Sufjan Stevens

[fox69]

"The Sleigh In The Moon"
(feat. Cat Martino)

"The Sleigh In The Moon"
(feat. Cat Martino)



We wait in our beds
Tight under the sheets
Just peeking our heads
We've waited for weeks
I can't go to sleep
I tried counting sheep
It's coming so soon
The sleigh in moon

I'm holding my breath
I can't keep it yet
No, we won't forget
We know that we're blessed
We know that we're blessed
We know that we're blessed

 

[fox69]

"The Tallest Man, The Broadest Shoulders"

"The Tallest Man, The Broadest Shoulders"


[Part I: "The Great Frontier"]

I count the days the Great Frontier
Forgiving, faced the seventh year
I stand in awe of gratefulness
I can and call forgetfulness

And when I, and when I call
The Patient, the Patient fall
The Spirit, the Carpenter
Invites us to be with her

What have we become America?
Soldiers on the Great Frontier!
Carpenter and Soldier, one on one
It's the battle, volunteer!

Run from yourself, from your friends, from ya--
Run for your life, for your friends, for ya--
American, merica, meri--
Oh Illinois, Illinois, Illi--

The prairie, the frontier, the perfect farm, it's from here
The fortress, the faker, the cornerstone, the baker
The dancer, the fisher, audition and the disher
The boxer, the fetcher, the ghweing gum, dream catcher

I count the days the Great Frontier
Forgiving, faced the seventh year
I stand and strain to make ends meet
Five Spirits on the Grand Marquee

And when I, and when I call
The Patient, the Patient fall
The Spirit, the Carpenter
Invites us to be with her

There was a man at the wall
He was grateful for us all
I saw the Wise Woman sing
She wasn't asking anything
She wasn't asking anything
How she made the nations sing!

What have we become America?
Soldiers on the Great Frontier!

Run from yourself,
from your friends, from ya--
Run for your life,
for your friends, for ya--
American, merica, meri--
Oh Illinois, Illinois, Illi--

The mattress, the floozies, the actress at the movies
The lantern, the lotion, the wind that wakes the ocean
The Standard Edition, the architect's rendition
The fashion, the fevers, the house we got at Sears

[Part II: "Come to Me Only With Playthings Now"]

Oh Great Fire of Great Disaster
Oh Great Heaven, oh Great Master
Oh Great Goat, the curse you gave us
Oh Great Ghost, protect and save us
Oh Great River, green with envy
Oh Jane Addams, spirit send thee
Oh Great Trumpet and the singers
(Given what you lost are you better off?)
Oh Great Goodman, King of Swingers
(Given what you had, has it made you mad?)
Oh Great Bears and Bulls, Joe Jackson
(Celebrate the few. Celebrate the new.)
Oh Great Illinois
(It can only start with you)

 

[fox69]

"The Transfiguration"

"The Transfiguration"


When he took the three disciples to the mountainside to pray
His countenance was modified, his clothing was aflame
Two men appeared, Moses and Elijah came
They were at his side
The prophecy, the legislation spoke
Of whenever he would die

Then there came a word of what he should accomplish on the day
Then Peter spoke, to make of them a tabernacle place
A cloud appeared in glory as an accolade
They fell on the ground
A voice arrived, the voice of God
The face of God covered in a cloud

What he said to them, the voice of God, the most beloved son
Consider what he says to you, consider what's to come
The prophecy was put to death, was put to death
And so will the son
And keep your word, disguise the vision
Till the time has come

Lost in the cloud, a voice
Have no fear, we draw near
Lost in the cloud, a sign
Son of man, turn your ear

Lost in the cloud, a voice
Lamb of God, we draw near
Lost in the cloud, a sign
Son of man, son of God

Lost in the cloud, a voice
Have no fear, we draw near
Lost in the cloud, a sign
Son of man, turn your ear

Lost in the cloud, a voice
Lamb of God, we draw near
Lost in the cloud, a sign
Son of man, son of God

Lost in the cloud, a voice
Have no fear, we draw near
Lost in the cloud, a sign
Son of man, turn your ear

Lost in the cloud, a voice
Lamb of God, we draw near
Lost in the cloud, a sign
Son of man, son of God

 

[fox69]

"The Upper Peninsula"

"The Upper Peninsula"


