Know something about this song or lyrics?
Add it to our wiki.
I'm not afraid of you now
I know so I climb down from the bunk bed this slow
I can talk back to you now
I know from a few things that I learned from this TV show
You can work late til midnight; we don't care
We can fix our own meals, we can wash our own hair
I go to school before sunrise in the cold
And I pulled the alarm and I kicked up the salad bowls
Since the time we meant to say much more
Unsaid things begin to take their toll
After school we shovel through the snow
Drive upstate in silence in the cold
You can remind me of it
That I was lazy and tired
You can work all your life
As I'm not afraid of you anymore
If I loved you oh a long time
I don't know if I can recall the last time you told me so
Here in this house in Pittsfield
The ghost of our grandmother works at the sewing machine post
Hiding the bills in the kitchen, on the floor,
And my sister lost her best friend in the Persian Gulf War.
There was a flood in the bathroom last May
And you kicked at the pipes when it rattled, oh the river it made
Stand there, tell me that I'm of no use
Things unspoken break us if we choose
There's still time to wash the kitchen floor
On your knees, the bath, the sink once more
You can remind me that I was tired
You can work late and do yourself honor
Now that I'm older, wiser and working less
I may regret having left the place a mess
You can remind me
That I was lazy and tired
You can work all your life
As I'm not afraid of you anymore
I know so I climb down from the bunk bed this slow
I can talk back to you now
I know from a few things that I learned from this TV show
You can work late til midnight; we don't care
We can fix our own meals, we can wash our own hair
I go to school before sunrise in the cold
And I pulled the alarm and I kicked up the salad bowls
Since the time we meant to say much more
Unsaid things begin to take their toll
After school we shovel through the snow
Drive upstate in silence in the cold
You can remind me of it
That I was lazy and tired
You can work all your life
As I'm not afraid of you anymore
If I loved you oh a long time
I don't know if I can recall the last time you told me so
Here in this house in Pittsfield
The ghost of our grandmother works at the sewing machine post
Hiding the bills in the kitchen, on the floor,
And my sister lost her best friend in the Persian Gulf War.
There was a flood in the bathroom last May
And you kicked at the pipes when it rattled, oh the river it made
Stand there, tell me that I'm of no use
Things unspoken break us if we choose
There's still time to wash the kitchen floor
On your knees, the bath, the sink once more
You can remind me that I was tired
You can work late and do yourself honor
Now that I'm older, wiser and working less
I may regret having left the place a mess
You can remind me
That I was lazy and tired
You can work all your life
As I'm not afraid of you anymore
Lyrics submitted by learn2kneel, edited by studaman
Track duration: 06:51
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
-Sufjan Stevens
as for me, this song speaks volumes. it takes a lot of strength to overcome the fear of another person, especially when that someone is so closely related to them. I think that sufjan was afraid of this person, yet he felt bad to just up and leave them, although he was deeply hurt by them and felt like he never good enough. The last line, "I don't regret having left the place a mess," it is so bittersweet. he has been hurt so often and bruised so badly that he just doesn't care, but at the same time, he has finally mustered up the courage not to care.
Wonderful song. Makes me tear up every time.
But he grew up, became self-sufficient, wiser. He survived their abuse. And so the words here are a Fuck You that's a tangle of righteous indignation and ineffable loss.
The grandma would be someone who could remind the parent the real value of a home or at least fill that role of a parent for the kid, but she is not here. The sister's boyfriend may come into the family and bring new changes, but he is lost too.
The parent may think their work is the love they contribute to the family and expect the same, but the kid loves in a much deeper way. The kid thinks this is superficial and thus calls working do(ing) yourself honor. The kid thinks that maybe by just agreeing to this superficial love in cleaning up and contributing to the physicals of the home would've made the relationship better, but for now he just wants to sing this song for a last attempt in getting his parent into a real love.
Freakish essay it sounds like, but I guess without putting it that way my emotions wouldn't even allow me to put it down.
I hate it when people just cut and paste from some crappy lyrics website.
When he sings "anymore".
Incredible.