My mom passed March 2018 of cancer. It was so hard to watch her go. My dad showed up on their first date with sunflowers in his hand. They were her favorite. A month after she passed my dad and I were pulling weeds in the garden, but there was one that was taller than the others, so I convinced him to leave it alone. A couple weeks later it bloomed into a beautiful sunflower. Our yard hadn’t been watered or tended to in years, and I am certain it was her. Time after time I revisit this song. It makes me feel less alone in this process. Every now and then I spot a sunflower growing in an unusual spot- it’s just mom, saying hello.
@draconianTL3 жыл бұрын
When I plant my sunflowers later on in the year, i'll remember your story and your mother.
@abbreviateddisc3 жыл бұрын
This had me sobbing, thank you for sharing such a beautiful story
@djh69703 жыл бұрын
Beautiful story. My mum passed away the month before with cancer. She is with her Lord and Saviour which is far better😌
@adistantmemory59982 жыл бұрын
I feel you my grandpa had cancer and got covid. Beat covid and was beating cancer but on Thanksgiving he passed away from something Idk but I could he was on his way to resting. But know it's like a piece of me died with him.
@christophermiller85892 жыл бұрын
It’s bizarre to me that losses like that will always feel so personal, so targeted… and yet people lose someone important every single day, in every single moment. Everywhere. Thank you for sharing. My parents are getting pretty old, but I know I’ll never be ready for what you went through. Seeing a comment like this reminds me that we find a way to persevere. To make it count. When the cardinal hits the window. ❤️
@RachelRenee412243 жыл бұрын
I can only listen to this once a year now and todays the day
@breeeegs3 жыл бұрын
Why?
@engeldesdeth3 жыл бұрын
I hope it was a good day c: Stay safe
@deaddinosaurful3 жыл бұрын
same !
@johnsonjohnson84363 жыл бұрын
This sound has 20 meanings at once. You have to explain your own.
@jakewilson38733 жыл бұрын
@cheesecake1342 жыл бұрын
That "and he takes and he takes and he takes" just hits like a punch in the gut.
@furkansrl9070 Жыл бұрын
I did a Casimir Pulaski day cover on my channel, even though it wasn't very good. If you want to look : kzbin.info/www/bejne/iaDRdnqrlt-pjpY 😊
@DannyWilliamH13 жыл бұрын
Terribly sad and yet beautiful song. The line that always chokes me up is: "Tuesday night at the bible study, we lift our hands and pray over your body but nothing ever happens." Man, that feeling of being absolutely powerless. Such a strong line.
@filippo07036 жыл бұрын
Not just one of Sufjan's best songs...but one of the best songs in the whole history of music.
@agirlhasnoname43392 жыл бұрын
YES
@georgeweatherford1027 Жыл бұрын
It is such a gorgeous song, indeed
@lauraberkholtz79597 жыл бұрын
My mother died of bone cancer. It was my father crying on the telephone. Now he's passed too. There are no words to tell how much this song has helped me. Thank you so much Sufjan.
@KevinBurke885 жыл бұрын
nobody does grief better x
@k1zer1005 жыл бұрын
Lmao
@svviftghost5 жыл бұрын
Getty Touchstone What’s so terribly funny?
@elmo28005 жыл бұрын
@@svviftghost probably an edgy teen whose brain has not yet fully developed empathy. Give him some time and his perspective of life will change.
@vincentottavi62734 жыл бұрын
@@elmo2800 sadly that's not how empathy works, there is people who will never develop empathy.
@iamgoindown10 жыл бұрын
The end of this song just always gets me. "And he takes and he takes and he takes." Just the abrupt truth. It always hurts.
@sleepyowl763 жыл бұрын
This is one of the saddest songs I’ve ever heard, but the crescendo at 4:50 still feels oddly triumphant. Like pushing on and daring to live life in the face of unthinkable grief.
@braden7552 жыл бұрын
Strange, it's always felt to me like it goes from telling a sad story to crying and letting it all out as it crescendos.
@gazastriptease7451Ай бұрын
Omg so true everything you just said
@eikanishimura256310 жыл бұрын
it kills me when he says, "and he takes, and he takes, and he takes..."
@user-ii7xg5eb7y9 жыл бұрын
Seconded
@doriepierre83658 жыл бұрын
thirded
@mariielahcruz59686 жыл бұрын
What's the meaning of the phrase can u explain it to me? Please?
@ijeleo926 жыл бұрын
Mariielah Cruz I think Sufjan is referring to "he" meaning God. The girl Sufjan is talking about dies from the cancer and he refers to God giving him the glory which is the girl and the time they spent together but then God also takes her from him. At least that's what I got. The line really gets to me having lost my sister to cancer.
@dsroaddogg5 жыл бұрын
Fifted
@amandamaybray68486 жыл бұрын
the line "i am crying in the bathroom" will always hit me like a brick, fucking beautiful.
@rcjostabepis17827 жыл бұрын
"I thought I saw you breathing" line fucks me UP
@jacobrussell8583Ай бұрын
I dreamed this last night.
@breakalime9 жыл бұрын
I am crying in the bathroom.
@deadliestelliot5 жыл бұрын
@@zepol6566 me three
@heidi59444 жыл бұрын
Always lol 💜
@vminweddingcaterer36753 жыл бұрын
@nymersic it's so sudden
@vminweddingcaterer36753 жыл бұрын
i am crying on my bedroom floor
@ethann18163 жыл бұрын
why
@marykatemccann99169 жыл бұрын
I...can't even explain. Just...just.....HOW DOES A MORTAL MAN WRITE SUCH A HEAVENLY SONG!?!?!?!?!? This song has been a part of me since I was in third grade. It feels like home.
