It's difficult to describe a Sufjan Stevens song.
For every 48-second orchestral sonnet
with a convoluted name, such as
"A Short Reprise For Mary Todd, Who Went Insane, But For Very Good Reasons",
there's a 25-minute electronic epic, like "Impossible Soul".
But there are two unifying factors,
that bond his entire discography together.
They are all complex musically,
and honest lyrically.
And I think there's no better example of this artistic union, than the song
"Casimir Pulaski Day", off Sufjan Stevens' album "Illinois".
The song begins with Sufjan, at his most bare and vulnerable, stripped down to just him and his guitar.
The guitar serves as the steady foundation,
playing the same four chords over and over again,
throughout the entirety of the song:
D, C, A minor, and G.
♬♩ Goldenrod and the 4H stone ♪♫
♪♫  The things I brought you ♬♩
♪♫ When I found out you had ♬♩
♬♩ Cancer of the bone ♪♫
The upbeat rhythm of the guitar,
and his soft boyish voice,
paired with the tragic details from Sufjan's own life,
is a common juxtaposition throughout a majority of his music.
In this instance, Sufjan recounts a childhood romance,
with a girl diagnosed with bone cancer.
Throughout the song, we're given cryptic information,
outlining the stages of their short-lived relationship.
Ranging from diagnosis, to the aftermath of grief,
with her eventual death in between.
A death, that happened to take place on Casimir Pulaski Day, a local holiday observed in Chicago, Illinois,
on the first Monday of every March,
honoring the birth of general Pulaski.
♬♩ In the morning in the winter shade ♪♫
♪♫ On the first of March, on the holiday ♬♩
♪♫ I thought I saw you breathing ♬♩
Vignetted moments of their relationship occur throughout the song,
but we're told the events out of chronological order.
Like puzzle pieces, for the listener to arrange in their proper place.
The words Sufjan uses to describe these profound moments, are simple yet effective.
Sufjan writes lyrics like poetry,
painting a picture of child-like innocence,
and establishing a tone for the audience quickly and effectively, with barely any words at all.
♪♫ I remember at Michael's house ♬♩
♪♫ In the living room when you kissed my neck ♬♩
♪♫ And I almost touched your blouse ♬♩
Here's what Sufjan says about his lyricizing process.
"I developed my songwriting voice
in the tradition of fiction writing.
I conditioned myself to 'Show, Don't Tell' and to use active verbs and dynamic nouns, and be as specific as possible.
With songs, you want to create scenes, establish setting, and develop a narrative around conflict.
You learn to play around with situational irony and funny juxtapositions."
This is the juxtaposition I referred to earlier,
that he's able to employ so well:
And innocent and authentic perspective in the lyrics,
married with rhythmic folk music
you can't help but tap your toe to,
allow Sufjan to explore the tragic world of cancer and death,
in a way, that's still approachable for listeners.
As the emotions build throughout the song,
the musical arrangement builds as well.
Sufjan starts with only four simple
chords on the guitar in the first verse,
but with each subsequent verse,
he layers in more and more instruments.
In the second verse, he adds a banjo.
And in the third verse, he adds a trumpet,
and also a soft electronic organ.
The lyrics and music build towards
a culmination in the final chorus,
when Sufjan literally uses his voice to cry the melody.
It's a beautiful and ingenious way to incorporate his voice as another instrument into the arrangement,
while also conveying the heartache and profound grief he's experiencing, to the audience.
In "Casimir Pulaski Day", Sufjan not only chronicles the loss of a dear friend.
He also depicts his honest struggle as a Christian.
♪♫ Tuesday night at the Bible study ♬♩
♪♫ We lift our hands and pray over your body ♬♩
♪♫ But nothing ever happens ♬♩
As a self-professed Christian, Sufjan's music is sometimes incorrectly categorized into the genre of Christian music.
A genre generally known for heavy-handed, simplistic songs of praise.
Though Sufjan's music does have
biblical references sprinkled throughout,
(most notably his Christmas albums, which
contain unique renditions of classical hymns),
Sufjan instead describes the tension of believing, loving,
and following God, in the midst of trials and suffering.
Sufjan repeats the phrase "All the glory"
four times throughout the song,
following each instance with the tragic detail in this story of death.
It's as if he's trying to reinforce these truths
he's been taught throughout his childhood,
but now confronted with death, for perhaps the first time, he's finding it harder and harder to remember them.
♪♫ All the glory, when He took our place ♬♩
♪♫ But He took my shoulders, and He shook my face ♬♩
♪♫ And He takes, and He takes, and He takes ♬♩
"Casimir Pulaski Day" is a song about remembrance.
Remembrance of a holiday, remembrance of a friend,
and remembrance of God's love.
It's a refreshing take on the difficulties, that come with faith, in the face of suffering and doubt.
But it's not new, either. In the Bible,
the Book of Psalms and Lamentations
are full of verses, of David and Jeremiah respectively,
mourning and crying out to God in their suffering.
That's a form of worship.
And for Sufjan Stevens, honesty in his music is his form of worship.
"On an aesthetic level, faith and art are a dangerous match.
Today they can quickly lead to devotional artifice or didactic crap.
This would summarize the Christian publishing world or the Christian music industry.
If you are an artist of faith, then you have a responsibility
to manage the principles of your faith wisely.
Lest they be reduced to stereotype.
Which is patronizing to the Church,
and to the world, and perhaps...
...to God."
Hey everyone, thanks so much for watching.
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