds Justin Vernon, the creative force behind the band, smitten with his new romantic interest. He described it as "the portrait of a man overwhelmed with happiness upon meeting the one he will fall in love with."
  • The song departs from the pensive and occasionally melancholic Bon Iver we've known. Instead it is a soundtrack to that irresistible moment when joy consumes you, like an unstoppable wave of laughter. Vernon described it to BBC Radio 1's Jack Saunders as a tune "like a score, like a soundtrack to not being able to contain your smile."

    It's as if someone whispered in his ear: "Just let go, let happiness take over."
  • Vernon wrote and produced the song with:

    Longtime Bon Iver collaborator BJ Burton. The North Carolina producer has twice been nominated for Grammy Awards for his work with Bon Iver on their respective 22, A Million and i,i albums.

    Jim-E Stack, who previously worked with Bon Iver on the 2020 singles "PDLIF" and "AUATC."

    Together, they created a sound that radiates warmth, light, and the kind of happiness that almost feels foreign to Bon Iver's usual sonic terrain.
  • Released on Valentine's Day 2025, "Everything Is Peaceful Love" is the lead single from Bon Iver's fifth album, Sable, Fable. The album is a continuation of the Sable EP (2024), which it includes as a separate disc.

    "I built the whole Fable record around this tune," Vernon told Jack Saunders." I made this kind of in one afternoon back in 2019 we kind of put it up on the shelf so I could stare at it and wait for other songs to come along that felt like that, because it was the first time I made a song that had this kind of feeling."
  • John Wilson, known for his work on HBO's How To with John Wilson, directed the music video. Justin Vernon envisioned the visual as a celebration of uncontainable joy and happiness. He wanted it to feature people smiling uncontrollably, reflecting the song's upbeat and optimistic vibe. Artist Eric Timothy Carlson, who has done the artwork for several Bon Iver albums, suggested collaborating with Wilson, whose style aligns perfectly with Vernon's vision. Wilson shot and edited footage that captures fun moments set to the song, encapsulating the idea that happiness can be a powerful force in survival.
  • Justin Vernon generally keeps his romantic life private. While Sable, Fable explores themes of love, togetherness, and mutual commitment, it's not known if this new direction reflects a real-life love affair or simply an exploration of emotion.
  • Sable, Fable represents two sides of Justin Vernon. He described Sable to Jimmy Fallon as the "cabin man" part of his identity, embracing his past, while Fable represents him finally doing what he needs to be happy. Venon compared Sable to The Hobbit and Fable to The Lord of the Rings - one shorter and heavier, the other longer and more adventurous.

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