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.
Trouble falls in my home
Troubled man, troubled stone
Turn a mountain of lies
Turn a card for my life
Man of Steel, Man of Heart
Tame our ways, if we start
To devise something more
Something halfways
Only a steel man came to recover
If he had run from gold, carry over
We celebrate our sense of each other
We have a lot to give one another
I took a bus to the lake
Saw the monument face
Yellow tides, golden eyes
Red and white, red and wise
Raise the flag, summer home
Parted hair, part unknown
If I knew what I read
I'll send it half ways
Only a real man can be a lover
If he had hands to lend us all over
We celebrate our sense of each other
We have a lot to give one another
Took my bags, Illinois
Dreamt the lake took my boy
Man of Steel, Man of Heart
Turn your ear to my part
There are things you have said
Raise the boat, and raise the dead
If you take us away
Still can we say:
Only a steel man can be a lover
If he had hands to tremble all over
We celebrate our sense of each other
We have a lot to give one another
Troubled man, troubled stone
Turn a mountain of lies
Turn a card for my life
Man of Steel, Man of Heart
Tame our ways, if we start
To devise something more
Something halfways
Only a steel man came to recover
If he had run from gold, carry over
We celebrate our sense of each other
We have a lot to give one another
I took a bus to the lake
Saw the monument face
Yellow tides, golden eyes
Red and white, red and wise
Raise the flag, summer home
Parted hair, part unknown
If I knew what I read
I'll send it half ways
Only a real man can be a lover
If he had hands to lend us all over
We celebrate our sense of each other
We have a lot to give one another
Took my bags, Illinois
Dreamt the lake took my boy
Man of Steel, Man of Heart
Turn your ear to my part
There are things you have said
Raise the boat, and raise the dead
If you take us away
Still can we say:
Only a steel man can be a lover
If he had hands to tremble all over
We celebrate our sense of each other
We have a lot to give one another
Lyrics submitted by drinkmilk
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Superman lives in Metropolis there is a real city named Metropolis in Illinois Superman is kinda like Jesus
it all works out
OK we've established that there's a Metropolis, IL. It has been deemed "The Official City of Superman" (or something to that effect). Every summer they have a Superman festival and they are thinking about building a theme park devoted to Superman there. I think this song is about this town's obsession with Superman and how he may be seen as a Christ figure there.
I have NO idea what this song means. So I can HERE for answers. It's been gnawing at my brain for months as I love this song. Sadly, the suggestions on this page just say "i think it's about jesus" or "i thinnk it's about superman." great! however, what ABOUT these characters? This song is so addictive yet a bit too lyrically cryptic. Trying to understand what it is SAYING about someone or something as a whole. Any thoughts? Help? thanks.
I'm in the same boat as you. What's even worse is when people respond with "it doesn't matter what it means." Then why are these people on "songmeanings.com"?
while i can see the resemblences to moses, jukeapples, but in this song i'd have to agree with those who said who use the christ comparison.
superman, son to the most powerful man on krypton (god, maybe?)...benevolent yet powerful ie superspeed, vision, super hearing etc (jesus performs miracles himself..water to wine, healing the sick)...moses doesn't translate in this way.
in all honesty, it seems to be more about god, than christ. "raise the boat, raise the dead", reminds me of noah's ark, the flood, and the water rising..."if you take us away, still we can say"...even if you rid the world of sin, it returns and your son will be there to fight against it (ie "if he had hands to tremble all over").
the underlying christian theme seems to dictate god talking to/about his son ("dreamt the lake, took the boy"), as well as the people talking about him. The lines,
"Trouble falls in my home Troubled man, troubled stone turn a mountain of lies turn a card for my life Man of Steel, Man of Heart Tame our ways, if we start To devise something more Something half ways"
seems a direct reference to christs dying on the cross...while others seem to reference the ark, and his son. the songs switches POV's from a plural 'we' (the people) in the beginning, to a singular "I" in the middle, and then back again...which is confusing.
in general i think its about a people putting faith in someone to save them, and watch over them. and in his doing this (in a selfless way), they realize all the goodness that humainty can offer. it gives them hope. clearly, it takes a special person to do that to a race (society, group, whatever) of people...be it the man of steel, jesus, moses, martin luther king jj etcetera. while the references are biblical, this idea can be applied to a great deal of figures in history that led us to freedom and tolerance.
goodness that humanity can offer? have you listened to john wayne gacy jr.?
Seems to me like he is talking about the difficulties of marriage and being a father. Then he chimes in about how it seems like only superman/someone who is perfect can really succeed. The only reference to jesus that I notice is the "raise the boat, raise the dead" Since jesus saved the disciples from a storm at sea, and raised Lazarus from the dead. So more or less, it seems to me like a call to God to help him be a better man.
To be a better man. With Christian allusions. But Sufjan isn't married and isn't a father. He also has never publicly dated a girl or anything. So I'm guessing "dreamt the lake, took my boy". Was a reference to a boyfriend.
can't believe i just read through all that crap just to find the best explaination at the very bottom...
This song's actual meaning is dedicated to that of famous poet Carl Sandburg. While it can be interpreted to that of Superman, it's truth is to that of Sandburg. Sandburg worked as a news reporter at the Chicago Daily News (first four lines of the song) and the reference to "Man of Steel, Man of Heart" refers to his love of Industry and Man's dominion in such as shown in his poems included in Smoke and Steel (1920). The rest of the song falls into shape as an ode to Carl Sandburg once you look at it in this context. For further reference, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Sandburg
This is helpful but can you come back and spell this out a little more?
this song is awesome
only a real man can be a lover is the best line
This song always seemed sort of melancholy to me. I see it (partly) as about Superman and how he can't ever date/marry Lois Lane as Clark Kent because he's not a "real man", i.e. not human. ("Only a real man can be a lover")
Though there's a lot of other things that don't seem to correlate with this in the song.
okay, i agree with musicforlife. "OK we've established that there's a Metropolis, IL. It has been deemed "The Official City of Superman" (or something to that effect). Every summer they have a Superman festival and they are thinking about building a theme park devoted to Superman there. I think this song is about this town's obsession with Superman and how he may be seen as a Christ figure there."
and i dont even really care what this song is about because its still great no matter what.
i think people are looking too far into it.