The Heartbreaking Story Behind Sufjan Stevens' Fourth of July
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- čas přidán 2. 07. 2020
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#Middle8 #FourthofJuly #SufjanStevens
This video is sponsored by Skillshare
Written, voiced and edited by Frank Furtado
Additional Music by Matthew McClelland
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If you were to ask a fan what their favorite Sufjan Stevens album is, you’re likely to get a different answer from each one you speak to. The singer-songwriter has released more than a handful of career-defining albums -- each housing its own individual brand of folk music: Like the soft acoustics of Seven Swans. Or the lush multi-instrumentals of Illinois. And the unexpected, electronic punch delivered by The Age of Adz. But it’s his 2015 album, Carrie & Lowell, that might wind up defining Sufjan’s career.
Shortly after the release of The Age of Adz, Sufjan’s mother passed away. His relationship with her had always been a complicated one. His earlier music defined her as an unfit parent. Regardless of your history, when your mother dies, it tends to be a devastating loss. Her passing sent Sufjan on a trajectory towards processing grief: searching for the significance in the end of life while also honouring the universal experience that is death. By virtue of his powerful songwriting, Carrie & Lowell is the artist’s most emotionally impactful body of work. It’s how Sufjan Stevens deciphers death.
Everyone listening to this song:
"We're all gonna cry"
Lmao
cpasta
"We're all gonna die"
Me.
999? Lemme Fix It!
Fourth Of July is my go-to song when I'm having a horrible time and just want to cry it all out.
that or eugene always do the trick
its like a switch
Mine is casimir pulaski day
When my dad passed i listened to this song so often. It was like having a friend who understood.
Shoutout to *those* songs
As a huge Sufjan Stevens fan, I clicked this the second I saw it. He’s such an underrated artists it’s insane
he's really the greatest artist of the 21st century and it's not even close. he gets nowhere near enough credit imo
stream "America"!
I know! I wish he would get more recognition because he is such an amazing artist and deserves the fame because he has a true talent. At the same time, I wish he would stay fairly unknown because it makes me feel like I have my own personal artist that belongs to only a small group of people.
I don't think he really *wants* the fame. Remember when he performed at the Oscars, he seemed highly uncomfortable at a huge event as this, he even brought his friends, Annie Clark and Moses Sumney, as cheerleaders. 😄 I know people who love him deeply (as well as I do) so of course they want the best for him, but they have the same feelings about it. Sufjan's work is highly appreciated by critics, it always gets the best reviews, if I'm not mistaken, Pitchfork included 'Carrie and Lowell' in their 'Best albums of the decade' list, he has a long-time loyal fans as well as new ones who came after 'Call me by your name'. I get what you are saying, but to me it's not like he's not getting enough credit for his work. He would never be mainstream, top of the charts, etc, but does he really wants that? I feel like he's in the right place.
e x a c t l y
edit: after looking at the reply above dang I don't feel that educated, its good to know. and yes actually Ill have to agree with that too now.
"Did you get enough love, my little Dove?"
This line tightens the lump in my throat and brings me to tears every fucking time I hear it... To me it shows that his mother, even at the end of her life, was concerned about whether Sufjan felt that she had shown him enough love, and wanted to make sure he knew that she loved him dearly... Fuck man
I’m so stupid- I thought it was him saying it to her. She said it to him 😢
i think the part where she said "im sorry i left but it was for the best" was in reference to when she first left him as a kid and basically saying it was for the best because he wouldn't have ended up where he was if she didn't. that even though his past hurt and will still hurt, he is where he is meant to be.
yea that's what i thought too
I also don't think the Versailles line is meant to reference the treaty of Versailles but rather the castle which is known for its beauty
@@P-diddykong right! I personally take it as "my little Versailles" meaning "my little haven of art and magnificence"
So very true. You can cross-reference it with "She left us at that video store" or the fact she left her children after her second marriage. And, of course, you cannot say on your death bed "sorry I left", coz you haven't yet.
also she was dealing with mental health issues - substance abuse and maybe it was best for her son to be as far away as possible from it, even if it hurt to do so, it was for the best
This song never fails to make me cry.
