Tomorrow you'll see it through
The clouded out disguises put you in the room
And though I wandered out alone
A thousand lights abounded on our home
And I remember every sound it made
The clouded out disguises and the grave
So yeah I know I'm still afraid
Of letting go of choices I have made
All delighted people raise their hands

And I took you by the sleeve
No other reason than to be your leading man
And you woke up with a fright
Our lives depended on the visions through the night
All we had always, all we had always wanted to before
The hurricane inclined us, grappling on the floor
All delighted people raise their hands

Still the force of nature spurned
Ideas of strength and style abated by the burning basement
All delighted people raise their hands

I'm not easily confused
The trouble with the storm inside us grew
But I had so much to give
In spite of all the terror and abuse

All delighted people raise their hands
And the people bowed and prayed
And what difference does it make?
It doesn't matter anyway
The world surrounds us with its hate

Hello darkness my old friend
I've come to strangle you in spite of what you'd like
And don't be a rascal, don't be a laughing dog in spite of odds
All I'm deciphering from the spirits in the light within
All delighted people raise their hands

In restless dreams I walked alone
The clouded out disguises left me in a dream of lightness
All delighted people raise their hands

And the people bowed and prayed
To the neon god they made
And what difference does it make?
I love you so much anyway
And on your breast I gently laid
Your arms surround me in the lake
I am joined with you forever

All delighted people raise their hands
I'm not easily confused
I feel alive I feel it glowing in the room

All delighted people raise their hands
All delighted people raise their hands
All delighted people raise their hands
All delighted people raise their hands
All delighted people raise their hands
All delighted people raise their hands
All delighted people raise their hands
All delighted people raise their hands
All delighted people raise their hands


Lyrics submitted by lesea

All Delighted People (Classic Rock Version) Lyrics as written by Sufjan Stevens Paul Simon

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

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All Delighted People (Original Version) song meanings
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22 Comments

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  • +2
    My Interpretation

    Beautiful Song. As mentioned in the press release, it's about the Apocalypse / end of the world, but I also interpret it as Sufjan's struggle with the choice between his faith and the things / ways of the world (the people bowing and praying to the neon gods they made). The theme of the song I believe is stated in the refrain near the end "When the world's come and gone shall we follow our transgressions or shall we stand strong?". I wrote a more in-depth interpretation about the song here: musicforants.com/blog/

    musicforantson August 24, 2010   Link

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