Lyrics for The Seer's Tower as interpreted by thisismyname

The Seer's Tower Lyrics
In the tower above the earth
There is a view that reaches far
Where we see the universe
I see the fire, I see the end

Seven miles above the earth
There is Emmanuel of mothers
With his sword, with his robe
He comes dividing man from brothers

In the tower above the earth, we built it for Emmanuel
In the powers of the earth, we wait until it rails and rails
In the tower above the earth, we built it for Emmanuel
Oh, my mother, she betrayed us, but my father loved and bathed us

Still I go to the deepest grave
Where I go to sleep alone

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The Tallest Man
07-18-2006

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It's definitely about mother earth and father sky...the matriarchal religions of the old times used to worship the earth more, and we've gradually turned to where now the majority of religions worship a "father sky" type of figure.

Oh my mother, she betrayed us, but my father loved and bathed us.

The "us" Sufjan is referring to in these lines. Is he talking simply about him and his siblings, or about the human race as a whole?

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The_Biggest_Lie
07-18-2006

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Okay, it's not about Mormons. Sorry. It's just not.

Seer could refer to any type of prophet, not just Joe Smith. From a Christian point of view, this song is prety obviously about the apocalyse and that - "I see the end", Emmanuel (Jesus) dividing his true believers, et cetera. hi_fidelity pretty much hit it on the head. The Seers Tower and The Sears Tower and The Tower of Babel, they're all the same.

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bluebarquentine
07-26-2006

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I read that Sufjan was Episcopalian by the way. It took me awhile before I realized that Seer's Tower was a play on Sears Tower in Chicago.

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cronenburg
08-03-2006

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Maybe by Seer he is just using it as a way to describe all prophets of Judeo-Christian-Islamic sects. Considering it is believed that Mohamed roots traced back to Abrahams illegitimate child. And Jesus' roots are also traced back to Abrahams' legitimate son. This would create some sense in the dividing of brothers, as we all started out as brothers but the new prophets which came after Abraham divided and divided us continuously and what followed over the past 2000 years is war after war fought on the basis on a belief supporting one of those different sects. Just an idea...

I do agree that the Seers tower is a play on the Sears tower, in reference to the tower of Babel.

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Racdym
10-02-2006

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I don't know why anyone says its the tower of babel.

there is no mention or insinuation of that at all.

the tower of babal was built a long time ago. man was united under one cause. "If we work together we can do anything!" Man built the tower to show that if they put their mind to it they can be like God. in the end, God made them all have different languages. they failed. there is no way that we can become like gods. not even if we work together.

now that doesn't have anything to do with the song. because, that contridicts this:

"In the tower above the earth, we built it for Emmanuel"

Babel more likely say, we built it against emmanuel, or to become emmanuel.

Emmanuel is another name for Jesus (god with us, its already been said).

oh and dividing man from brothers is just a coincidence

the bible says "in the last days you will see father going against son, brother against brother etc."

This song is definitely about the end of the earth. The Seer's Tower is giving us a glimpse into the future. the world will end in fire and war and famine and total chaos. The earth's power will fade and God's power will engulf it.

i think the last two lines are the most powerful in the song

there is no stopping this. we will die. before the earth dies or with it in the chaos. we will take nothing. we will be with no one. we are doomed to this.

our only hope is our father, emmanuel, to save us from eternal death and take us into life everlasting with him

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PunkRockHero14
10-08-2006

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I think it talks about how we see God as this guy that sits and heaven and just watches down on us from this tower. It starts talking about how "we built it for Emmanuel" if you think about that it really means "we built it for God with us". Think about that for a second. We built a tower for the God with us. Its almost like we built a prison to but God in. A prison called religion.

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PunkRockHero14
10-08-2006

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I think it talks about how we see God as this guy that sits and heaven and just watches down on us from this tower. It starts talking about how "we built it for Emmanuel" if you think about that it really means "we built it for God with us". Think about that for a second. We built a tower for the God with us. Its almost like we built a prison to but God in. A prison called religion.

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byebyebirdie58
12-14-2006

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the line "He comes dividing man from brothers" reminds me of the rapture. As the believers are seperated form the non-believers.

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byebyebirdie58
12-14-2006

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the line "He comes dividing man from brothers" reminds me of the rapture. As the believers are seperated form the non-believers.

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Spudkayaks
12-30-2006

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I'm not going to go into the meaning, but isn't the lyric at "rips and rips" actually "ressurrects"?

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love.music2
02-28-2007

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Does anyone know if the Episcopal church believes in the Rapture? because it seems to fit with the lyrics, and if Sufjan is Episcopalian then I think this song may be about the apocalypse. Just a thought.

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yopolupo
03-25-2007

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This was the first song by Sufjan I ever heard. Amazing! I think Sufjan himself is the seer. He sees the saddening buildings of mankind, built for Emmanuel of mothers: our nature does not take us anymore to the high and beautiful dreams (think of pollution, war etc.) Now we can only rely on the father, comforting in all misery. But His comfort is not enough: still I go to the deepest grave ( unpure life=death) where I go to sleep alone. Never heard so much tragic overtones in a song!

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flippyg111188
05-16-2007

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Seer's could stand for The tower in CHicago but that's spelt Sears Tower. I think the Seer's is a refernce to fire plus the tallest tower in Chicago

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flippyg111188
05-16-2007

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The title could also mean a tower where one see's from or a see-ers tower

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river07
05-18-2007

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Since the song is from the album "Come on Feel the Illinoise!", on which all of the songs are about places in Illinois, it almost has to be a play on the Sears tower. When you go to the top of the Sears tower you really do feel like a seer. There is "a view that reaches far". You do seem to see the universe and it is a place where one can get lost in thoughts about man and civilization and progress and religion. It is also a place where you can see division: you see glossy, affluent downtown/lakefront Chicago, but you can also see much more, including some less shiny happy places.