I definitely cried a few times while making this.
Cunt only in the bedroom
Middle 8 😂
Same. I’m crying just from the clips played in this video 😂
Me with violent crimes
Imo when sufjan sings "and I'm sorry I left and it was for the best though it never felt right" I think it's his mom apologising for leaving him as a baby, and not for dying
Yes, that’s what I feel as well.
I think it can be both
@@cameroncorp it can be both.
My brother died on the night of July 3rd, this song has a whole layer of meaning for me
I’m sorry for your loss. Take care, xo.
@Agustin ortiz I feel you man. It sucks.
I had a freind who passed last year on the 4th of july and this song also has another meaning for me. I'm so sorry for your loss.
"My mother, she betrayed us, but our father loved and bathed us"
I now see a whole new side of him 😭
The interesting thing about the "Shall we look at the moon, my little loon?"
Is that you can see a little pun. Because "lune" means "moon" in french.
I love that! Haha, thanks for pointing that out!
lovely!
From the Latin "Luna". Note that looking too long on the moon brings madness according to folklore. So a double pun, as 'loon' also means a crazy person.
@@manlyduckling this is what i thought he was referring to!
4th of july is the one song that I love so much that I don't loop it.
i feel the same. it deserves respect.
I feel this about the whole album. I listen to it sparingly because I want to be able to give it my full attention and feel it deeply
True.
So interesting... I always thought that "My little Versailles" was a term of endearment that Carrie was calling Sufjan. A reference to the Palace, stating that her son, himself, holds beauty and art inside of him.
Countless interpretations are always interesting and opens us up to new lights of things 🤍✨
Fine, I'll cry!
Literally as his new song comes out lol
God, this song is heartbreaking but in a beautifully melancholic way. It's hard to listen to Carrie and Lowell without getting sucked into the intense emotional lyrics and instrumentation.
ngl, even the small snippets of the songs you played here kinda made me tear up a bit. such a hard album to listen to but it's also probably one of the best ever made. Suf is a genius.
same, and i love your pfp
This album came out right when my dad died. Like Sufjan and Carrie, my relationship with my father wasn't always constant, but it did exist in flashes. This album was constantly on during the long drives to the undertakers, the removal and, eventually, the funeral. 'We're all gonna die' became kind of a gallows humour joke between my family- it's quite funny to drive to a funeral with 'WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE' repeating over and over and over again. Our laughter helped us cope. I love this track, and I know it helps others cope too. This is a great video and a good excuse for me to re-listen to this masterpiece again.
Listening to this song live is a transcendent experience.
I saw Sufjan at the Sydney Opera House shortly after he released his new album. It was truly a transcendent, almost mystical experience. His voice started cracking and he started tearing up as he sang this song. The audience was entranced and most people were also crying. It was the most incredible cathartic collective mourning experience.
@@Aggiemcdee i will forever be jealous of you. i hope to one day see him live
So true. I saw him literally 3 weeks to the day from when my Dad died About a month after C&L came out in 2015. It was at the Chicago Theater. I was in the balcony doing that “quiet cry” when you have tears just streaming down your face but you try not to make any noise. I was so fucking raw at that point.
I mean all that in a wonderful way. I’m not being hyperbolic when I say I’ve never had such a cathartic experience in my life and been so in the moment for a live song. It was as close to transcendent or out of body as I’ve ever experienced. It makes me think of the album title of an Avett Brothers album, “True Sadness “ there’s a weird joy or pride or maybe just healing that comes out of moments like that that are profoundly sad to where you almost can’t breathe. Life’s a trip, huh?
I started crying as soon as I read the words “fourth of July” on the thumbnail
That’s how much this song has wrecked me
SFDGHD SOMEONE LIKED THE COMMENT AND I GOT THE NOTIFICATION AND STARTED CRYING WHEN I READ THAT TOO I AM. UNSTABLE.
