In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
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 goals
To be alone with me
To be alone with me
To be alone with me
You went up on a tree
To be alone with me you went up on the tree
I've never known a man who loved me
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 goals
To be alone with me
To be alone with me
To be alone with me
You went up on a tree
To be alone with me you went up on the tree
I've never known a man who loved me
Lyrics submitted by vwkeychain, edited by RBrad
To Be Alone With You Lyrics as written by Sufjan Stevens
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Spirit Music Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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It is about Jesus, Allthearmsweneed. On the cross, Jesus showed the perfect example of what love is. The cross provides access to God. There is no other way we could even pray to God without having a relationship with Christ - a believe and faith in Him. When Sufjan says "They took your clothes" , it is describing when the Roman soldiers took Jesus' clothes right before He was crucified (see Romans 19:23-24).
In response to the line "You gave up a wife and a family" , Sufjan is trying to talk about the humanity of Christ. He was both fully human and fully God (see John 10:30). Hebrews 4:15 says that Jesus was tempted in -every- way - therefore He was tempted sexually, but He never sinned. A lot of times people have a picket-fence house dream of a family with 2.5 children and a dog and a cat, but Jesus chose a much harder life. And for one reason - to accompliish salvation for those who would believe in Him.
In response to "You gave up your ghost", Sufjan speaks of the Holy Spirit. Because of the finished work on the cross, Christians have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
"The tree" is another word for the cross since it was made out of the wood from trees.
Allthearmsweneed, I hope this helps to relieve your confusion.
For His Glory, PemberleyTea Colossians 1:19
Jesus did not die on a cross, sorry.
What did he die on?
Thanks PemberleyTea!
@PemberleyTea \r\n\r\nIt’s also pretty obvious that it’s about a romantic relationship. The lyrics seem carefully chosen to have a double meaning. One thing you didn’t explain from a biblical perspective is the name of the song. Why would someone want to be alone “in the rest of the room” with Jesus? If anything, the Christian meaning is secondary to the person-to-person romantic relationship meaning.
It's about Jesus.
@BrainDamage\r\nDid Jesus have a wife that he gave up? Nah. Why would someone want to be alone with Jesus? The Christian meaning to the song seems secondary to an affair between a married man and someone else.
Ouch gummi, PemberleyTea did offer some good insight on the meaning of a couple lines in the song, mind you. I agree with your last two paragraphs, though. Absolutely gorg. For me, a Christian, knowing that this song is about Jesus opens up a deeper connection with the lyrics which in turn allows me to enjoy the song even more. I find the last line, "I've never met a man who loved me" very intriguing. It could mean one of two things, depending on perspective.
1) Sufjan saying "I've never met a man who loved me.." except for Jesus. 2) Jesus saying "I've never met a man who loved me." But he loved man anyway.
That's my take.
He has sung it live as "I've never met THE man who loved me," so I think he's singing about never having met Jesus in person.<br /> <br /> youtube.com/watch<br />
you want to know the best thing about sufjan stevens? it's not the music, and the music is fucking amazing, by the way, it's not his lyrics, which, too, are fucking amazing.
i think it's the idea that, no matter what you think about religion, you listen to him, and you just love it and you want to convince yourself that it's not religious or that it is, so you can feel good about yourself listening to it.
guys, it doesn't matter how many times you analyze these lyrics. he's religious. he's said it. he means it. he's not going to write bad about it.
oh, but here's the best part: it doesn't matter! he's a visionary, a vangaurd for his generation, and maybe, you should all stop fighting. if you like his music, listen to it, and stop hating. their his beliefs, you don't need to go around and change them, and you know what? you don't need to! so, stop fighting, i don't think sufjan would've wanted this anyway. if he wants to write about religion, it's his choice, and you should respect it.
and another thing: the whole, "sufjan's gay, look at his lyrics!"
we cannot determine whether or not he's gay or straight, and frankly, it doesn't matter. he can be whatever he wants to be, and we're not the judge of his lifestyle. let him live. he plays music because he loves it, and we're here on the sidelines listening to it, and that's all, and that's it.
<3
@somwherefarbehind absolutely! We can't fall into the 'it must be autobiographical' trap, he is clearly a songwriter who loves to explore themes and create personas in his songwriting! He is a brilliant songwriter, with such an incredible ability to connect with the listener. He is a songwriter who happens to be a Christian, not a Christian songwriter, he is taking us on his personal creative journey, his explorations of themes, and we should be eternally grateful for that! His sexuality is irrelevant. I mean, does it matter whether Da Vinci was gay (he most likely was), or Bach was straight (I think we can safely presume this was the case, given his 20 children!!)?
I don't see what's nice about Gummi, who elucidated nothing. Why react harshly over strong Christian views that are probably similar to Sufjan's?
Walty- I was raised Christian and I was only allowed to listen to Christian music for a lot of my younger years. Some of the artists I found were good and even though I'm not Christian anymore I still listen to them. Pedro the Lion, Over the Rhine, Jennifer Knapp, and Sixpence None the Richer produce literate and innovative Christian music, though not quite of Sufjan's quality.
I think the biggest problem with christian music in general is that it feels like it's just people patting themselves on the back saying "good job! we're christian so we'll write songs about jesus"
this seems different, however. as the bible passages that have been cited have proved, there's a strong christian connection (but given how much of the bible there is, it seems possible to give almost any line, especially ones so vague, a christian slant). yet there's something about the christian explanation of the song that bothers me: the third and fourth lines. I dunno, they seem to suggest to me that he's somehow lost his connection. that he'd swim across lake michigan to be alone with the big J again. like it's a trial of faith rather than a pure devotional song.
and to wrap this ramble up with my initial thought, that feeling is so disparate from, to use a example from the bottom of the barrel, apologetix's abomination "come out and pray". It doesn't scream we're better than you, it simply invites you to sit next to it a while and see what happens.
it's definitely about jesus. but it is beautiful anyhow.
It\'s about Jesus. I wish he was singing about a woman; I could have made good use of this song on mixtapes that way.
@a town like paris songs, poetry, art in general can have more than 1 meaning. Typically people can appreciate a work of art more if it does have more than 1 meaning. Honestly the Christian meaning seems secondary to a romantic affair between a man and someone else. The name of the song is “To Be Alone With You.” Something that both parties are willing to give up their lives for. Why would you want to be alone with Jesus? Isn’t the idea of Jesus that he wants to be with everyone? Jesus gets around. ????
Sufjan is such a great lyricist that even though this song is obviously about Jesus, it has that extra layer where you can apply its meaning to your own personal thing, even if you're not Christian. Several of his songs on Illinois are like that- multiple layers, both religious and secular. He's very good at that.
So for those of you who say you know it's about Jesus "but...", youre right. There is another meaning, and it could be something totally personal to you that Sufjan intended to just be between you and the song.
First of all, the song's about Jesus. Get over any other ideas you might have. The only thing I even half-disagree with PemTea on is the tree reference. I think it might be a double-meaning; one about the cross and one about when Zachariah went up the tree to see Him. That's probably a stretch anyway.
Secondly, do you athiests with obvious "daddy issues" regarding God need to STOP.
If this song was about anything other than Jesus and someone went into any book other than the Bible to explain exactly what the song is about, you would have applauded; but because someone who BELIEVES what the song is about to be TRUE explained the subject matter as such, a bunch of people decided to get their panties in a wad.