I think the song is a reflection from the top of the actual Sears tower.

I'm not sure about Episcopalian rapture beliefs- most traditional protestant churches don't embrace the rapture theory. There are certainly references that are explicitly Christian however. I just don't think one can say that it is about the apocalypse or the rapture.

Maybe mother is earthly birth, original sin. The father could be God, loving and "bathing" through Baptism and the forgiveness of sins. That doesn't explain all of the lyrics, but maybe not all of the lyrics can be explained.

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cosmia11
07-20-2007

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I agree with all the ideas of Mother Earth vs. Father Time/God whatever. The idea seems to be that the earth and all natural things fade away, but the soul remains with the Father. This also makes sense when paired with the last two lines. We still have to die to be born again, or resurrected. We still go to the deepest grave, as it were.

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defininggrace
09-30-2007

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Sufjan has packed this song full of Biblical imagery. The phrase "dividing man from brother" that seems to be a focus of conversation is a direct allusion to Jesus' quote in Luke 12:49-53.

49"I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed! 51Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. 52From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. 53They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."

Here Jesus is saying that there is a cost to following Him- some people will not understand. This may include family members, and this misunderstanding may end up damaging the relationship. Its sad, but its true and it happens.

Sufjan's work is so full of Biblical/religious imagery- I even see the song Chicago as the story of his accepting Christ. Let me know if you have any other Biblical imagery or questions I can help out with.

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animblerecho
10-29-2007

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Just as a side note, possible double meaning in the lines:
"oh my mother, she betrayed us, but my father loved and bathed us"

When he was 5 years old, Steven's mom abandoned his family, and his father was left to raise the kids alone. I'm not saying that the Mother Earth/Heavenly Father analogy is wrong, just that he might be hitting two subjects with the lines.

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luey_baby
11-10-2007

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has someone commented on this or no?

In the powers of the earth, we wait until it rails and rails
is this line correct? when i listen i always heard "we wait until it resurrects" but...i do like the rails and rails. only...what does it mean? i have no religious knowledge whatsoever.

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infamykillss
11-20-2007

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for some reason this song just gives me the feeling of chicago in the fall.

i really like this song.

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jdor
01-30-2008

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One note: the 3rd line should be "Where we cede the universe" not "see the universe" ...also "he" should be capitalized in both places according to the CD lyrics.

As for "In the powers of the earth, we wait until it rails and rails" could refer to the end times and the persecution of those who have faith in Christ. According to Biblical prophecy, the "end times" will be near when the powers of the earth will gather against followers of Christ.

I think the fourth stanza of this song is similar to antithetical parallelism found in many of the Psalms and Proverbs. Many contrasts. The lines "In the tower above the earth, we built it for Emmanuel" could be the church (i.e. those who put their faith in Christ) and sandwiched between them is "In the powers of the earth..." which could be everyone else (i.e. those who are antagonistic toward the followers of Christ).

The last line may be about the fact that our bodies die (alone) and become part of the earth (Mother)...which would make the ending ironic considering the previous contrasts.

What I find interesting about Sufjan, is that all of our conjecture about the meaning of this song (as well as his others) could be completely wrong. Or completely right. Or somewhere in between. Which, I think, is his genious.

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ultimatejerk
04-13-2008

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This is not the tower of Babel, as some have pointed out. It has nothing to do with working together to replace God and replacing God to be found impossible. This tower is "above the earth." Great writers weigh every word, they master the language they use. He doesn't say the tower that "reaches above the earth." Perhaps he feels himself as the seer, reading the apocalyptic passage from the bible. As he reads it, he imagines it. Also, there's something about the Earth being loaned to us by God. We CEDE the universe, to give up the universe.

In the tower above the earth
There is a view that reaches far
Where we CEDE the universe
I see the fire, I see the end

Jesus will come again to judge the living and the dead. The believers well go to paradise, together. The non-believers will die alone, no paradise for them. Seven miles above the earth must be where God is, seven being the perfect number. Could Emmanuel of mothers "God of earth?"
Seven miles above the earth
There is Emmanuel of mothers
With his sword, with his robe
He comes dividing man from brothers

In the tower above the earth, we built it for Emmanuel
In the powers of the earth, we wait until it rails and rails
In the tower above the earth, we built it for Emmanuel
Oh, my mother, she betrayed us, but my father loved and bathed us

Still I go to the deepest grave
Where I go to sleep alone
Seven miles above the earth
There is Emmanuel of mothers
With his sword, with his robe
He comes dividing man from brothers

Third paragraph was covered by other people... I'm not too sure on it myself... Any takers?

The last two lines could be him believing that he might have doubted God too much to go to paradise amongst brothers and, rather, be forced to die, like the "men", alone.
Still I go to the deepest grave
Where I go to sleep alone

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i burn better
05-01-2008

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Honestly, i always just thought The Seer's Tower was a play on words. The Sears Tower. Just going for the most obvious thing here, and to me it makes sense. Then you just go from there.

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imversatile
05-07-2008

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This song is most likely not about the Tower of Babel. I thought that when I first listened as well, but its not. The Tower of Babel was not built for God. It was built out of pride and self gain. Hence, this song doesn't apply.

"In the tower above the earth, we built it for Emmanuel"

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aboh
05-22-2008

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Here is what I think:
The Seer's Tower is the Sear's Tower and it is from the viewpoint of someone at the very top looking down upon the Chicago Fire and they believe it to be the end of the world.

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