This comment made me tell the friends I'm close to how much they mean to me because this could be the last time I get a chance.
At 5:17, when his mother says "I'm sorry I left, but it was for the best" she is likely also referring to when she left his family. Sufjan adds a double-meaning when he puts it in Fourth of July.
"We're all gonna die, Skillshare has a creative writing class for you."
"Shall we look at the moon, my little loon?" is one of the most heart wrenching lines I've ever heard. Before learning it was about his mother, I couldn't stop myself from being reminded of someone else in my life and well that hurt and soothed me at the same time. Thanks for the video, it was great and I love this channel.
Sufjan Stevens songs hit hard just on their own, but when you analyse them, they hit even harder
I'm so angry that people only know sufjan for the CMBYN soundtrack. he's such a brilliant and underappreciated artist and he's so much more than just that. truly my favourite.
I discovered him through CMBYN and I’m so grateful
best song... Year of the Dog!
that soundtrack was boring
@@batman-sr2px nah man it was a good soundtrack and I'm not trying to deny that at all. I just think he's done much better stuff that isn't as appreciated
I found him through my brother who was listening to the soundtrack. Well at least Mystery of love but i know he listens to other albums
Sufjan calls his just deceased (at night) mother 'firefly' and wonders whether he could be a night sky filled with fireworks as an alternative to raising her from the dead. By considering whether he could be a night sky he is searching here desperately to be with his mother, who is now a light fleeting into the night sky. This verse is incredibly powerful and a testament to Sufjan's profound lyrical talent
Oh my god!
Last night I was drowning myself in tears relistening this, because being a non-American, this is the only thing I feel special about the 4th of July.
Such raw poignant and potent lyrics. Truly devastating.
I’ve always like the way that Sufjan interpret themes on his each albums, It’s like a storytelling in a way, like the album Illinoise, the whole album felt like a movie, the slumps of “John Wayne Gacy Jr.” and “Casimir Pulaski Day”, and then backed with “Come On! Feel The Illinoise” and “Chicago”. Such an amazing person and personality, Sufjan Stevens always moved me emotionally, and it’ll always be good.
I lost my mother last year. She was my best friend, and her loss has devastated me. I stumbled upon this song. And I can't stop crying whenever I listen to it. The line, "Did you get enough love, my little dove, why do you cry?" breaks my heart...it feels like it's my mum comforting me from the heavens..."We're all gonna die" gives me a deep sense of comfort that one day I'll join her...
Somehow just found this song. My dad died literally this past 4th of July, 2023, of lung cancer. Bawling rn. Miss you Dad
Had an ugly cry to this first thing in the morning, thanks Middle 8. Guess I needed that.
Sufjan Stevens calls his mother "dragonfly" because it hearkens back to another song that called the dark side of her alcoholism and mental disorder "the dragon". It is him accepting the dichotomy that she was both dragon and dragonfly in her lifetime--fragile and indomitable, terrifying and gentle.
My favorite thing about this album is that a lot of the lyrics are about the loss of his mother but are relatable enough that they can be applied to the loss of really anyone (for example the loss of a relationship/partner)
Sufjan is the most consistent artist with his whole discography. From sound to lyrics, he ca pull them with ease.
Shall we look at the moon, my little loon? Why do you cry?
I’m an avid camper. If you’ve ever heard a loon at 3 am in the morning it is by far one of the most profound, loneliest sounds you will ever hear in the stark blackness of the woods at night.
A very deep metaphor for this song.
I think sufjan mentioned something along the lines of “bless her heart for knowing it was best to leave” and it inspires me how strong Sufjan is, and how he chooses to be thankful that she left him at a young age instead of staying around because he understand the possible consequences of that option. Bless Sufjan for being such an amazing artist and remarkable person
This song is amazing. I always interpreted "and I'm sorry I left but it was for the best, though it never felt right" as being about leaving him as a child, not in death, as she refers to him as her little Versailles. Marie Antoinette attempted to flee Versailles.