@friendsinmyhead21956 жыл бұрын
I’m playing this for my dog right now he has cancer he probably won’t make it though the night I love him so much
@mikejames16415 жыл бұрын
reading that brought tears, bles you. x
@IbraKhalid_15 жыл бұрын
Aw. I don't know if it's possible but I really hope your dog is alive.
@destfuehler97245 жыл бұрын
prayers man. I hope everything is all good
@rosyrascalz4 жыл бұрын
oh my gosh i just read that an teared up. hope the dog is ok
@Dani926704 жыл бұрын
FriendsinMyHead - I hope 2 years later finds you in a good place - hopefully with a rescue dog after you had time to grieve the loss of your beloved friend. I lost my cat to lymphoma December 12, 2014. As time has passed, I may go little longer periods of time without hurting to think of him but upon reading your comment I was instantly brought to tears and it feels like I lost him yesterday.
@rkgk15176 жыл бұрын
What makes Sufjan's faith compelling is that he explores the complicated and painful parts, the doubts
@adriancastro32322 жыл бұрын
Exactly this, the infinite doubts and not knowing everything
@isthisgary2 жыл бұрын
Rightfully so
@furkansrl9070 Жыл бұрын
I did a Casimir Pulaski day cover on my channel, even though it wasn't very good. If you want to look : kzbin.info/www/bejne/iaDRdnqrlt-pjpY 😊
@daniellefechtel99328 жыл бұрын
At first I listened to this song as back ground music while I studied, but after the first few words I found myself listening to it more instead of my homework and I started crying. This is such a powerful song, yet it's so calming and quiet. I'm obsessed.
@wenloveslixie25738 жыл бұрын
same man gosh
@georapturedivinity37208 жыл бұрын
don't you worry dear for crying with this song. I could remember some few yrs ago to have done the same. Sufjan and his band and miraculous musicians... this must be their best song I like very much. Regards, G.
@jacobbieker88748 жыл бұрын
I just heard this for the first time last night on Sirius XMU-- I was about to call it a night, but then I got sucked in ^_^
@50centpb78 жыл бұрын
Ayy same here, I've had this song saved on my player for years, it was only this morning I bothered listening to the lyrics for once. Holy shit the unexpected feels, I was not prepared.
@VikasKumar-se3pw7 жыл бұрын
You need to have a better homework music taste. *chuckles*
@martindonald76138 жыл бұрын
I've listened to this song so many times that the vinyl would be worn out. While I don't share Sufjan's Christian faith, he seems like a genuine Christian. As a non-American, I'm glad that there are guys like this to serve as positive, sensitive, thoughtful role models for young American males.
@reecegielen92958 жыл бұрын
Damn, I am a sucker for a good lyric - "All the glory, when He took our place / But he took my shoulders, and he shook my face / And he takes, and he takes, and he takes" ...damn...
@redeyes45438 жыл бұрын
Favourite part
@reecegielen92958 жыл бұрын
What does it mean exactly? Well, who can say aside from Sufjan himself and I doubt he's telling anyone. That being said, I read it as an observation on the world - these kids have been raised in a religious setting, gone through the trials of puberty and discovering sexuality and all these moments, only for the narrator to be robbed of his companion. All the glory when He took our place (at her side, as her guide and her focus as opposed to himself and her family) but He took my shoulders and He shook my face (possibly metaphorically referencing her role as his strength etc., or literally referring to his current breakdown) and He takes, and He takes, and He takes (as his understanding of God "saves" people by taking them from this plain, He is also selfish and vindictive, merely taking and taking and taking again without any regard for those left behind). Merely my reading of the story - not intended to be my own commentary on religion in any way =)
@taylorleibel43277 жыл бұрын
The ending bit: "He takes and he takes and he takes" is a reference to the book of Job in the Bible, where it is said that "The lord giveth and the lord taketh away." Sufjan's use of biblical references is beyond beautiful.
@krrrcht7 жыл бұрын
Also, the "took my place" is referring to Jesus (i.e. God) dying for humanity's sins on the cross, which is inverted by the reference to Job where God bestowed misfortune upon humanity, so the narrator is torn between his belief in Jesus/God saving humanity, and his doubt exemplified by the story of Job (in which the moral is that you cannot hide from god and must go towards him). Repeating the "he takes" motif makes clear (IMO) that the narrator feels his faith isn't just being tested like Job, it feels like it's being eroded and shattered (in the same way the narrator observes "Tuesday night at the Bible study / We lift our hands and pray over your body / But nothing ever happens"). The world of the narrator was totally suffused by a deep religious belief, but the events described have whisked away the certainty of solace in that faith. What the narrator makes of that doubt, what YOU make of that doubt, that's up to your interpretation.
@adamsmith41957 жыл бұрын
I mostly agree. But I would say his declaration that He took our place is pretty Job-like in the face of unspeakable pain: "Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face." (Job 13:15) Like Job, the singer is holding the two ideas simultaneously. "Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD."
@cheeseguru10177 жыл бұрын
The part in the song when he says "And I thought I saw you breathing" reminds me of when I saw my Dad in his coffin after he was killed in a motorcycle accident. I thought I saw him breathing...
