Ooh, woman, tell me what you want
And I'll calm down without bleeding out
With a broken heart that you stabbed for an hour
Woman, I was freaking out because I want you to know
My beloved, you are the lover of my impossible soul

Woman, too, promise me you'll stay and put off all your woes
I was wigging out, too much worry
I could not get you at all
And you said what you want, you would laugh it off
But I know you won't go, not for it at last
Must you write it off for the impossible soul?
And I was in a dream, I was gone away without you, but not too slow
Lest I put it off, for I put it right for the impossible soul

And all I couldn't sing, I would say it all, my life, to you
If I could get you at all
Don't be a wreck, trying to be something that I wasn't at all

Seems I got it wrong, I was chasing after something that was gone
To the black of night, now I know it's not what I wanted at all
And you said something like, "All you want is all the world for yourself"
But all I want is the perfect love
Though I know it's small, I want love for us all

And all I couldn't sing, I would say it all, my life, to you
If I could get you at all
Trying to be something that I wasn't at all

Do you want to be afraid?
Do you want to be afraid?
For life in the cage where courage's mate runs deep in the wake
For the scariest things are not half as enslaved

Don't be distracted, don't be distracted
Do you want to be alone?
Do you want to be alone?
For life isn't stained of righteousness pain
The seed and the hail, all impossible flights for an interesting light

Don't be distracted, don't be distracted
Do you want to love me more?
Do you want to love me more?
For love is the breath
If water and wave is cursed by the same thing that nurtured its shame
Is it worth all the work?

Don't be distracted, don't be distracted
Have you failed to feel delight? (NO, I DON'T WANT TO FEEL PAIN)
Have you failed to feel delight? (NO, I DON'T WANT TO FEEL PAIN)
Instead of the life, lived tired and lost, have you left it at last
Where it floundered its death with the language of ghosts

Don't be distracted, don't be distracted
Do you want to be afraid? (NO, I DON'T WANT TO FEEL PAIN)
Do you want to be afraid? (NO, I DON'T WANT TO FEEL PAIN)
For life in the cage where where courage's mate runs deep in the wake
For the scariest things are not half as enslaved

Don't be distracted, don't be distracted

No... Don't be distracted

Stupid man in the window, I couldn't be at rest
All my delight, all that mattered, I couldn't be at rest
From what I liked, from what I gathered, I couldn't be at rest
Stupid man in the window, I couldn't be at rest

And don't be shy in the window
Come down and give your best
Oh, delight in the window I couldn't be at rest
Stupid man in the window, I couldn't be at rest
From what I liked, from what I gathered, I couldn't give my best

Oh, I know it wasn't safe, it wasn't safe to breathe at all
Oh, I know it wasn't safe, it wasn't safe to breathe at all
Oh, I know it wasn't safe, it wasn't safe to breathe at all
Oh, I know it wasn't safe, it wasn't safe to speak at all

1, 2 3, 4!

It's a long life, better pinch yourself,
Put your face together, better get it right
It's a long life, better hit yourself
Put your face together, better stand up straight
It's a long life, only one last chance
Couldn't get much better, do you wanna dance?
It's a long life, better pinch yourself
Get your face together, better stand up straight

Boy, we can do much more together
(Better get it right, get it right, get it right, get it right)
Boy, we can do much more together
(Better give love, give love, give love, give love)
Boy, we can do much more together,
(better get it right, get it right get it right, get it right)
Boy, we can do much more together it's not so impossible
It's not so impossible

It's a long life, better pinch yourself
Get your face together, better roll along
It's a long life, better pinch yourself
Put your face together, better stand up straight
It's a long life only one last chance
Couldn't get much better, do you wanna dance?
It's a good life, better pinch yourself
Is it impossible? Is it impossible?
Boy, we can do much more together
(Better get it right, get it right, get it right, get it right)
Boy, we can do much more together
(Better get a life, get a life, get a life, get a life)
Boy, we can do much more together
(Better get it right, get it right, get it right, get it right)
Boy we can do much more together, it's not so impossible
It's not so impossible

It's a long life, better pinch yourself
Put your face together, better get it right
It's a long life, better hit yourself
Put your face together, better stand up straight
In the wrong life, everything is chance
Does it register? Do you wanna dance?
In the right life, it's a miracle
Possibility, do you wanna dance?

Boy, we can do much more together
(Better get it right, get it right, get it right, get it right)
Boy, we can do much more together
(Better get a life, get a life, get a life, get a life)
Boy, we can do much more together
(Better get it right, get it right, get it right, get it right)
Boy, we can do much more together
It's not so impossible

Do you wanna dance?

Boy, we can do much more together
It's not so impossible

I never meant to cause you pain
My burden is the weight of a feather
I never meant to lead you on
I only meant to please me, however

And then you tell me, boy, we can do much more
Boy, we can do much more
Boy, we can do much more together
Boy, we can do much more together

I'm nothing but a selfish man
I'm nothing but a privileged brother
And did you think I'd stay the night?
And did you think I'd love you forever?
And then you tell me, boy, we can do much more

I gotta tell you, girl, I want nothing less
Girl, I want nothing less
Girl, I want nothing less than pleasure
Girl, I want nothing less than pleasure

I gotta tell you, boy, we made such a mess
Boy, we made such a mess
Boy, we made such a mess together
Boy we made such a mess together


Lyrics submitted by strykerchick

Impossible Soul Lyrics as written by Sufjan Stevens

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management

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Impossible Soul song meanings
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  • +5
    General Comment

    Does anyone else feel like Sufjan has changed a lot in this album? I guess to be honest, I usually play repeats of my personal favourites on my ipod like gacy, chicago, the upper peninsula, holland, no man's land, to be alone with you etc. So I'm a shitty fan and don't listen to the other's regularly.

    But, his voice and style in those songs, and even the subject matter is different. I feel like his past songs were amazing and this album might take a few listens to get used to, but I still enjoy it.

    I guess even though I feel like there's a quality of his olds songs that are missing from these, I feel like he makes up for it in something else. This something else is experimentation, I like the hints of noise pop, I like the backing vocals, and I love that his songs are relateable.

    Btw, I don't think Sufjan is gay. I thought to be alone with you was about being with a married man, I learnt my lesson. I don't it's sung just from his perspective, I think he means that "she's" saying that they can do so much together. But hey, I could be wrong. Like someone previously said, you cannot just decide on someone's sexuality based on interpreting a couple of lines.

    Tbh I thought his past songs were in a sense, innocent they were absolutely beautiful and definitely mature. But this feels like Sufjan is actually expressing life experience and he's in a different place in his life, he's older. It's easy to tell just from "Oh, woman, tell me what you want And I'll calm down without bleeding out, with a broken heart that you stabbed for an hour". That's just completely different from his older songs. But his music still retains the quality of story-telling, of real experience and emotion. I also feel like even though Christ is probably mentioned, he's not the focus anymore.

    Although, honestly. I think this has a Gotye-esque quality. I still think it's Sufjan, especially at the beginnin, but it reminds of Gotye! I enjoy listening to it a lot though.

    Sarenaon November 15, 2010   Link

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