The entire Carrie and Lowell album feels like a mother's hug
No, I'm not crying. You're crying!
Recommending Carrie and Lowell to someone who is grieving the loss of a loved one is practically attempted murder.
I knew there was a reason why I've been attracted to Sufjan's music lately after the passing of my mother who also died of cancer. 💜
Appreciate the break down of the song. I discovered this album right before I had to put down my wonderful doggo, Taggart. So this album is forever attached to the emotional rollercoaster of learning about his degenerative illness, making the decision to put him down, and the moment I was there with him at his end. While it still saddens me years later, I appreciate it for how it helped and still helps me process loss.
Man imagine is bon iver and him made a song
Wade Wilson so true. Carrie & Lowell and 22 a Million are the two most important albums in my life from the last decade. So much truth and symbolism in ever note and turn of phrase. I’ve always wished they’d collaborate.
It would be so good. Sufjan's whispery soothing tone and Bon's Deep tone , it would be harmony, and their lyrics would go beautifully!!
That would be incredible.
This is the saddest song ever I love how it breaks my heart
"Such a funny thought to wrap you up in cloth" line hits me. After my father passed away, seeing his body getting readied for the burial broke my heart and made me feel a thousand emotions but numb at the same time. The song always gets me. Listening to Sufjan's song I have realized how much of a legendary artist he is. And reading the comment sections and reviews of his songs really shows that his listeners are very artistic people. Every song has a deep meaning that took me a while to actually understand. His voice and songs are so beautiful it makes me cry.
This song is the definition of melancholic beauty, the metaphors of fleeting beauty intertwined with lasting beauty, and how the reality of the situation created a dialogue showing the tragedy of death and the beauty of life. Anyone who's ever tended to a dying relative will know how tear inducing the line about wrapping her up in cloth. The most evocative song of the century.
The more I listen to Carrie & Lowell, the more I appreciate every single song in it. There is not a single throwaway song in the album. Each one is a gem.
This is one of my favourite songs, but I can't listen to it whenever I want. I just can't do it. One of the most interesting lines here is the "dragonfly" one. The symbolism around this insect drastically changes depending on your cultural background. For instance, in my country, the dragonfly is often associated with "change" and the "ability to change". Perhaps, Sufjan is referring to the relationship between him and her mother, which changed drastically in her last moments.
in my culture, dragonflies usually symbolise a recently deceased person..
sufjan steven is an amazing artist, and he is by far my favourite artist, and carrie and lowell is my favourite album of his
You should do something about Jack Stauber. One of the most creative artists I am able to listen too
Its crazy, while i know this doesnt have that much to do with Michigan, knowing that he's from there makes the song more special to me as Michigan is my home and has played a big part in my life. This song has helped me through the process of grief over my brother, and I'm sure itll help with any more grief that comes my way.
Thank you for putting this together. My partner has cancer and this is just what I needed to hear right now.
Harry Doble hey man, I wish you both the best and I hope your partner gets a full recovery. I found this song back in 2016 when my grandpa was diagnosed with prostate cancer, thankfully he’s doing much better.
I’m not sure if you’re religious, but I’ll keep you both in mind. ❤️
He will take you. If you run,
He will chase you.
Cause he is the Lord.
Sufjan has great gift of using words and sounds to communicate the most intimate emotions, we often struggle to express. Sometimes even unavoidable Truth, that we cannot fully comprehend, as in Seven swans.
new album soon!
Being French and having grown visiting Versaille, the line with versaille in it just destroys me in the most beautiful way. The little dove one follows quite closely. This entire song is just a stunning yet harsh emotional roller coaster. I think each line hits someone differently according to the story of their lives and their experiences with death and I honestly find that beautiful.
Carrie & Lowell album is soo underrated. I cry every time I listen to it. It's just beautiful.
The theme of sufjan Steven's mother rationalizing preventable disease caused through years of drug abuse as inevitable is a story that sits on the bed stands of hospital rooms all across the world.