I live in America with a pair of Payless shoes
The Upper Peninsula and the television news
I've seen my wife at the K-Mart
In strange ideas we live apart

I live in a trailer home with a snowmobile, my car
The window is broken out and the interstate is far
I drove all night to find my child
In strange ideas he's been revived

In strange ideas, in stranger times
I've no idea what's right sometimes
I lost my mind, I lost my life
I lost my job, I lost my wife

 

[fox69]

"They Also Mourn Who Do Not Wear Black (For The Homeless In Muskegon)"

"They Also Mourn Who Do Not Wear Black (For The Homeless In Muskegon)"


If you happen to be educated
Time it marches on,
oh time it marches on.
In the end there is a sacred show
delivers every song,
delivers every song.

Mourning steps and
mourning gallivants
And mourning never shows,
no mourning never slows.
If the avatar reminds that it
will never stand at all,
will never stand as tall.

Since the water made it,
most to sail it,
made it most to song,
it made it most to song.
For the politics are not political
for what they stand,
For not what they demand.
Every senator and diplomat
combines her certain part,
A matter for the heart.
Save yourself from recognition.
selfless and quite song
To better get along.

(We love you. We Chose to.
We made to. We love you.)

If we concentrate and pull
resources to the highest poll,
To beat the highest pull, too.
Ever will we conquer grief
and find it faster to resolve
the dead, to be absolved
and fed, to restore.
If the advantageous
reprimand misgivings,
We wont grow.
We will not ever know.
We will not!
(Lift my life in healthy places!)

 

[fox69]

"They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back From The Dead!! Ahhhh!"

"They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back From The Dead!! Ahhhh!"


I-L-L-I-N-O-I-S!
Ring the bell and call or write us
I-L-L-I-N-O-I-S!
Can you call the Captain Clitus?
Logan, Grant, and Ronald Reagan
In the grave with Xylophagan
Do you know the ghost community?
Sound the horn, address the city

(Who will save it? Dedicate it?
Who will praise it? Commemorate it for you?)

We are awakened with the axe
Night of the Living Dead at last
They have begun to shake the dirt
Wiping their shoulders from the earth
I know, I know the nations past
I know, I know they rust at last
They tremble with the nervous thought
Of having been, at last, forgot

I-L-L-I-N-O-I-S!
Ring the bell and call or write us
I-L-L-I-N-O-I-S!
Can you call the Captain Clitus?
B-U-D-A! Caledonia!
S-E-C-O-R! Magnolia!
B-I-R-D-S! And Kankakee!
Evansville and Parker City

Speaking their names, they shake the flag
Waking the earth, it lifts and lags
We see a thousand rooms to rest
Helping us taste the bite of death
I know, I know my time has passed
I'm not so young, I'm not so fast
I tremble with the nervous thought
Of having been, at last, forgot

I-L-L-I-N-O-I-S!
Ring the bell and call or write us
I-L-L-I-N-O-I-S!
Can you call the Captain Clitus?
Comer and Potato Peelers!
G-R-E-E-N Ridge! Reeders
M-C-V-E-Y! And Horace!
E-N-O-S! Start the chorus

Corn and farms and tombs in Lemmon
Sailor Springs and all things feminine
Centerville and Old Metropolis
Shawneetown, you trade and topple us
I-L-L-I-N-O-I-S!
Hold your tongue and don't divide us
I-L-L-I-N-O-I-S!
Land of God, you hold and guide us

 

[fox69]

"To Be Alone With You"

"To Be Alone With You"


I'd swim across Lake Michigan
I'd sell my shoes
I'd give my body to be back again
In the rest of the room

To be alone with you
To be alone with you
To be alone with you
To be alone with you

You gave your body to the lonely
They took your clothes
You gave up a wife and a family
You gave your ghost

To be alone with me
To be alone with me
To be alone with me
And went up on a tree

To be alone with me and went up on the tree
I've never known a man who loved me

 

[fox69]

"Too Much"

"Too Much"


If I was a dif-ferent man,
If I had blood in my-ay-ay-ay,eyes -
I could have read of your heart,
I could have read of your eyes -
But now I'm lonely as that,
I put up a fi-i-i-i-ight -
So pick up your battering ram -
Lo-o-o-o-o-ove, I wanna see it:

