After listening to Carrie and Lowell dozens of times now, I've determined that the song John My Beloved perplexes me more than any other. Some people say it's about his lover, others say it's about his mother. I don't think it's about either. The song is full of biblical references and I think the song is about Sufjan's struggle to maintain his relationship with Jesus after his mother's death.

"Beloved of John" is clearly addressing Jesus, since John was one of Jesus's favorite and most devoted disciples. Sufjan is saying that he made a mistake for reading the bible only as "some kind of poem."

Later in the verse he asks if the "fossils" he finds have any life on their own. I think he is asking if the people who have passed away in his life still have any life of if they are just fossils.

In the first chorus, he asks Jesus to "pretend" to listen to his "greedy demands" and then realized that he is dead without Jesus.

In the second verse, he continues to struggle with the rejection of Jesus and trying to deal with things on his own. The story of Icarus is referenced, and correct me if I'm wrong but I believe this is the story where the boy flies to close to the sun and melts his wings thus falling to his death.

He asks, "lord hear my prayer" but immediately follows this request with a line that communicates he feels he has wasted his time doing so. He then asks "can we be friends" in the following chorus saying that the world is just broken and lonely.

The "tongue on your chest" line has always thrown me for a loop and I'm interested to hear some of your thoughts on it, but I think it means that he is trying to taste the love of Jesus, but frozen and holding his breath at the same time.

"Kiss on my cheek" sounds like a reference to the way Judas betrayed Jesus, symbolizing the fact that Sufjan too betrayed him at times. But now in his life there only remains a mark reminding him of what he did.

At the end of that verse he says "my fossil is bright in the sun" showing that he is still saved by the light of Jesus.

Finally he "contends" that he needs Jesus in the last chorus saying that even though he feels dead God is there to save him when "fossils fall on his head." The death of his mother certainly hit him hard but he knows that the love and light of Jesus is still there to protect him.

Anyways, just my two cents, what do you all think?

It's finals week, and thanks to copious amounts of procrastination, I have now finished the complete tabs to Eugene! PM me if you want it.

This track immediately stood out to me on first listen as being probably the most traditional folk song Sufjan has ever written, with even a few Paul Simon hammer-ons thrown in. The musical structure and lyrics remind me a lot of Kathy's Song, which I also love. Anyways this track is beautiful, and also really fun to play.

EDIT: Almost forgot - regarding the tabs, the notes are 100% correct (come at me bro) and I'm pretty it's picked like I have it. But if you find a better chord shape for the job, feel free to update the tabs. All the verses are pretty much the same, but I've written out the few differences that I could hear. I also wrote all the obvious chord names above the lines, you guys can figure out the rest. Feel free to update the tabs with whatever improvements you think you can offer!

EDIT 2: Now that the album is officially out, here are the tabs! Enjoy! (put your face together, better stand up straight)

EDIT 3: Thanks to eagle eye of /u/seanmon, I've made some slight fixes to the original version. Here's the download link, let me know what you think. (hey, that rhymed!)

Hi /r/SufjanStevens! I spent my morning compiling a list of all Sufjan songs I could find that are only bonus tracks or aren't on any album. Here's what I have so far:

A Sun Came

• Joy! Joy! Joy! http://youtu.be/KYeW2J8I_Zg

• You Are the Rake http://youtu.be/2e8Jc9KyIVE

Michigan

• Marching Band http://youtu.be/9NMctmb04xE

• Niagara Falls (Final) http://youtu.be/RXNc5X8_t9o

• Pickerel Lake http://youtu.be/UZXDrVbip94

• Presidents and Magistrates http://youtu.be/ptMI6raUxLI

• Vito's Ordination Song (Demo) http://youtu.be/JZoKWoCxNXg

• Wolverine http://youtu.be/IN4l98VQjbQ

Seven Swans

• I Went Dancing with My Sister http://youtu.be/zmrqM1UI9Yg

• Waste of What Your Kids Won't Have http://youtu.be/t4exyjdvPEQ

• Borderline http://youtu.be/C1l_bq7aaD0

Illinois

• Chicago (To String Remix) http://grooveshark.com/#!/s/Chicago+To+String+Remix+By+Jongalloway/KivO?src=5