@melancholyskittle6 жыл бұрын
oh my god, I'm so so sorry... I know it's been a year since you posted the comment, but I hope everything's gotten a little bit better
@alfredogranadosmeza70175 жыл бұрын
sorry man, hope you are better now
@joshchapman47535 жыл бұрын
Stumbled upon this comment randomly by my love if sufjan Stevens. My father also died in a motorcycle accident. In the identification room he looked relatively normal tucked into the bed, except his legs were at strange angles underneath the white sheets, and his green eyes were still half open, somehow bird-like and staring up at the ceiling. I feel your pain and hope that you are well now.
@GuybThreepwood4 жыл бұрын
I was 15 when my dad passed, half a life ago, and too scared to look in the coffin. I still wonder if he's somewhere breathing.
@heel-toecam2218 жыл бұрын
I can't listen to this song in front of people. If I hear it I have to walk out of the room. It's too heart-wrenchingly sad. I don't know why it provokes such a strong emotional reaction from me- but it does. It just creates a set of images in my mind that just absolutely fucking pulverize my soul.
@BurgerKingHotDogWater6 жыл бұрын
Exactly the same feeling My guy.
@JessicaSonoda9 жыл бұрын
The realest song I've ever heard about loss. The element of joy (to have known her in the first place, to have seen His face in the window while in the midst of doubt) is undeniable, as is the pain. Amazing.
@dingorvr9 жыл бұрын
+Jessica Sonoda you should listen to Carrie & Lowell his new album is this x1000 times
@JessicaSonoda9 жыл бұрын
José Rivera Funny, I just heard that album 1st time yesterday! I liked it but need to give it more time to really let it sink in...thanks for the recommendation! Can't wait to give it my full attention.
@UGotSerbed8 жыл бұрын
+Jessica Sonoda I don't want to rate them against each other but check out Colin Haye - Maggie
@furkansrl9070 Жыл бұрын
I did a Casimir Pulaski day cover on my channel, even though it wasn't very good. If you want to look : kzbin.info/www/bejne/iaDRdnqrlt-pjpY 😊
@ThePassportRadio9 жыл бұрын
I sometimes like to think he could be saying "in the mourning"... I like to think this possible interpretation was intended
@RyandBurtson9 жыл бұрын
Wow I never thought of the possibility of a play on words! Great thinking, makes me reevaluate my ideas on this song! :D
@tessanash20837 жыл бұрын
ThePassportRadio damn i never thought of it that way. thank u for sharing my friend
@qriminal16486 жыл бұрын
Particularly in the funeral verse... "In the mourning in the winter shade On the first of march, on the holiday I thought I saw you breathing"
@anthonysimons82510 жыл бұрын
Even as a pretty hardline atheist I love his references to his faith and the doubts he has. They're still relatable feelings in other ways. "We pray over your body/but nothing ever happens". Such a simple but powerful statement.
@SuburbValues10 жыл бұрын
First off, let me say that I'm a struggling believer in God, but a believer nonetheless. I must say, that amongst all Atheists that I've run into while being a youtube follower, you are, in fact, the first one to show any sort of respect towards believers and non-believers alike. For that, I commend you, sir.
@GrantsPerspective10 жыл бұрын
SuburbValues You're looking in the wrong place if you're looking on KZbin.
@scotthopkins666410 жыл бұрын
SuburbValues Hi there, SuburbValues. I respect you, your struggle with belief, your inevitable human experience, your thoughts and opinions and emotions and values. I imagine many of your thoughts and opinions and values differ from mine, but our nature and our nurture are different, so who am I to judge? In conclusion, now you've run into two respectful atheists on KZbin.
@dvepps67809 жыл бұрын
SuburbValues big ups on that...
@riaanschultz60969 жыл бұрын
David Eppelsheimer I grew up in a very christian home, going to sunday school every week etc etc. I've been an atheist for a long time now, but when I listen to Sufjan I actually kinda miss those days.
@abc-tf6or3 жыл бұрын
Two, three, four Goldenrod and the four H stone The things I brought you When I found out you had cancer of the bone Your father cried on the telephone And he drove his car into the Navy yard Just to prove that he was sorry In the morning, through the window shade When the light pressed up against your shoulder blade I could see what you were reading All the glory that the Lord has made And the complications you could do without When I kissed you on the mouth Tuesday night at the Bible study We lift our hands and pray over your body But nothing ever happens I remember at Michael's house In the living room when you kissed my neck And I almost touched your blouse In the morning, at the top of the stairs When your father found out what we did that night And you told me you were scared All the glory when you ran outside With your shirt tucked in and your shoes untied And you told me not to follow you Sunday night when I cleaned the house I found the card where you wrote it out With the pictures of your mother On the floor at the great divide With my shirt tucked in and my shoes untied I am crying in the bathroom In the morning when you finally go And the nurse runs in with her head hung low And the cardinal hits the window In the morning in the winter shade On the first of March, on the holiday I thought I saw you breathing All the glory that the Lord has made And the complications when I see his face In the morning in the window All the glory when he took our place But he took my shoulders and he shook my face And he takes and he takes and he takes
@profoundwanderer1441 Жыл бұрын
🙌
@Froyobaggins7 жыл бұрын
This song is very nostalgically sad; it feels like you're alone late in the evening in the winter, blinkly slowly with flustered cheeks. Your skin is warm, so when the wind blows, it stings. Your chest aches and your limbs are weak. There is nothing to do about this situation. You've accepted it duly, but it still rings throughout you. You're not sure you'll ever be over it.