[chorus]
There's too much riding on that,
There's too much, too much, too much love.
There's too much riding on that,
There's too much, too much, too much love.
There's too much riding on that,
There's too much, too much, too much love.
There's too much riding on that anyway-eyay-ay

And maybe I talk too fast,
Maybe I talk too-o mu-u-uch -
Give me the sensitive laugh,
Or give me the sensiti-ive to-o-ouch -
Even if I could have kissed,
Even if I couldn't apply,
I'm so sorry I tried lo-o-o-o-o-ove, I wanna see it -

[chorus]
[words in background during this chorus:]
Too much love
Too much lo-o-o-ove
Too much love
Too much lo-o-o-ove
Too much love
Too much lo-o-o-ove
Too much love
Too much love
[background, also:] 'love' faintly

[chorus again, in the same way as above]

[this is background, at x2 Sufjan comes in with 'There's too much riding on that, there's too much riding on that' x4]
Na, na na, na, na, na, na [x6]
Meanwhile, another singer is singing:
'La-aaia-a-aaia' [x6]

[music interlude]

[there's background singers singing 'La' over and over in descending keys a few beats before singing, and it continues until a few beats before he ends]
There's too much riding on that, there's too much riding on that,
There's too much riding on that, there's too much riding on that,
There's too much riding on that, there's too much riding on that,
There's too much riding on that, there's too much riding on that word ...

[music interlude]

[this is semi-in the background]
There's too much riding on that, there's too much riding on that,
There's too much riding on that, there's too much riding on that,
There's too much riding on that, there's too much riding on that,
There's too much riding on that, there's too much riding on that,
There's too much riding on that, there's too much riding on that,
There's too much riding on that, there's too much riding on that.

 

[fox69]

"Up On The Housetop"
(feat. Vesper Stamper)

"Up On The Housetop"
(feat. Vesper Stamper)



Up on the housetop reindeer pause
Out jumps good old Santa Claus
Down through the chimney with lots of toys
All for the little ones, Christmas joys
Who wouldn't go? Who wouldn't go?
Oh, oh, oh, who wouldn't go? Who wouldn't go?

First comes the stocking of little Nell
Oh, dear Santa fill it well
Give her a dolly that laughs and cries
One that can open and shut its eyes
Who wouldn't go? Who wouldn't go?
Oh, oh, oh, who wouldn't go? Who wouldn't go?

Next comes the stocking of little Will
Oh, just see what a glorious fill
Here is a hammer and lots of tacks
Whistle, and ball, and a set of jacks
Who wouldn't go? Who wouldn't go?
Oh, oh, oh, who wouldn't go? Who wouldn't go?

Up on the housetop, spirit of the dead
Anyone particular, everyone fed
I'm in the doorstop holding it down
Waiting for a miracle, waiting for a crowd

One of the scenario, thinking up a cause
Anyone particular, any old cause
Hands on the counter, feet on the floor
Moving to the kitchen and you get your passport

Up on the housetop, spirit of the dead
Down through the chimney is what the man said

Up on the housetop reindeer pause
Out jumps good old Santa Claus
Down through the chimney with lots of toys
All for the little ones, Christmas joys
Who wouldn't go? Who wouldn't go?
Oh, oh, oh, who wouldn't go? Who wouldn't go?

Up on the housetop, spirit of the dead
Down through the chimney is what the man said

 

[fox69]

"Vesuvius"

"Vesuvius"


Vesuvius, I am here
You are all I have
Fire of fire, I'm insecure
For it has all been made to plan

Though I know I will fail
I cannot be made to laugh
For in life as in death
I'd rather be burned than be living in debt

Vesuvius, are you ghost?
Or the symbols of light? Or of fantasy host?
In your breast I carry the form
The heart of the earth and the weapons of warmth

Vesuvius, the tragic oath
For you have destroyed the elegant smoke
Oracle, I fought him at last
They were the feast of a permanent blast

Vesuvius, oh be kind
It hasn't occurred, no it hasn't been said
Sufjan, follow the path
It leads to an article of eminent death

Sufjan, follow your heart
Follow the flame, or fall on the floor
Sufjan, the panic inside
The murdering ghost that you cannot ignore

Vesuvius, fire of fire
Follow me now, as I favor the host

Vesuvius, fire of fire
Follow me now, as I favor the ghost

Follow me now, or follow me down
Why does it have to be so hard?