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.
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.
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.
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. ❤️
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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...
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.
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.
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.
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.
@@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.
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.
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.
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.
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 UA-cam.
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.
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...
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 =)
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.
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.
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."
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 :')
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
"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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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
@@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 💗
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.
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.
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!
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
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.
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
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.
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.
"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.
I was just reading "28 songs that will make you cry" on Buzz feed and knew this song would make the list. Love this song so much. It just really makes me feel so ambivalent about life.
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.
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
: ( 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..
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.
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.
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.
I can only listen to this once a year now and todays the day
Why?
I hope it was a good day c: Stay safe
same !
This sound has 20 meanings at once. You have to explain your own.
That "and he takes and he takes and he takes" just hits like a punch in the gut.
I did a Casimir Pulaski day cover on my channel, even though it wasn't very good. If you want to look : ua-cam.com/video/SonEGuazvX4/v-deo.html 😊
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.
yeah cunt x c u then x ty for this comment I NDÁIRÍRE
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.
When I plant my sunflowers later on in the year, i'll remember your story and your mother.
This had me sobbing, thank you for sharing such a beautiful story
Beautiful story. My mum passed away the month before with cancer. She is with her Lord and Saviour which is far better😌
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.
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. ❤️
"I thought I saw you breathing" line fucks me UP
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
reading that brought tears, bles you. x
Aw. I don't know if it's possible but I really hope your dog is alive.
prayers man. I hope everything is all good
oh my gosh i just read that an teared up. hope the dog is ok
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.
the line "i am crying in the bathroom" will always hit me like a brick, fucking beautiful.
What makes Sufjan's faith compelling is that he explores the complicated and painful parts, the doubts
Exactly this, the infinite doubts and not knowing everything
Rightfully so
I did a Casimir Pulaski day cover on my channel, even though it wasn't very good. If you want to look : ua-cam.com/video/SonEGuazvX4/v-deo.html 😊
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.
nobody does grief better x
Lmao
Getty Touchstone What’s so terribly funny?
@@svviftghost probably an edgy teen whose brain has not yet fully developed empathy. Give him some time and his perspective of life will change.
@@elmo2800 sadly that's not how empathy works, there is people who will never develop empathy.
Not just one of Sufjan's best songs...but one of the best songs in the whole history of music.
YES
It is such a gorgeous song, indeed
it kills me when he says, "and he takes, and he takes, and he takes..."
Seconded
thirded
What's the meaning of the phrase can u explain it to me? Please?
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.
Fifted
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.
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.
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.
I am crying in the bathroom.
@@zepol6566 me three
Always lol 💜
@nymersic it's so sudden
i am crying on my bedroom floor
why
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.
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...
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
sorry man, hope you are better now
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.
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.
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.
same man gosh
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.
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 ^_^
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.
You need to have a better homework music taste. *chuckles*
It's March 4, 2019, happy Casmir Pulaski Day. :(
DeeJay Rico my sister birthday :’(
the three silent minutes at the end is like the void left after someone dies
No it's just lazy editing cause this is a shitty indie kid song
@@k1zer100 If you don't like it than why are you listening to it?
@@k1zer100 Nice video... I'm surprised its public LOL. Fucking teen weeb.
@@vincentottavi6273 the pfp isnt from an anime, it's a joke cause it's a nazi
@@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.
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.
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.
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.
SuburbValues You're looking in the wrong place if you're looking on UA-cam.
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 UA-cam.
SuburbValues big ups on that...
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.
We all are so mortal, so precious.
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...
Favourite part
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 =)
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.
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.
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."
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 :')
This has got to be one of the best albums ever made
its definitely up there
You've made me smile, thank you. I couldn't agree more :)
The more i listen to this album the more i love it.
...it has been well over a year since i discovered Sufjan and I still love everything he produced.
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.
I sometimes like to think he could be saying "in the mourning"... I like to think this possible interpretation was intended
Wow I never thought of the possibility of a play on words! Great thinking, makes me reevaluate my ideas on this song! :D
ThePassportRadio damn i never thought of it that way. thank u for sharing my friend
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"
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.
+Jessica Sonoda you should listen to Carrie & Lowell his new album is this x1000 times
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.
+Jessica Sonoda I don't want to rate them against each other but check out Colin Haye - Maggie
I did a Casimir Pulaski day cover on my channel, even though it wasn't very good. If you want to look : ua-cam.com/video/SonEGuazvX4/v-deo.html 😊
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.
Exactly the same feeling My guy.
"In the morning when you finally go, and the nurse runs in with her head held low, and the cardinal hits window..."
suckerpunch.... ooooh!
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.
Sufjan is so innocent, it makes me cry
A senior at my school died of bone cancer yesterday. This is the first song that played on the way there today.
My 22 year-old son introduced me to this artist. The melody immediately seized me emotionally. Tears just stream every time,
And he takes and he takes and he takes
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
🙌
right deep in the feels... someone hold me
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
didn't know Voldemort had such a soft side
absolutely thought of i will follow you into the dark the first time i heard this!! so glad someone else has had this observation
I did a Casimir Pulaski day cover on my channel, even though it wasn't very good. If you want to look : ua-cam.com/video/SonEGuazvX4/v-deo.html 😊
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.
bowtiesandjamjars I'm so very sorry to hear that :( I wish all the best to you and her family.
bowtiesandjamjars I'm so very sorry to hear that :( I wish all the best to you and her family.
