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Be still and know your sign
The Beast will arrive in time
We stayed a long, long time
We stayed a long, long time
To see you, to beat you
To see you at last
I saw the dragons drying
I saw the witches whine
We stayed a long, long time
But I'm not afraid to die
To see you, to meet you
To see you last
I stole my Father's shoes
I pulled His pockets too
We stayed a long, long time
We stayed a long, long time
To see you, to beat you
To see you, to meet you
To see you at last
The Beast will arrive in time
We stayed a long, long time
We stayed a long, long time
To see you, to beat you
To see you at last
I saw the dragons drying
I saw the witches whine
We stayed a long, long time
But I'm not afraid to die
To see you, to meet you
To see you last
I stole my Father's shoes
I pulled His pockets too
We stayed a long, long time
We stayed a long, long time
To see you, to beat you
To see you, to meet you
To see you at last
Lyrics submitted by EvilPopkin
Track duration: 04:58
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"We stayed a long, long time...to see you, to beat you" perhaps alluding to the centuries-long struggle to oust Native Americans from their lands, which was viewed as somewhat of a religious crusade.
"I saw the witches whine" could be an obvious reference to the Salem Witch Trials, which occurred at that time as well.
And finally, "I stole my father's shoes, I pulled his pockets too" might refer to the fact that the Puritans themselves were not innocent or blameless in their hunting or prosecution of witches or their fight against the Native Americans. Mather himself advocated the use of "spectral evidence" or evidence based on visions/dreams to prosecute witches. Based on what I've read, Mather had a change of heart about that in his later life, and may have felt guilty about the execution of witches based on another's dream.
That said, I personally see this song not as a general statement about Christians waiting for Jesus, but the struggles Christians (specifically Sufjan) face as they grow up, the necessity to resist temptation to sin that everyone faces, and the ultimate reward.
"Be still and know your sign/The Beast will arrive in time" => the sign of the cross, to fight off the devil? Like an adult telling a small child that the struggles and temptations WILL come, in time, and you have to be ready to face them the best you can. This line is what sparked my interpretation. It's at the beginning so it does set the tone.
Throughout your life, you see many things, including what happens to the evil among us (the dragons and the witches). Even the most devout commit sins (stealing in one of its many forms is a sin that IMO no one on earth is free of). But still, the virtuous continue to fight on earth against sin, struggling to one day overcome it and, well in my interpretation, be able to face the devil without fear of temptation, knowing oneself above sin.
It's talking about Christianity as a whole, and how they are waiting their time to face Satan when he returns, and not being afraid to die in the encounter, because then they get to return to their God.
the song is fricken awesome though. I need to buy a Sufjan album or two or three like tomorrow.
2. yes, i think i heard a theremin too!
Actually, Easter is the pagan holiday of reproduction and rebirth. Hence why we celebrate it by coloring eggs and bunnies. Eggs represent fertility, and rabbits represent reproduction. It's just one of the many holidays the Christian church adopted from the pagans to convert more of them. Kind of a "You need to be a Christian now, but we'll let you celebrate all your old holidays. We're just gonna change the meaning."
Same with Christmas. But that's a different story.
i'm going to have to disagree... evil is very real. and satan is evil embodied....the bible talks about evil alot and the bible is the only standard of truth. so i'm going to have to say that your wrong