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What the waters wants is hurricanes
And sailboats to ride on its back
What the water wants is sun kiss
And land to run into and back
I have a fish stone burning my elbow
Reminding me to know that I'm glad
That I have a bottle filled with my own teeth
They fell out like a tear in the bag
And I have a sister somewhere in Detroit
She has black hair and small hands
And I have a kettle drum
I'll hit the earth with you
And I will crochet you a hat
And I have a red kite
I'll put you right in it
I'll show you the sky
And sailboats to ride on its back
What the water wants is sun kiss
And land to run into and back
I have a fish stone burning my elbow
Reminding me to know that I'm glad
That I have a bottle filled with my own teeth
They fell out like a tear in the bag
And I have a sister somewhere in Detroit
She has black hair and small hands
And I have a kettle drum
I'll hit the earth with you
And I will crochet you a hat
And I have a red kite
I'll put you right in it
I'll show you the sky
Lyrics submitted by EvilPopkin
Track duration: 06:01
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The beginning guitar solo is distorted and out of tune and that's Sufjan saying I go through life imperfect and the voices that come in as the song progresses are happy but also out of tune symbolizing how people pretend that life is ok and happy whenever it's not. Their beliefs are imperfect and so is life but we pretend everything's ok. The distorted melody (Sufjan) progressively gets louder and more distorted as it becomes more and more apparent that we are all living our lives backwards, looking at life in a wrong light.
Then the distortion dissipates. Sufjan breathes and and calmly explains:
He sings about how simple the water is. All it wants is hurricanes and sailboats and land to run into and the sun to shine on it. Simple. Not expecting much out of life. (Keep in mind we all came from the sea, supposedly).
The fish stone is burning him to remind him he is still glad to be alive. Pain in life, whether physical or internal, is a constant reminder that you're still living and should be grateful. The burning symbolizes the deep longing for the other part of our soul that everyone has. Everyone is longing for that true soul love relationship, it's the internal burning in all of us, what makes us feel like we have a hole that needs to be filled with SOMETHING.
But what he, and all of us have, is a sister somewhere. He describes her vaguely because what she looks like isn't really the point, it's that he has one. We all have another half of our soul somewhere whether you know it or not or know what they look like (most don't). (This is how we and the water differ dramatically.) Our other half is like part of our childhood- we all come with one. He still has the teeth his mother kept when his fell out when he was little so that he could always remember his childhood.
Although he's a little broken like the distorted guitar solo, he says how he can do regular things like crochet and hit a kettle drum and such (trivial things that won't really matter all that much when you're gone), but there's more to life than what people are seeing. If you spent time with him, he would take out the kite he had since his childhood (the birth oh all humanity) and figuratively, "show you the sky" - the hope in life, the higher power, if you let him.
Basically, if you ever feel like you're the only one feeling lost and alone in a distorted life and feel that other people are cheerful and have it all figured out, you're wrong. You are never alone, someone in the world is just like you, and as long as you're alive, you can keep searching for your soul sibling or at least know that they're there with you in the spirit world.
The personification of the water shows us that there needs to be a little catastrophe (the hurricane) in order to appreciate just how good the simple things are (sailboats and land to run into and back).
Extending this message to Sufjan, he mentions the fish stone (I've listened to this song 80+ times and I still don't care what the hell it is) that is burning (something negative) and how it gives him perspective on things that makes him happy.
Finally, Sufjan extends this to his relationship with his sister. 'Somewhere in Detroit' implies that there is currently something keeping the two apart, but it is the simple details (small hands, black hair) that bring back fond memories and an optimistic future (crocheting a hat, the kite).
But that's just my theory. It's not too deep, it's just how I always pictured it.
The ending line about the kite is simply beautiful. The way he sings it seems to release you into the clouds.
Sufjan is truly a genius.
anyone? anyone?
;) it's the crashing of waves my friends..the water rolls out and rolls in with a crash, clash, and then sway. It sounds awfully parallel to his song.
As for the lyrics, yes, it seems there is some reminiscence of his childhood, and how it went quickly, however there isn't much of a sense of a regret, or anger...haven't you ever thought about sweet memories and just missed them..just been sad about them, not because they were necessarily upsetting, but because they have passed?
As for the fishstone, it could be anything, could be a fish shaped stone that he saw, could be coral as someone mentioned, but it's not surprising that it was burning him!
I can recall countless times that i've been out at the beach or by my pool or on the dock where i was propped up supporting my upper body by my elbows and leaning my head on my hands and just dreamed in the sun about memories and life..the sun makes things hot and when you lean on hot things, it burns.