Chicago :: Sufjan Stevens

I've been on a bit of a Sufjan Stevens kick. I really admire how he arranges his music, I love his voice, and one day I would love to be badass enough that I can wear cardboard wings on stage and have no one be surprised or confused.
This particular song, Chicago, has a really beautiful arrangement, and I really enjoy the lyrics. One interesting aspect of some of Sufjan's music is a spiritual/theological underpinning to some of his songs. Another example would be "all the trees of the field will clap their hands." In "Chicago," the lyrics "you came to take us, to recreate us" kind of have a theological slant to them, even so I still really love the song.
My favorite verse of the song is
"if I was crying
in the van, with my friend
it was for freedom
from myself and from the land
I made a lot of mistakes
I made a lot of mistakes
I made a lot of mistakes
I made a lot of mistakes"
I feel like as humans we all make mistakes, and admitting them is key to learning from your mistakes, and becoming better. In addition, I like the idea of if I was crying, it was for freedom from myself and from the land. I don't think it's ever possible to be free from yourself or from where you come from, but I can understand that desire.
Anyways. Disjointed post, but it's the last week of classes of my senior year of college so I think it's understandable. Happy trails!



I fell in love again
all things go, all things go
drove to Chicago
all things know, all things know
we sold our clothes to the state
I don't mind, I don't mind
I made a lot of mistakes
in my mind, in my mind

you came to take us
all things go, all things go
to recreate us
all things grow, all things grow
we had our mindset
all things know, all things know
you had to find it
all things go, all things go

I drove to New York
in a van, with my friend
we slept in parking lots
I don't mind, I don't mind
I was in love with the place
in my mind, in my mind
I made a lot of mistakes
in my mind, in my mind

you came to take us
all things go, all things go
to recreate us
all things grow, all things grow
we had our mindset
all things know, all things know
you had to find it
all things go, all things go

if I was crying
in the van, with my friend
it was for freedom
from myself and from the land
I made a lot of mistakes
I made a lot of mistakes
I made a lot of mistakes
I made a lot of mistakes

you came to take us
all things go, all things go
to recreate us
all things grow, all things grow
we had our mindset
all things know, all things know
you had to find it
all things go, all things go

you came to take us
all things go, all things go
to recreate us
all things grow, all things grow
we had our mindset
(I made a lot of mistakes)
all things know, all things know
(I made a lot of mistakes)
you had to find it
(I made a lot of mistakes)
all things go, all things go
(I made a lot of mistakes)