@gustavosierra13787 жыл бұрын
My 22 year-old son introduced me to this artist. The melody immediately seized me emotionally. Tears just stream every time,
@RyandBurtson9 жыл бұрын
I first heard this song a couple of years ago and boy, no song I've heard since has been able to touch me as well as this one does. The development and unfortunate end of a relationship between the narrator and the dying girl was the first sad aspect that I noticed back when I first heard it. But now that I've come back to it, I can feel for more than just the loss. The father's one whom I also feel terrible for. The last thing you hear about the father in the song is how he made the girl scared when he figured out she and the narrator had shown their love for one another, and it kind of takes away from the sympathy I think we should feel for him. When he first hears about her bone cancer, he crashes his car because he's so distraught over it, and he tells her he's sorry even though she isn't there. There's no way the bone cancer was his fault. He's just sorry that he couldn't protect his little girl and he knows she'll die. I picture that scene and it instantly cripples me.
@ewanmckenzie35628 жыл бұрын
You're not the most intelligent of people, are you?
@ewanmckenzie35628 жыл бұрын
+Kayla Tatum Sorry, not you. I was referring to the original poster.
@taylorleibel43278 жыл бұрын
+Ewan Mckenzie It's not unintelligent to have your own interpretation of the song, even if it's not right.
@lucyx30088 жыл бұрын
+Taylor Leibel is the only one here who understands that none of your are right or wrong about this.
@Dan-yh4uz7 жыл бұрын
Taylor Leibel well, if the artist directly comes out and says it's something specific, it's fine to have your own interpretation, but it's no longer an ambiguous openly defined meaning. Everyone can have their own interpretation, but that doesn't mean it's objectively right.
@CroweCreates6 жыл бұрын
My best friend showed me this song almost two years ago. It reminded her of losing her mother to a neurological disease. Now shes inherited it is in hospice care and on life support herself. This song came on in a random playlist I didn't know would have it and well...crying in the bathroom before class. Hope you all and your loved ones are well :')
@AndrewJohnson-yd8do9 жыл бұрын
This song will never leave me. I will always be deeply affected by it when I hear it. One of the best songs I've ever heard.
@jfrancisbf6 жыл бұрын
Andrew Johnson your comment and your avatar I love.
@furkansrl9070 Жыл бұрын
I did a Casimir Pulaski day cover on my channel, even though it wasn't very good. If you want to look : kzbin.info/www/bejne/iaDRdnqrlt-pjpY 😊
@udoka969 жыл бұрын
A little girl I knew from church just died of complications from sickle cell. She was seven. I haven't stopped crying, but this song helps somehow.
@mrlee49179 жыл бұрын
bowtiesandjamjars I'm so very sorry to hear that :( I wish all the best to you and her family.
@mrlee49179 жыл бұрын
bowtiesandjamjars I'm so very sorry to hear that :( I wish all the best to you and her family.
@udoka969 жыл бұрын
Thank you :) That means a lot.
@moondog19975 жыл бұрын
I came to this song today because I couldn’t get it out of my head...after I heard that a little girl I knew from church died of complications from sickle cell. It’s hard to describe how I felt reading this comment. She was about 6. Her grandparents were “aunt” and “uncle” to me. They loved this little girl so much. They hadn’t seen her in months because her mom took her away and wouldn’t talk to them. They didn’t know she was in the hospital, with appendicitis, having a bone marrow transplant...she was taken once and then she was taken once and for all. 2 Samuel 12:23...we’ll see them again.
@furkansrl9070 Жыл бұрын
I did a Casimir Pulaski day cover on my channel, even though it wasn't very good. If you want to look : kzbin.info/www/bejne/iaDRdnqrlt-pjpY 😊
@1alternativedrummer28 жыл бұрын
seeing this live and having everyone sing that last a capella part nearly brought me to tears. I want to relive that concert again and again
@Chris9510215 жыл бұрын
That sounds magical.
@Dreamaphobic8 жыл бұрын
A senior at my school died of bone cancer yesterday. This is the first song that played on the way there today.
@thaliahare28358 жыл бұрын
This song fills me. It completes me. Just the first few notes make me swell up inside. I don't know. It's just so perfect. I remember the first time I heard it I found this album in my grandmothers art studio and I put it on. I thought it was pretty good. And then _this_ song started to play and I just started crying and I played it over and over and over and over for about half an hour. It's been with me ever since and no matter how many times I play it I always want to hear it again. Music is a strange thing. It can make you feel so much.
@JohnLobello8 жыл бұрын
this comment is everything
@ev99097 жыл бұрын
I know your comment is a year old, but I love to see someone experience music so strongly. People always cringe and change the topic when I speak about songs I love the way you wrote here and it makes me feel awful. I'm so happy to see someone feel like me
@notforsale94886 жыл бұрын
Your grandma sounds awesome, and yes this song is everything.
@tomriddle258810 жыл бұрын
Such a beautifully sad song, and composed with pure poetry, with my shirt tucked in and my shoes untied, a metaphor for appearing alright on the surface, but falling apart underneath. Genius! I would compare this song to I will follow you into the dark by death cab for cutie, in terms of tone and content
@oliverharrison18884 жыл бұрын
didn't know Voldemort had such a soft side
@LPSAngoraBunny3 жыл бұрын
absolutely thought of i will follow you into the dark the first time i heard this!! so glad someone else has had this observation
@furkansrl9070 Жыл бұрын
I did a Casimir Pulaski day cover on my channel, even though it wasn't very good. If you want to look : kzbin.info/www/bejne/iaDRdnqrlt-pjpY 😊
@samyakjain72722 күн бұрын
Oh wow that’s a great read. Thank you. I’ll remember this each time I hear it now :)
@tesskelly84539 жыл бұрын
Casimir Pulaski Day is celebrated on the first monday of March in Illinois. In the song he says "on the first of march, on the holiday i thought i saw you breathing" so I think it happened on Casimir Pulaski Day and thats why its called that
@JakeyMeisty6 жыл бұрын
Tess Kelly Good. I think it also has to do with the fact that this is a song off a concept album about Illinois...
