I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
Lover, will you look at me now?
I'm already dead to you
But I'm inclined to explain
To you what I could not before
Whatever you didn't do, what you couldn't say
I am sorry that the worst has arrived
For I deserve more.
For at least I deserve the respect of a kiss goodbye
Tell me, do you think of me now
As I think of you?
For I could not have shaken the touch of your breath on my arm
For it has stayed in me as an epithet
I am sorry the worst has arrived
For I'm on the floor
In the room where we made it our last touch of the night
I walked, 'cause you walked
But I won't probably get very far
Sensation to what you said
But I'm not about to expect something more
I would not have run off
But I couldn't bear that it's me
It's my fault
I should not be so lost
But I've got nothing left to love
Lover, will you look from me now
I'm already dead
But I've come to explain
Why I left such a mess on the floor
For when you went away
I went crazy. I was wild with the breast of a dog
I ran through the night
With the knife in my chest
With the lust of your loveless life
I walked, 'cause you walked
But I won't probably get very far
Sensation to what you said
But I'm not about to expect something more
I would not have run off
But I couldn't bear that it's me
It's my fault
I should not be so lost
But I've got nothing left to love
I walked, 'cause you walked
I walked, 'cause you walked
I walked, 'cause you walked
I walked, 'cause you walked
I'm already dead to you
But I'm inclined to explain
To you what I could not before
Whatever you didn't do, what you couldn't say
I am sorry that the worst has arrived
For I deserve more.
For at least I deserve the respect of a kiss goodbye
Tell me, do you think of me now
As I think of you?
For I could not have shaken the touch of your breath on my arm
For it has stayed in me as an epithet
I am sorry the worst has arrived
For I'm on the floor
In the room where we made it our last touch of the night
I walked, 'cause you walked
But I won't probably get very far
Sensation to what you said
But I'm not about to expect something more
I would not have run off
But I couldn't bear that it's me
It's my fault
I should not be so lost
But I've got nothing left to love
Lover, will you look from me now
I'm already dead
But I've come to explain
Why I left such a mess on the floor
For when you went away
I went crazy. I was wild with the breast of a dog
I ran through the night
With the knife in my chest
With the lust of your loveless life
I walked, 'cause you walked
But I won't probably get very far
Sensation to what you said
But I'm not about to expect something more
I would not have run off
But I couldn't bear that it's me
It's my fault
I should not be so lost
But I've got nothing left to love
I walked, 'cause you walked
I walked, 'cause you walked
I walked, 'cause you walked
I walked, 'cause you walked
Lyrics submitted by MisterHand
I Walked Lyrics as written by Sufjan Stevens
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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The song seems to describe Royal Robertson, the schizophrenic artist who Sufjan has used as inspiration for his upcoming album.
Back in 1975, after his wife left him for another man, his schizophrenia took over which resulted in him turning his house into a hate-shrine to his ex-wife; full of paintings depicting extraterrestrial affairs and female conspiracy.
The walking, the love and the craziness all points towards Royal's story, however Sufjan could be drawing a parallel his own experience as he often tends to do.
Yes! Thank you! That makes much more sense than Sufjan singing those lyrics entirely of his own accord. Of course it's a vague historical theme.
at his concert he directly dedicated this song to royal, so this is just confirmation on that<br /> <br /> royal was a major influence on his album, but the most paramount influence was his sickness in the previous year, he said that fighting through that made him really obsessed with writing about love death and sensation, as those are the only things you think about when you're really ill
Sufjan in concert: "This next song is about physics, every action has an equal and opposite reaction, you know. Real deep stuff" everyone laughs
If you've ever gone through a break up where you're on the wrong end, this song hits home. That first verse kills.
er, heard it as "last of your lovely smile"
Like a lot of his songs, this one has Jesus written all over it. Whether the "I" is referring to Sufjan himself or Royal Roberston or someone else, the "you" and "lover" is definitely Jesus. Like lindsayg said, sufjan referenced newton's law of motion before preforming this song live when I saw him and it makes sense from a christian view- Jesus died so we could live, and as a Christian you die to yourself to live for him which is referenced in the second line "I'm already dead to you."
