Sufjan Stevens – Majesty, Snowbird

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  My Interpretation:I see two things in this song. I see a man going into church for confessional and wondering if he can trust the priest's counsel. And, the other thing I see is two seasons of life. The first is youth "rain bird," and the other is "snow bird" or old age and passing on to death. The imagery about a soldier seemed like death and burial. It seemed like the feelings that one would get after having to bury a "good soldier" and then being at a wake or just being forced to contemplate life and death after that.

  Flag Lianyuon January 10, 2013   Link

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  General Comment:man, there must be a really good damn reason he hasn't released this song all of these years....

  Flag DAFUQon February 12, 2012   Link

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  General Comment:i adore this song. i think this is one of the many sufjan songs with room for interpretation... but he is usually pretty clear about the inspiration for each song. i think it's funny (and brilliant) that half the time it is a bird... the snowbird he's talking about here is a little gray bird that often show up in snowstorms-- i don't really feel the need to do too much interpretation, but i think the main feel of the song is that of beauty/grace/small things showing up in unlikely, even bad, places. simple, and lovely. i've never seen the snowbird (that i know of) but i used to see these tiny red birds in the middle of the snowy treetops in russia that look like springtime birds, but they only come out in below freezing temperatures. you can relate it all you want to the Bible and the Dove but sometimes all you need is to think about the bird.

  Flag lura04on January 13, 2012   Link

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  General Comment:I would like to submit the idea that this song is about differing opinions in the church body across denominations, and how that grieves the Holy Spirit. The verses allude to different customs and viewpoints within different sects, while the chorus looks at the individual Christian's thoughts and reservations toward these customs and viewpoints. The part that goes "Don't stop, don't break, you can delight because you have a place. Quiet room, I need you now" is a personal plea for the Holy Spirit to stay with the individual.
  I say this because I know Sufjan has mentioned in a few interviews that he is disillusioned with institutionalized mass groups of people who are religious and "confess the same things [he does] spiritually" but have no faith. Also he said, before performing this song in Williamsburg (see on youtube) that "when the lion lays down with the lamb... this is the melody they'll hear." The Holy Spirit is the spirit of God on earth in this age, the provider of comfort and faith. He is described as a dove because he can easily fly away if he is not welcome in the given environment, but if he stays, he is pure, graceful and majestic. This nature is paralleled in the title of this song, is it not?

  Flag rocknrollgirl47on July 28, 2011   Link

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  General Comment:This song is ridiculously good. He's so prolific... I consider myself to be among the more dedicated fans but he's produced so much work that it's really difficult to get through all of it, which is awesome because it lasts longer and facilitates the discovery of gems like these. It's unfortunate that this was never studio recorded, but the live taping links are quite good. I think you've all sort of addressed the religious undertones... but I don't want to say too much about the song, the music speaks for itself.
  
  Another gem I found is "Christmas in the Room" off of the unreleased Songs for Christmas Volume 8. It's not that hard to find, and it is a BEAUTIFUL song for those who are interested.

  Flag orangesky38on December 09, 2010   Link

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  General Comment:In a nutshell, “How will I come to know you best, God? How have you designed me to come to know You? Scripture (right word/good advice) and contemplation (quiet room) or the imperfect community of church and the hard lessons of life (the broken word/tapestry/altarpiece)?”
  
  The rain bird seems to me to be the life of innate, effortless grace, where God’s presence is obvious and manifest.
  
  The majesty snowbird is the more common life of quiet suffering, the snow falling upon us, piling high on our shoulders like epaulets. But if we endure it, if we soldier through, we will emerge into the majesty from “winter” before those with an easier life (or before we ourselves would had we not been blessed with hard life lessons).
  
  The chorus is God saying, don’t let the suffering break you. Know you have a place and that I am there with you. This life is the life i designed for you because it’s the life you need.
  
  Thinking about this reminded me of the documentary Into Great Silence. There’s almost no dialogue in the film, which examines life in a monastery in Europe…but toward the end one of the monks speaks. He’s blind, decrepit, and looks to have been there for decades. He says he is thankful that God has made him blind, because he knows that God is both infinitely good and infinitely wise and therefore his blindness is a gift God has given him for the good of his soul.
  
  Some may know by word alone, some need suffering to drive them to contemplation and through that find God.
  
  I analyze a lot of sufjan songs here: mindthatknowsitself.tumblr.com

  Flag TheLightIsMineon June 08, 2010   Link

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  General Comment:Easily my favorite Sufjan song. Took me forever to decide but this is it, after seeing it live it was incredible. I get goosebumps every time I hear it, and I pretty much agree on all the interpretations as well. Such a strong song, if I could start a church we would sing sufjan songs, instead of only gospel and hymns.

  Flag LovePeaceRachelon October 03, 2009   Link

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  General Comment:Amazing... best Sufjan song. Itchy to hear a studio recorded version.. or better yet, to see it live

  Flag crumbson October 09, 2008   Link

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    I'm seeing him this fall. I'm really really crossing my fingers he performs it!

    Flag LovePeaceRachelon August 25, 2009  

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    So I saw him last night, he did it but differently. He played a few songs that will be on his next album, kind of electric sounding and he played majesty snow bird that way a little.

    Flag LovePeaceRachelon September 27, 2009  
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  General Comment:The "majesty, snowbird" on the other hand is not simply the good advice of following the protecting loving commandments of a loving father, who wishes us happiness by following them, but the full revelation of God's majesty, tapestry, etc. presense of knowing him available only by the fruitfruits of the resurection from the wintery snow of death brought to us by a quite humble but hearty - tiny, Christlike snow bird, who is the first to walk triumphant from the winter gloom.
  Know yourself and what you are capable of and not capable of, ask what type of god is worth worshipping without undue respect to what others think, and you will find the majestic snowbird. amen.

  Flag uncharrison January 23, 2008   Link

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  General Comment:I think rage of angels is onto something. Basically, the song contrasts what is good, but still terribly wrenched and evil in God's eyes, with the majesty of a the "broken word". Whether the rain bird represents satan in the tree of graden or the dove smiling after the short "olive branch" repreive that God extends after the flood, the advice that we like to hear is that we are indeed good enough and need not someone to pay for our sin.

  Flag uncharrison January 23, 2008   Link

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