@sophaloaf565 жыл бұрын
We didn’t celebrate it this year. I find it strange.
@coughingbabie3 жыл бұрын
@2Fancy4Me thanks for stating the obvious guys
@crescentfreshbret3 жыл бұрын
I’ve lived in Illinois my whole life, and this song being on this album was how I found out that we’re the only state that celebrates Casimir Pulaski Day.
@Dovelunalove3 жыл бұрын
@@crescentfreshbret what do y’all do to celebrate?
@DeeJayRico5 жыл бұрын
It's March 4, 2019, happy Casmir Pulaski Day. :(
@kassidy50245 жыл бұрын
DeeJay Rico my sister birthday :’(
@ACH-g3n10 жыл бұрын
the three silent minutes at the end is like the void left after someone dies
@k1zer1005 жыл бұрын
No it's just lazy editing cause this is a shitty indie kid song
@19JAKEtheSNAKE995 жыл бұрын
@@k1zer100 If you don't like it than why are you listening to it?
@vincentottavi62735 жыл бұрын
@@k1zer100 Nice video... I'm surprised its public LOL. Fucking teen weeb.
@k1zer1005 жыл бұрын
@@vincentottavi6273 the pfp isnt from an anime, it's a joke cause it's a nazi
@k1zer1005 жыл бұрын
@@19JAKEtheSNAKE99 I wouldn't call it listening if it's just 3 minutes of silence at the end. And I listened to the whole thing because I thought it was going to be something different or special considering my friend posted it on his story.
@bobskeetes8 жыл бұрын
This is a rare gem. It will never leave me.
@drewbee249 жыл бұрын
This never gets old. When the banjo kicks in... Beautiful.
@RockinRickSmith8 жыл бұрын
The banjo gets me, too.....such an amazing song. The Cowboy Junkies do a sad song about a dying town (The Last Spike), and the banjo is used to similar effect
@banjoplayingbison22758 жыл бұрын
As a banjo player, I always think that when the banjo is used in a sad song like this, it just adds more to the beauty to the song.
@jenicek228 жыл бұрын
This has got to be one of the best albums ever made
@janm.44968 жыл бұрын
its definitely up there
@PauricDeS8 жыл бұрын
You've made me smile, thank you. I couldn't agree more :)
@jenicek228 жыл бұрын
The more i listen to this album the more i love it.
@jenicek228 жыл бұрын
...it has been well over a year since i discovered Sufjan and I still love everything he produced.
@Vivacious_Lenin7 жыл бұрын
Jan Ševčík the only fault I've ever found with it is that the second half is kinda boring. it seems like all the best songs; this, Chicago, John Wayne.., Jacksonville, feel the Illinois, are all on the first half.
@lanceo8iskool11 жыл бұрын
This song is also about religion, it's about a man who loved a girl and she died, and he is struggling to maintain his faith because what kind of God would take away the one thing you love the most. He realizes that God will always take and he eventually learns to accept it
@VicLabs3 жыл бұрын
I know this comment is 7 years old, but I have to add that the writer is appreciative of the significance of the cross and its real effect on his life ("the glory when he took our place") but in the moment, grief has overpowered him.
@joesyuh8 жыл бұрын
My sister died from leukemia and this song makes me feel a little closer to her. Odd isn't it?
@colephillips93488 жыл бұрын
I am extremely sorry for your loss. And no, I don't think it's strange. It almost seems natural.
@Aniki828 жыл бұрын
Yeah... to such event even this song is little light... my heart is with you bro
@overlappedsongs33127 жыл бұрын
joesyuh sometimes a song is the only way to understand someone's pain. Whatever it is you need to keep going, you'll find it.
@igotasweetass7 жыл бұрын
So sorry for your loss. this song helps, i know it does.
@spillyrichX6 жыл бұрын
I lost my mum to the same. I feel ya and this song makes me think of her every time as well.
@carlanderson37569 жыл бұрын
"In the morning when you finally go, and the nurse runs in with her head held low, and the cardinal hits window..." suckerpunch.... ooooh!
@orcinidae5 жыл бұрын
my grandmother died on october 1st, 2018. my brother and i left the hospital and walked up to the parking lot. not a word was spoken. it was around 6. the sun was setting. i hop into the car and stare at the sky, trying my hardest to choke back tears. he puts on this song. we start driving. that whole drive- the music, the lack of words, the beautiful golden light- never has a song impacted me like this. i remember choking up, soaking in every single word, remembering all she had done for my family. i loved her so much and i still do. i miss her incredibly. this was my introduction to sufjan. his music has helped me through countless depressive episodes and i am forever grateful that he took the opportunity to share his talent with us.
@HumansFreshlyBorn3 жыл бұрын
One of the most fucking heart-wrenching songs ever written. Something about the weirdly happy (even if bittersweet) tone of it makes it even more crushing.