"I walk because you walked" expresses the life of Jesus giving life to others and "but I porbably won't get very far" shows human inability to do anything without God. If Sufjan is referencing himself as "I" this song might be about a difficult time when although he knows what he believes, for whom he is living for, and why, it is also a time of spiritual drought where he does not feel God's presence- "Do you think of me now As I think of you?" and also "For when you went away I went crazy." He may be alluding to a time he strayed far from God, but he is now coming back to ask for forgiveness- "But I've come to explain Why I left such a mess on the floor."
u are being too specific when u say jesus... jesus is just a metaphor for the flow of the universe or "God" if thats easier to apply. Try to think as metaphor as human kinds way of communicating with God.... once you truly realize that you will understand you and God truly desire the same thing and also at the same time you both are talking to eachother with each metaphor used. <br /> <br /> Lover, will you look at me now?<br /> I'm already dead to you <br /> But I'm inclined to explain <br /> To you what I could not before<br /> Whatever you didn't do, what you couldn't say<br /> I am sorry that the worst has arrived<br /> For I deserve more<br /> For at least I deserve the respect of a kiss goodbye<br /> <br /> Lover is akin to the God who created u, the god that is the flow of the universe and the god who loves u no matter wut u do. Both you and God have the feeling that you never truly connected to eachother. We want to express the truth to eachother. Whatever u didnt do what u couldnt say- what we never acknowledged to ourselves during our physical lives. I am sorry this life is coming to an end without true connection to ourselves but dont we deserve at least the respect of acknowledging eachother and that we are in-fact the same thing
"with the lust of your loveless bite" not "with the lust of your loveless life"
Lover, will you look from me now I'm already dead but I've come to explain why I left such a mess on the floor For when you went away I went crazy. I was wild with the breast of a dog I ran through the night with the knife in my chest with the lust of your loveless bite
On further listening that's definitely a B... it might not be bite, the T isn't pronounced clearly... maybe it's just "bye" but "bite" seems to make sense and it rhymes with night so...
And when did Sufjan take any years off? He's been working on the BQE all this time. And this certainly sounds like typical Sufjan to me, of course he's evolving but I wouldn't say this is entirely new to him. Very much like his cover of 'You Are the Blood'
or the entire enjoy your rabbit album<br /> <br /> and stuff off a sun came<br /> <br /> sufjan is no stranger to electric sounds
He took a year off. He was sick at one time and the doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong. At the concert, he talked about how he's moving a lot more during concert as a part of keeping active.
i loved early sufjan but this sounds better than anything on michigan or illinois.
I saw him a few weeks ago, and he talked about how the concept of the album was strongly based on science and physics. He said that this song was kind of like for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction: I walk, 'cause you walk.
He didn't mention Royal in regards to this song, but he did concerning 'Get Real Get Right'.
It seems like the references to Royal are definitely on the surface of this song, especially considering his dedication to Royal while playing this song in concert. But underneath that, I think that this album and song undoubtedly depict Sufjan's loss of faith in the term "love" as it is so often thrown around. "Sensation to what you said", I believe, indicates the manner in which the narrator reacts so strongly in a physical, sensation-based manner to everything the lost love says, and as a result, he is now "lost." The narrator indicates that this is his own fault, presumably for putting so much faith in his ex-lover's words. He goes so crazy (for lack of a better term) after their separation, that he leaves a mess worthy of apologizing over and runs like a wild dog through the night with the wound still deep in his heart. Yet putting so much emphasis on her words and actions will get him nowhere, as when he walks because she walks, he "won't probably get very far."
The song also reflects the importance we attach to emotions like love. Having nothing left to love, the narrator is lost--dead.