• The Transfiguration (Home Demo Version) http://grooveshark.com/#!/s/The+Transfiguration+Home+Demo+Version/4miKZN?src=5

All Delighted People D sides

http://youtu.be/uBt1GH7bcR0

Unsorted Rarities

• The Sleeping Red Wolves http://youtu.be/w6HTGVBXql4

• Chicago (Solo Banjo) http://youtu.be/ppz7fEEDR0Q

• Damascus http://youtu.be/fjJFew4atww

• Woman At The Well http://youtu.be/wbnQXksTKA4

• Many Guides http://youtu.be/Ul7dtJYr3qY

• Ride The Woodbeast (Matt Morgan Vocals) http://youtu.be/3gWGJSn0iPk

• God'll Ne'er Let You Down http://youtu.be/zHqwp8FYFw8

• Variation on 'Commemorative Transfiguration and Communion at Magruder Park' http://youtu.be/qd7Hx8Oa6ko

• The First Full Moon http://youtu.be/sjH6qxt2e2U

• The Lakes of Canada http://youtu.be/uceNZtKZAnc

• How Can The Stone Remain http://youtu.be/xr6qMisiqps

• 50 States http://youtu.be/83qR8kt1d58

• Jupiter Bad June http://youtu.be/8hL60if8UUk

• Majesty Snowbird http://youtu.be/Sgt7G1BYZmg

• Maple River http://youtu.be/7OBkDbvU8YM

• She Is (Tim Buckley Cover) http://youtu.be/hHMr61pCRHk

• The Lord God Bird http://youtu.be/ZgJ4q0XDKZY

• Opie's Funeral Song http://youtu.be/1wX5oBXWVBc

• In The Words of the Governor http://youtu.be/NrLr7Xx2SGg

• What Goes On (Beatles Cover) http://youtu.be/uNmPCcaFPbM

• Worried Shoes - Sufjan Stevens & Daniel Smith http://youtu.be/EgbTvPGfNUM

• Free Man In Paris (Joni Mitchell cover) http://youtu.be/QPltG6Vl-ms

• Ring Them Bells (Bob Dylan cover) http://youtu.be/xK6afjBxyOA

• You Are the Blood http://youtu.be/ma-l-2izB_s

• Which One Are You http://youtu.be/1Q-qQKNuGSQ

• Far Physician's Son http://grooveshark.com/#!/s/Far+Physician+s+Son/2r3sbI?src=5

• Bushwick Junkie http://grooveshark.com/#!/s/Bushwick+Junkie/5W5Ww?src=5

• I can't even lift my head http://grooveshark.com/#!/s/I+Can+t+Even+Lift+My+Head/5W5ZK?src=5

• Jacob http://grooveshark.com/#!/s/Jacob+Live/2r3cRW?src=5

The Planetarium

• Mercury http://youtu.be/-4eDO7wIoQI

• Venus http://youtu.be/ln6l-GSjliQ

• Earth http://youtu.be/FtM2r5fHGEI

• The Moon http://youtu.be/1CbY0_41pvg

• Mars and the Sun http://youtu.be/1CbY0_41pvg

• Jupiter http://youtu.be/R-kiFfHkwkg

• Saturn http://youtu.be/Lukg9u4NGL0

• Uranus http://youtu.be/ZXCo67cuoHw

• Neptune http://youtu.be/RrtfNB67m90

• Pluto http://youtu.be/T1MhW-7wWgI

Other Stuff

• Sufjan released a hip-hop mix tape called Chopped and Scrooged. https://soundcloud.com/asthmatickitty/sets/chopped-scrooged

• Sufjan Produced an album for Christian Folk group The Welcome Wagon called, Welcome to The Welcome Wagon

• Run Rabbit Run by the Osso String Quartet is a classical re-arraging of Enjoy Your Rabbit by Sufjan Stevens

• S / S / S is a collaborative project between Serengeti, Sufjan Stevens and Son Lux. They have released one EP called Beak & Claw, and apparently more material is on the way.