The song Fourth of July always helps me cope with my pet cat’s death… she was like my best friend, she was the best pet I could ever ask for. the line “we’re all gonna die” is correct, we all do have to leave our parents and loved ones one day, this comment is not to make you sad or worried about when your loved ones are going to pass away, but a comment to remind you that no one lives forever, and we should spend our time with our loved ones, because one day, they will leave this earth. Have a pleasant day with your loved ones ❤
In memory of Julia the cat
August 27th 2022 - November 2nd 2023
Age of 1 year
You will be missed dearly.
“did you get enough love? my little dove, why do you cry?” 😪
“I’m sorry I left but it was for the best” sounds like a reference to leaving him as a child.
im on the verge of crying rn
Carrie and Lowell is my favorite album, but the Mystery of Love is such a beautiful song; I still need to see Call me by Your Name.
Aaaaaand now I'm depressed, why do I do this to myself. I read the title of the video, I should of known better.
Nothing can be changed. The past is still the past, a bridge to nowhere.
Look at the separation of the light and the darkness battling his mom's addictions. We were all born sober, but we learn and unlearn these addictions throughout life.
Wallows Lake Monster does the real job of what 4th of July tried to do. The mysticism and wonder of the passing dragon always seemed to be filled with awe.
AMAZING!
AN ANALYSIS ON SUFJAN’S SONGS. I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR A CHANNEL TO DO THIS FOR SO LONG
I HOPE MORE CHANNELS DIVE INTO CARRIE AND LOWELL. Such a beautiful and heartbreaking album
my favorite Sufjan Stevens album is planetarium, its so underrated!
JUPITER IS THE LONELIEST PLANET DUDUDUDUDUUDTHZZZZ
@@Middle8 yeah thats pretty accurate
Neptune is one of my favorite songs from him:)
definitely underrated
I read a short story for English literature class called the yellow wallpaper. It was about a woman who experienced diagnosis after diagnosis after diagnosis from her husband, who is a doctor. She has a psychotic episode and tears down the yellow wallpaper on her bedroom wall as a symbol of her feelings of being trapped by her own psychosis which she believes was caused by her husband but nobody else does.
I should have known better than to watch a video about Sufjan, now I cry uncontrollably in my living room.
I relate this song to my pet that passed June 3rd, 2020. She was with me my entire life until that day, I unluckily found her after she passed at around 1:20 AM, knowing it would come soon, but still in disbelief and in shambles.
I relate this song to it as it reminds me of how she wouldn't want me to cry, and how close the dates are.
Am I strange for finding this song safe and comforting? With every different listen I seem to feel a different emotion, I either end up crying or smiling. He is so underrated
been a sufjan fan for years but my brother died a few months ago, and I understand on a deeper level the way sufjan is able to convey what it feels like to face the chaos of life
Great video, my friend. Personal share. On March 24, 2015 I got a call at work in downtown Chicago that My Dad was unconscious and had been rushed to the hospital. It was serious so I needed to fly home immediately to my hometown of KC.
He was an esophageal cancer survivor but the radiation treatment from 5 years before had nuked his liver and he was dying of liver failure. This happened suddenly.
One week later, I’m sitting in ICU and I saw that Sufjan had a new album release that day (March 31, 2015). I had no idea what the album was about but you can imagine my astonishment upon my first listen that it was all about his own parent’s death.
I listened to that album almost nonstop for the next 7 days living in constant fear because I knew my old man was going to die any day. He did, one week after the album released, on 4/7.
A few nights before he died I got a little drunk and decided to uber to the hospital at 3AM listening to Fourth of July over and over. My dad was in induced coma but I said all the things I wanted to say to him and just poured out my love for him while absolutely weeping for like 2 hours.
The reason I share that, is Sufjan’s honest look at mortality and message of it’s ok to have fear, sorrow but love and forgiveness is most important. After that night I accepted that his was indeed dying and I spent every hour with him facing death with dignity and talking about all the good times and laughing about my mistakes. He couldn’t talk but he’d squeeze my hand to let me know he’s going to be ok and he will always love me, whether he’s here or on to his next chapter as a soul.