Thank you :) That means a lot.
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.
I did a Casimir Pulaski day cover on my channel, even though it wasn't very good. If you want to look : ua-cam.com/video/SonEGuazvX4/v-deo.html 😊
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
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.
And he takes and he takes and he takes.....
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
That sounds magical.
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
Tess Kelly Good. I think it also has to do with the fact that this is a song off a concept album about Illinois...
We didn’t celebrate it this year. I find it strange.
@2Fancy4Me thanks for stating the obvious guys
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.
@@crescentfreshbret what do y’all do to celebrate?
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.
this comment is everything
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
Your grandma sounds awesome, and yes this song is everything.
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.
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.
This is a rare gem. It will never leave me.
March 1st, 2021 ♥️
"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.
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.
Exactly.
Does nothing ever really happen? I don't believe that
Not in this life, but maybe, hopefully, elsewhere, it might.
Bright Eyes "Poison Oak" comes close but can't quite touch it
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.
Andrew Johnson your comment and your avatar I love.
I did a Casimir Pulaski day cover on my channel, even though it wasn't very good. If you want to look : ua-cam.com/video/SonEGuazvX4/v-deo.html 😊
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.
You're not the most intelligent of people, are you?
+Kayla Tatum Sorry, not you. I was referring to the original poster.
+Ewan Mckenzie It's not unintelligent to have your own interpretation of the song, even if it's not right.
+Taylor Leibel is the only one here who understands that none of your are right or wrong about this.
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.
im not the biggest fan of trumpet but the trumpet solo in this song gives me goosebumps
Me too...
This never gets old. When the banjo kicks in... Beautiful.
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
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.
Didnt even know it was casimir pulaski day today. Just wanted to listen to this song again. What a surprise
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.
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.
Hey look! It’s March 1 and Casimir Pulaski Day and I’m in IL.
It took me years to figure out what "and you told me not to follow you" meant.
Holy shit.
Mark Harrison wait what does it mean
She has cancer and knows she will die. He is not to follow her into death.
@@markharrison9911 oh god i honestly though this song couldn't get any sadder
WOW
Fucking invisible ninjas cutting onions around my eyes >.>
My sister died from leukemia and this song makes me feel a little closer to her. Odd isn't it?
I am extremely sorry for your loss. And no, I don't think it's strange. It almost seems natural.
Yeah... to such event even this song is little light... my heart is with you bro
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.
So sorry for your loss. this song helps, i know it does.
I lost my mum to the same. I feel ya and this song makes me think of her every time as well.
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.
Hopefully future generations remember this music
that time of year again
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
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
@@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 💗
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.
six.femme
Most women are in too much pain to want... that. : o
+Welux you have a very fundamental misunderstanding of what periods are actually like
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.
I love this piece because it's a whole novel in a song
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.
I didn't expect to cry so much :(
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!
We pray over your body
But nothing ever happens
and he takes and he takes and he takes
Just found out my mother has cancer today. God have mercy.
“And he takes, and he takes, and he takes...”.
This is probably the heaviest song I ever heard in my life, but delivered in an oddly light and slightly whimsical manner
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.
god, this makes my heart ache. sO BEAUTIFUL.
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
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.
Glad to make this the first song of 2016 I listen to
First song since reading this comment.
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
A song about death was very appropriate for that year.
You grew up fast.
bro my spakkers are brokan D:
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.
It's hard to listen to this without crying.
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.
Happy Casimir Pulaski Day, everyone.
"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.
I wonder if u still use this account
@@Leelum200 Yep.
@@Leelum200 Lots of comments getting necro'd lately, I love it.
I never cry, but I cried through the entire Carrie and Lowell album. It's incredible how he can mess with your emotions.
Such a crushingly sad but very spiritual song. I play this song just get my mind right about what's important in life.
I cry like a fuckin baby every time. Not my favourite song, but the one that moves me like nothing else ever has.
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
This is my favorite song. Sufjan Stevens songs are so easy to imagine ourselves in that the song feels real
I was just reading "28 songs that will make you cry" on Buzz feed and knew this song would make the list. Love this song so much. It just really makes me feel so ambivalent about life.
Casimir Pulaski Day and Chicago never age ....
I really can't listen to this song without a bunch of emotions coming out.
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.
i miss you, nana. i hope there are flowers up there.
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.
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
: ( 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..
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.
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.
mary Cantu thank you
Reminds me of my mother passing too early from cancer . Bittersweet and beautiful. Bless.
This song hits me in the gut every time I listen to it. Can never make it all the way through without sobbing.
the banjo gets me every time
That last 2:40 is soooo relaxing.....
Leonard Dixon Oh there's cheeky ;)
My grandma just got diagnosed with cancer and this song instantly popped into my head when I heard the news
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.