@Baxendale9610 жыл бұрын
I can't believe i'm only just getting into Sufjan's work, this song in particular really hit me hard when I realized what it was about. Really reminds me of myself when I used to be quite religious as a kid, I'd always pray and ask god why my dad died when I was so young
@cheeseguru10177 жыл бұрын
I'm not a religious person, but my dad died when I was 16. It was my 18th birthday last week and I keep thinking he'll walk in the door
@alicekranyk41733 жыл бұрын
@@cheeseguru1017 I'm sorry. It gets easier. I lost my younger brother when he was 20, and for some time I kept thinking I saw him on the street, or in passing cars...I don't think that anymore, but I do feel he watches over my family and myself. I'm sure your Dad does the same. Much love, internet stranger 💗
@dirteater52374 жыл бұрын
This is genius on several levels.. Sufjan quietly places you into each room as a witness ....the melancholy of this (unlikely) paring of instruments pulls you into it all... you have no choice but to "experience" these moments with him...on the surface, this song may sound simple enough, but it is so much more...it is truly a remarkable piece of work!
@davidealfonsi63843 жыл бұрын
We all are so mortal, so precious.
@bricebu9 жыл бұрын
I'm seeing Sufjan in Boston tonight. "Casimir Pulaski Day" is the song that got me interested in him. So sad, so beautiful. His John Wayne Gacy song is also quite beautiful... quietly terrifying somehow. What a talent.
@scubacat61567 жыл бұрын
"Tuesday night at the Bible Study, we lift our hands and pray over your body, but nothing ever happens." The existential futility of this line...elevates this song over 99.99999 percent of "sensitive indie boy" sounds.
@joeboonmusic40047 жыл бұрын
Totally agree, this is what all those kids are trying to get at. They don't get that music is more about what you put in than what you get out.
@scubacat61567 жыл бұрын
Exactly.
@sofeakhan33976 жыл бұрын
Does nothing ever really happen? I don't believe that
@scubacat61566 жыл бұрын
Not in this life, but maybe, hopefully, elsewhere, it might.
@nathansimpson23636 жыл бұрын
Bright Eyes "Poison Oak" comes close but can't quite touch it
@mmayer15583 жыл бұрын
On this year's Casimir Pulaski Day, my father collapsed. For 40 minutes his heart stopped. He's alive and conscious now with mental impairment. Sufjan has always been beautiful, profound, etc. but I never thought his words would be prophetic to me.
@arthurlecomte89508 жыл бұрын
Sufjan is so innocent, it makes me cry
@michaelj.k.940811 жыл бұрын
right deep in the feels... someone hold me
@audreydavies36033 жыл бұрын
My grandson sang it to me one day, and I have been smitten with this ever since. He is a wonderful poet and brings to banal trite pop music a new level of meaning and depth.
@lemonloser11 жыл бұрын
im not the biggest fan of trumpet but the trumpet solo in this song gives me goosebumps
@mijymotor5 жыл бұрын
Me too...
@savannahm12232 жыл бұрын
Thank you Sufjan for being here for me when no one else understands. Rest in peace Jack Rudolf McCall. I miss you, I love you.
@markharrison99116 жыл бұрын
It took me years to figure out what "and you told me not to follow you" meant.
@JoNa98acm6 жыл бұрын
Holy shit.
@jaykingston9496 жыл бұрын
Mark Harrison wait what does it mean
@markharrison99116 жыл бұрын
She has cancer and knows she will die. He is not to follow her into death.
@o.steinman38555 жыл бұрын
@@markharrison9911 oh god i honestly though this song couldn't get any sadder
@thornepereira2985 жыл бұрын
WOW
@100d2h6 жыл бұрын
This is probably the heaviest song I ever heard in my life, but delivered in an oddly light and slightly whimsical manner
@spotsscarf67389 жыл бұрын
god, this makes my heart ache. sO BEAUTIFUL.
@hArbingeRofDumb5 жыл бұрын
My grandmother died of cancer a couple months ago. I was with her near the end but for some reason I held back my tears at her funeral. I'm finally letting it all out. Thank you Sufjan, this song means more to me now than it ever has.
@egwicks3 жыл бұрын
Only Sufjan Stevens could write beautiful and haunting songs about Pulaski Day and John Wayne Gacy on the same album. This song sneaks up on you, the banjo plucking kind of tricks you into thinking this may be a happy song. Next thing you know you're crying.
@huckberry175 жыл бұрын
This song is sad and sadder than most people think. Its not just about a girl dying of cancer. Its about that, a boy losing his best friend and first crush, and losing faith in his religion (which is a massive deal if you're a religious person.) And whats more, it seems to me that the mother had been dead awhile (hence the pictures of your mother line) and the father died when the girl was diagnosed with cancer because he was so distraught, driving his car into the navy yard, so also the girl is dying without her family around to be there for her. And all this through the lens of a young boy trying to make sense of it all as its in opposition to his whole world view about religion and God taking care of you. Finally the name of the song is Casimir Pulaski Day, a very small holiday mainly recognized in Chicago which will still forever overshadow the death of the girl. Saddest and most beautiful song I know.
@isrulius6 ай бұрын
When this song came out I was an 18 year old kid with the whole world ahead of him. The world was new and exciting and full of possibilities, but as I sit here and write this on April 27, 2024 I am now 36 years old and wondering if my best days are behind me. I come back to these old songs to reminisce of a different time in my life, and ponder what’s still in store for me. Unfortunately that great optimism I once felt has greatly diminished. If you’re a young person reading this, don’t be like me and take your youth for granted. It goes by so much faster than you could ever imagine. One day you’ll wake up pushing 40 and wondering what happened.
@glowlog9 жыл бұрын
I didn't expect to cry so much :(
@brycebuchanan51496 жыл бұрын
This is my favorite song. Sufjan Stevens songs are so easy to imagine ourselves in that the song feels real
@dhrichardson57983 жыл бұрын
Such a crushingly sad but very spiritual song. I play this song just get my mind right about what's important in life.
