This song is one of my favorite Sufjan Stevens songs right now. Such an evocative song. Hard to believe this was relegated as a b-side. Simply beautiful.
I also think this song has to do with boderline personality disorder. It so bittersweet how the narrator sets the scene with a wonderful lover and satisfied home (not hole). He then transitions to the 'sad' part- sudden sad (not said) brother (the narrator). With the resigned lament of 'what do you care?' The boderline partner is so depressed and listless as to not care about the wonderful lover. Apparently the disorder appeared 4-5 years ago and the loving partner may have never engaged in the relationship had he known about the disorder ('I wouldn't receive it'). The song also indicates that the boderline partner is physically abusive "I'll take the stitches you put in my head". But the caring partner is willing to put up with the abuse if the boderline partner gets out of their depressed mood and puts up their head.
The parts that are a bit confusing to me has to do with take the pictures, run down the park and run down the ark. I'll guess that the depressed partner won't leave the house. Perhaps the loving partner will show them pictures of the outside world? The running down the park maybe means he would run for joy if the depressed partner perked up? The running down the ark I will interpret as renewing the marriage/love covenant between them if partner snaps out of their mood.
I like the end of the song where Sufjan and the female vocalist almost individually say the 'losing my mind' lyric. As if both the loving partner and the borderline partner both feel like they are losing their minds.
This song is one of my favorite Sufjan Stevens songs right now. Such an evocative song. Hard to believe this was relegated as a b-side. Simply beautiful.
I also think this song has to do with boderline personality disorder. It so bittersweet how the narrator sets the scene with a wonderful lover and satisfied home (not hole). He then transitions to the 'sad' part- sudden sad (not said) brother (the narrator). With the resigned lament of 'what do you care?' The boderline partner is so depressed and listless as to not care about the wonderful lover. Apparently the disorder appeared 4-5 years ago and the loving partner may have never engaged in the relationship had he known about the disorder ('I wouldn't receive it'). The song also indicates that the boderline partner is physically abusive "I'll take the stitches you put in my head". But the caring partner is willing to put up with the abuse if the boderline partner gets out of their depressed mood and puts up their head.
The parts that are a bit confusing to me has to do with take the pictures, run down the park and run down the ark. I'll guess that the depressed partner won't leave the house. Perhaps the loving partner will show them pictures of the outside world? The running down the park maybe means he would run for joy if the depressed partner perked up? The running down the ark I will interpret as renewing the marriage/love covenant between them if partner snaps out of their mood.
I like the end of the song where Sufjan and the female vocalist almost individually say the 'losing my mind' lyric. As if both the loving partner and the borderline partner both feel like they are losing their minds.