My good friend Sonya Belaya wrote a really beautiful guest post about today’s song:
Sufjan Stevens’ seventh album “Carrie and Lowell” reveals the possibility of turning darkness into something honest and powerful. These eleven laments seek to find answers during a very private struggle for Sufjan— reflecting on life, death, and finding God after the death of his mother who abandoned him. Sufjan quietly retreated to find these answers in simple orchestrations and haunting poetry that dive into a place of unapologetic grief. There is something very powerful about an artist who has found success on a mainstream level and releases music stripped bare. This shows the world that there is necessity in such vulnerability. To be this vulnerable is to know we are alive.
The sixth song in this cycle, “Fourth of July”, is a reflection on the night his mother died. Sufjan quietly cries and croons his love for the woman who bore him, the woman who weaved in and out of his life until her death. The words feel close, **like a private conversation occurring with the listener eavesdropping. He calls her many tender names: “dragonfly”, “star in the sky”, “my little Versailles”. These words are weighted, full of nostalgia and regret; realizations of how small we are in death. “Tell me what did you learn from the Tillamook Burn? or the Fourth of July?” He poses a question without answer. Life is utter destruction and infinite joy.
This song makes me sob every time I listen to it.
I know right. This is a amazing song but it is also sooooo sad at the same time. His voice makes me want to cry
that’s real I find this song relatable though lol
Man, this song is so beautiful, and I don’t know why but it’s such a mood for me rn
that’s so sad! i hope can recover from it <3
Thank you Sufjan.
Wow..
It reminds me of my grandmother
oh wow i never knew rest in peace..
It feels like mumbling to a dead daughter to me at first listen… now knowing this is bout his mom is even sadder
makes me cry every time
This is such a good song, I am a fan!!!!!!!!!
This song is so strong for me, because it makes me go back on the night my mom passed away, how her eyes faded into darkness due to cancer, I miss her dearly each day, my little Versailles.
I recently lost my dad I listen to this and I just can think about the last words he never said bcz of his cancer and pain I was his favorite grandchild and his girl I will always miss his hair and voice and hands his love for all of family the way he talks laugh smile smell wear the way he teach the way he always awnsered to all of my questions and everything else about him that I can’t remember
learning what the Tillamook burn is made me cry when he mentions it in the song. That’s truly devastating..
This is the most beautiful song out there. Never have I heard a song with deeper lyrics than this. I cry every time I listen to Sufjan
this song has always been relatable because of everything the lyrics and meaning behind it I have always love this song