@jeffreylambert924010 жыл бұрын
Over summer my dad passed away from lung cancer, so I can completely relate with some of the aspects of this song. Of course I never kissed him on the mouth or anything, but stevens' expression of doubt in god is totally relatable. Its difficult to think of reasons why god would take certain people away, sometimes it just seems like "he takes and he takes and he takes." Those last words brought tears to my eyes because I have gone and am still going through the emotions that he is eminating
@snipes000910 жыл бұрын
: ( sorry for your loss...I lost my grandpa to lung/bladder/prostate cancer and he was the best person I have ever known, so I struggled with it for a long time. Here's my opinion on it: You cant think like that in terms of God. I'm not "religious", but I believe in a higher power. So its sort of like (speaking in generalities), if you are religious and believe in the Christian form of God, then from your faith you understand why God does the things he does, no matter how sad. If you are atheist, then you believe that the bad things happen just like the good things, but there is no meaning behind it because there is no God. If you are doubtful (like me), then its a whole other story... You may feel that the God out there that created everything aren't necessarily concerned with us, because why would the God when the universe is so vast, so you kind of have to hope for the best. Or you may feel that even though its not the "Christian" form of God, that He/She/It still pays attention to us and you would almost have to trust their decision, or you have to give in because we have no choice. So I think its a matter of figuring out your belief first, and after that you will then understand what the meaning behind your tragedy is.. All I know is that I hope to see my grandpa again..
@tisdue10 жыл бұрын
Don't think of God as a being that intentionally makes decisions. God created life and consciousness. We are all part of the same energy, experiencing this reality together. Your father's death hurt God just as much as it hurt you.
@marycantu915710 жыл бұрын
HI Jeffery, I am very sorry for the loss of your dad. I don't know how you feel about the bible but whether you believe in it or not, for curiosity sake, in it, God has many promises regarding the dead that he will fulfill. to begin with, I hope you know that God did NOT take your father away from you. he has millions of angels as it is, why then, would he need to take YOUR dad to be an angel in heaven when YOU need your dad here on earth? Note 2 Corinthians 4:4 that shows that the devil is actually the god of this world for the current time. in addition, there is also such a thing as unforeseen occurrences. But, in regards to the dead, we are shown at acts 24:15 that there will be a resurrection of the righteous and unrighteous. (please read) it also states at John 5:28, 29 that all of the people in the graves will here Jesus' voice and come out. there are many more promising scriptures that show that you WILL see your father again. If you would like, you are always more than welcome to email me and I will be happy to share more scriptures regarding that subject or any other question you may have. Hope this helped at least a little.
@flightparamedic5056 жыл бұрын
mary Cantu thank you
@brianmaguda21888 жыл бұрын
I never cry, but I cried through the entire Carrie and Lowell album. It's incredible how he can mess with your emotions.
@nicolek866511 жыл бұрын
And he takes and he takes and he takes.....
@gigglesmansonn10 жыл бұрын
We pray over your body But nothing ever happens
@danthemango10 жыл бұрын
Fun fact: 'cancer of the bone' in German is 'knochenkrebs'. Retraction: that fact wasn't actually fun.
@himanshubellani48786 жыл бұрын
that was something! ❤
@johnwrath36126 жыл бұрын
Krebs means Crab, doesn't it? We call it cancer in english, which is latin for Crab, because ancient people described the pain as feeling like you were being eaten from the inside out by crabs. More fun facts that aren't actually fun but in fact are quite horrific/tragic.
@jfrancisbf6 жыл бұрын
danthemango I broke a smile during this song after I read this. ^//o//^ Still...
@mrhuman50925 жыл бұрын
Fun to say at least
@vincentottavi62734 жыл бұрын
Why are german so unfunny?
@AntonioKowatsch6 жыл бұрын
I play this song every day on my sad guitar. There's just something really powerful about this folkey song. To me, Sufjan is like the modern-day counterpart to Neil Young. I'm glad that folk music is still going strong. God bless.
@peterromero11209 жыл бұрын
Hopefully future generations remember this music
@atticusiscoollastname4883 жыл бұрын
My dad has listened to sufjan Steven’s since before I was born so I never really had the experience of listening to this the first time but still a really good song
@redblue23582 жыл бұрын
Didnt even know it was casimir pulaski day today. Just wanted to listen to this song again. What a surprise
@lizardquinceanera68938 жыл бұрын
Glad to make this the first song of 2016 I listen to
@eedalopejones15918 жыл бұрын
First song since reading this comment.
@cameronpeterson67347 жыл бұрын
Liz M Haha this is the first "new" song I've heard for 2017. By new I mean a song I haven't heard before. I've listened to a few other Sufjan Stevens songs but not this one
@TheCSJones7 жыл бұрын
A song about death was very appropriate for that year.
@TheCSJones7 жыл бұрын
You grew up fast.
@MEdalFan267 жыл бұрын
bro my spakkers are brokan D:
@spillyrichX6 жыл бұрын
Reminds me of my mother passing too early from cancer . Bittersweet and beautiful. Bless.
@tessanash20837 жыл бұрын
this song is so beautiful and truly art. It's one of those songs that I really do treat like an piece of art in a museum because I can only listen to it once or twice every month. It keeps its hurtful magic that way.
@taylorlipphardt56069 жыл бұрын
my brother showed me this song while i was on my period. so take whatever you feel from this song and multiple it by like 20000. thats how i felt. i cried so much.