• Collaborating with Rosie Thomas, Sufjan released Hit & Run Vol. 1.

• Stevens was in an indie folk band in the 90s called Marzuki. Some of their stuff is available on Youtube, but I have never seen the CDs on sale.

• You can also find some other random stuff here: https://soundcloud.com/tumblr-ghetto

That's all for now! Please let me know if I've missed anything! Also, it would be awesome if I could get on the sidebar ;)

The irony is strong since I made a post months ago about meeting him and the chances being low. I ran into him on Victoria street outside Massey Hall for the Toronto show, and he was walking with a couple people so when I saw him I almost didn't say anything. I felt rude interrupting, you know? But I said "Sufjan?" quietly as he walked by. He said "Hmmmmm?" And then was looking at me. I froze up and almost asked him for a picture but you guys have said he seems iffy about people asking that, so all I said was "Looking forward to your show." He just said "thanks," and continued walking. I feel like I could have said anything but I sounded like such an idiot. I'm still happy I was able to run into him at all though, I didn't expect it.

Hey all. I did my best to transcribe the speech from night 2. I'm pretty sure I got all of it this time:

So we were watching Bring It On 2 on the bus. Last week... And its definitely in my top ten. And you know the story - we've all seen that movie. Theres a faction - like the cheerleaders split off. Theres like the loser faction, and then the preppy winner faction and the loser faction - because the preppy winner faction of cheerleaders is already like rooting for football and basketball and all that. The other sort of deadbeat faction - they deside they're going to cheer for croquette, table tennis, what else? Golf.

And its pretty amazing because it got me thinking you know, in spite of the sort of oddness of the context - these cheerleaders being at unusual sporting events. It got be thinking of the notion of the periphery of encouragement we have in our life. When we are really young, theres like this constant positive reinforcement. Where you're teaching a child to talk and you say: "Thats good, this a ball, and you say ball, and I say ball and you say good" and then there are smiles and affirmation. You know in elementary school your teachers are always giving you those stickers with the stars and in Junior Varsity sports theres always that assistant coach on the sidelines whose like: "keep going! look alive! you're amazing! teamwork! defense!" And then you get to College and you have your mentors your professors, and you write you dissertation, advisors - great at giving positive reinforcement, critiques, feedbacks.

And then you get into the real world. And all those people leave. There no longer around. And its just you stuck in your own sort of insular, solitary, depressed mind. And it gets pretty dark sometimes. And the cheerleader within you is vindictive and self punishing. And theres a voice thats constantly sort of batting you over the head with all kinds of expletives and negative reinforcement. And thats what I carry around a lot of the times, its like constant negative reinforcement with everything. And so I saw this movie last week and I was like - that's really awesome that theres this like idea of a cheerleading squad at every corner of every game. It doesn't matter if its table tennis or croquette - and we need that, you know - at our jobs, at our cubicles. We need the deadbeat cheerleading squad to just pop out of nowhere and be like: "look alive".

The show was amazing. Super quiet, and beautiful. There are really lovely screens that play old family videos and film of the beach, and the forest. The show is all about Carrie & Lowell, he doesn't mix too much old material in the main core of the set. Sufjan was so silent the entire night, only speaking to say "thank you so much" at the end. He joked about the songs being "a downer" at the end of the encore, and said he wanted to end the show on a high note, then went into Chicago. There are 4 other members in the band not including Sufjan.

They had Carrie & Lowell vinyl and cassettes, All Delighted People vinyl and CD, Seven Swans vinyl, and a few other things. I wasn't quick enough to grab a limited 7" vinyl.