3 weeks later Sufjan is live at the Chicago Theater playing Carrie and Lowell in its entirety and me and my now ex girlfriend were sobbing in the balcony. We didn’t care what anyone thought.
That album was the soundtrack to my Dad’s death and I’m so Grateful it came out when it did. It was no coincidence. I put it on from time to time and it actually makes me feel good. It was one of the hardest times of my life but I ended up facing it head on and in the five years since I’ve had a spiritual awakening and only transact in love, not fear.
As I’m sure you all feel the same way, this music we love sometimes is more than a great melody, good beat or beautiful harmony. It’s a part of our journey that helps us grow and grieve and laugh and ultimately...love.
Thanks for your videos and know that your work is very appreciated. You have a ton of talent and be proud of yourself for it. As another Sufjan song preaches “ Love Yourself.” He was spot on on that one too!
We need more of Sufjan Stevens!!
It’s today y’all the Fourth of July 😢
May his mom continue to rest in peace ❤
In the moment I heard "Oh, be my rest, be my fantasy" my eyes felt that immediately
The first time I’ve listened to this song was right after watching Lars von Trier’s “A Dancer in the Dark”, which is a movie about a mother who makes an ultimate sacrifice for her son. Needless to say, I had an actual mental breakdown that day.
I just love his music, he just makes me feel seen, you know what I mean.
yes im crying again
Fourth of July is a masterpiece on grief.
The only other song that touches me so deeply and connects with my experience of loss is Arcade Fire’s “In the Backseat”. And yes I’ve watched your video on AF where you also discuss that song :)
BTW I wait impatiently for every new video! Best greetings from Poland!
Ive never heard of sufjan until now
Buddersolder 100 you lucky bastard. Enjoy catching up.
Shame on you
Wonderful artist lucky to see him live 2 times and even meet him.
I also love how the title contrasts with the tone of the song. The 4th of July to me at least is a time of happiness and spending time with family and friends, and even though this song also reflects the intimacy of family, its in a totally different way.
I've liked Sufjan bc of Illinois since 2013, but the 2015 album "Carrie and Lowell" only came to my attention in the beginning of this year, 2023. And during that time, my cousin who had a stomach cancer was breathing her last breaths on this world. When she was first hoapitalized, I felt like sending a message, but I just... didn't know what to say. How to face her. I felt ashamed because I knew how much she wanted to live, while I was and am extremely su*cidal. During my darkest times, I even wished for a cancer, so that I could leave this world soon w/o my parents having to deal with the thought of me taking my own life. I felt so bad for her, I wanted to give a word of comfort or just trade places, and yet I couldn't do neither of those things. And so she died. And I lived, miserably.
This is when I heard Carrie and Lowell. "Death With Dignity" and "The Only Thing" in particular were songs that spoke a lot w/ me. I'm glad Sufjan released this. His work somehow always finds me when I need him most. Same with the current Javelin
my mom was the same way. this made me break on tears so hard
I loved the song fade out effect after each lyric cutoff in the video, as it wasn't too abrupt or gradual. "Carrie and Lowell" gives me feelings I can't describe, and I love every single song on the album. Thank you for the brilliant analysis.
Thank you, I never fully paid attention to the lyrics nor new their meaning; now I’m sobbing and can never hear this song the same again 😭
brilliant video as always!
I love this, thanks for this video.
I WAS WAITING FOR THIS
Thank you for making this video 💚🙏
been discovering amazing artists and songs with this channel!
Nice. First the new Sufjan song, now this.
Absolutely well done
thank you so much for this video
your videos are gorgeous and so well made, congratulations and thank you
Man the editing and work that goes into these videos is amazing! Not to mention the great analysis! You have a fan in me
Awesomely edited video
man every album of his is so good. and this song is such a masterpiece.
Thanks for your deep insight on this song.
Thank you for this