@larbies-sayeh41248 жыл бұрын
six.femme
@becc43338 жыл бұрын
Most women are in too much pain to want... that. : o
@zacharymorris40768 жыл бұрын
+Welux you have a very fundamental misunderstanding of what periods are actually like
@rcvryguy5 жыл бұрын
Every Casmir Pulaski Day I play this song and cry. Until I read you comment and I couldn't stop laughing. Thanks for breaking me out of that funk.
@johnfdm1232 жыл бұрын
This song hits me in the gut every time I listen to it. Can never make it all the way through without sobbing.
@whitewedding1119 жыл бұрын
Absolutely beautiful.
@whitesharkies9 жыл бұрын
WhiteWedding111 Jeff... I completely agree
@elliotjakupcak43526 жыл бұрын
WhiteWedding111 the last 2 minutes that are just purely silent... so symbolic
@UkuleleAversion4 жыл бұрын
This has become one of my all time favourite songs and I've only been listening to Sufjan for a couple of weeks. The instrumentation (banjo, guitar, vocals, trumpet & organ) is glorious, the harmony, lyricism, vulnerable vocals and that coda. Just wow.
@Zylork01223 жыл бұрын
Hey look! It’s March 1 and Casimir Pulaski Day and I’m in IL.
@LackofAmbition2 жыл бұрын
I'll always come back to this song. Thank you Sufjan. Michigan, the acoustic version of Chicago... The eco of Holland... you have so perfectly captured my feeling, and yours too.. Again. Thank you.
@jeffscott521610 жыл бұрын
I cry like a fuckin baby every time. Not my favourite song, but the one that moves me like nothing else ever has.
@ElectroIsMyReligion3 жыл бұрын
One of the most gorgeous, heart-wrenching songs ever written. A masterpiece. Stevens is a genius - my feet was totally swept away under my feet and for a moment all of the rest of the world disappeared while I surrendered to the beautiful lyrics and music. If this song doesn’t make you emotional do you have see a doctor because you must have heart of stone.
@zacspearman5 жыл бұрын
The redemptive power of art, when music crosses over into the transcendent. The number of people Sufjan has helped with this one song alone... That's why artists play, that's why we listen.
@Nickelini6 жыл бұрын
I love this piece because it's a whole novel in a song
@hellomate63913 жыл бұрын
"Drove his car into the Navy Yard" That's just dark... Just so you all don't subjectively not notice it for a while like I did, a Navy Yard is a shipyard, which is full of water. He drove his car into the water of a Navy port. Not sure if it is suicide or just destroying the car out of emotion.
@Leelum2003 жыл бұрын
I wonder if u still use this account
@hellomate6393 жыл бұрын
@@Leelum200 Yep.
@hellomate6393 жыл бұрын
@@Leelum200 Lots of comments getting necro'd lately, I love it.
@jeltje82832 жыл бұрын
My sister died a few hours before the first of march. This song helped me through my grief and for that I am so grateful
@braydoncarroll15626 жыл бұрын
That silence for the last like 5 mins is just beautiful, intentional or not, it just adds to the beauty and weight of the song.
@watsolloko_77634 жыл бұрын
Ahh, I didn’t think of that, but it’s more likely to throw off KZbin’s copyright algorithm.
@Elizabeth-zm2hn7 жыл бұрын
Haunting, beautiful. I lost an acquaintance a few weeks ago and she was young, vibrant, and beautiful. She had kidney cancer- from the day she announced it to the day she passed was 6-7 months. She loved music and dance and life. I so profoundly identify with this song and her and passing. 'He takes and he takes and he takes." RIP Candice
@ggthewhale6 жыл бұрын
i left my family when i was 18 and went to live in new york alone. this song gives me so much nostalgia as i always played this when i went on the subway to work everyday 5 am in the morning
@nompumelelogulubane11993 жыл бұрын
I think the silence at the end is there for a reason.. It allows you to just feel your sadness.. Be in the moment.. As tears roll down your face.
@Drellistenstomusic4 жыл бұрын
I really can't listen to this song without a bunch of emotions coming out.
@mumblerocks773 жыл бұрын
I've listened to this song so many times that I thought it's sadness had worn off, but I listened to it on my way back from coffee today and heard it like the first time. Holy shit, I'm floored.
@riverevergreene6 жыл бұрын
Tuesday night at the bible study, we lift our hands and prayed over your body... but nothing ever happens.
@brianz.18237 жыл бұрын
I'm currently Learning this song. I love the little things about it. The softness of his voice and the trailing off creates this dream-like atmosphere; he is remembering, the song is a structured in a rather chaotic way where fragments of his memories are intertwined and it is difficult to create an order of events without analysing it afterwards. The thing I love the most is the fact that even if it is a song about childhood memories, first love, terminal illness and ultimately death, with reflections on religion, these are good memories. He sings about them lovingly, even happily, sometimes even with sly irony (especially when refering to religious themes). But in the end there is no doubt about his beliefs, the intrumental-acapella ending the song is very significant. The lyrics end at a negative: God takes away, but the chorus afterwards celebrates life, and going foward in life and the fact that death is not something to fear, it is a part of our lives. I am an atheist but I admire Sufjan's honest and sincere religiosity and his ability to communicate such strong emotions through song. I swear, Chicago and The Predatory Wasp of Palisades give me shivers every time!
@SorenKk8 жыл бұрын
some music is way more than just music i dont think we will understand that til we get to heaven i cant wait
@Joe_Caruso7 жыл бұрын
27 seconds in and I can't continue. Nope. Not doing it. Don't wanna be sad right now. As soon as I heard "I found out you had cancer of the bone" I shut it off.