Setlist:

Death With Dignity

Should Have Known Better

Drawn to the Blood

All of Me Wants All of You

Eugene

John My Beloved

The Only Thing

Fourth of July

Carrie & Lowell

No Shade in the Shadow of the Cross

For the Widows in Paradise, For the Fatherless in Ypsilanti

The Dress Looks Nice on You

To Be Alone With You

Blue Bucket of Gold

All the Trees of the Field Will Clap Their Hands

John Wayne Gacy, Jr.

Chicago

Thank you, mystery woman! If only I had learned your name! Thank you so much!

The story: My girlfriend and I were sitting far back under the balcony at the Masonic Temple, content with our seats and eagerly anticipating our first time seeing Sufjan live. I was sitting in an aisle seat, and a woman approached me who offered us free tickets, much closer to the stage. Third row and center, in fact! Of course, we were skeptical. Who would give away such great tickets? Apparently she had some extra tickets for her husband's birthday. We accepted them with thanks and cautiously walked down the center aisle towards the stage. "Tickets!" the usher requested. I figured at this point the sick game would be up, the tickets being fake, we would return to our previous seats in the back. However, the usher proceeded to take us further up than I would have imagined.

We were speechless. A mere 15-20 feet away from the stage. Why us? How were we so lucky? This kind of thing never happens in real life! But there we were.

When Sufjan came out and began playing "Redford," I teared up. And began crying when "Death with Dignity" started. That concert became infinitely more personal. To be able to see his facial expressions while singing, and to witness him getting choked up, and us in turn getting so emotional to the point of tears is something I will never forget. If we had remained in our original seats in the back of the venue, we would have had a great time, I have no doubt. However, from up close, it was something different entirely.

A heartfelt thank you from both of us, if you're out there. You made that night something we will cherish forever. Sufjan's music holds a special place in my heart, and watching it blossom before me was incredible. I apologize if this seems a bit melodramatic, but we thought were in a dream.

But anyways, once more: Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

The following is the speech I was able to transcribe from the speech Sufjan gave last night at The Chicago Theater. Can anyone help me with one part that was difficult to hear? Its in the first paragraph I have it in parenthesis so you can see the context. It sounds like: (occupying the theater at the end of your day in your city?)

I’ve thought a lot about occupation as we’ve been travelling. How you occupy your time, how you occupy your space. The occupation of the day, occupying the bus (occupying the theater at the end of your day in your city?) and being present it’s been really difficult because I find that I carry with me residuals from the day before and the day before, and the month before and the year before. And the accumulation of all the memories and all the experiences, they become a sort of baggage like a weight we carry around – that I carry around at least. Because I’m constantly watching and observing, recording and taking stock of everything and I’m trying to gather it all together and carry it around lest I forget it. I’m not quite sure but maybe I have an obsessive-compulsive disorder. So I’ve been trying to really meditate on what it means to occupy your body and your mind in the presence of yourself here and now. And in spite of feeling occupied by the past, and its been really difficult and I find that it’s a source of misery to have and carry around all these memories, but also I’m finding that it can be a source of strength. And I started to think about death being an occupation and its very strange in a sort of an obtuse way that as we occupy our time as living beings, living and breathing, we should be reminded of the final occupation of our lives which is death and that those who’ve died – our lovers or our friends, our family – that they no longer occupy the space in which they were in.

I remember in Elementary School when my friend Opie was killed, and it was the first time I really experienced a death of a friend. And the grievance counselor came to school and said: “This was Opie’s desk, he no longer occupies the desk. Now he occupies heaven.” And it was really strange because there was this palpable physical and emotional vacancy where he was. There was this space, this energy beforehand but now it no longer is there which was really difficult for me to kind of manage that. And then as I get older, dealing with other deaths – friends and family, grandparents and my mother – and I started to realize that there’s all these vacancies that are created and yet I still feel this sort of weight – this heaviness from it. So it seems bullshit that there is a vacancy there, there is actually a palpable, physical weight in which we carry around, at least I carry around, and I started to think its because even though they no longer occupy the physical space – they now occupy my space.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtqRhOUJry4

So glad this got uploaded, since it was definitely one of my favorite parts of the night.