Such a beautiful song! Lyrics are kind of sad though. Sounds like it's about his relationship with a man (a certain Manelich?), someone with whom he has a strong physical connection: All of me pressed on to you, But in this light you looked like Poseidon... pretty straightforward in its homoeroticism. But there's a disconnect. Manelich isn't a good communicator and Sufjan is having doubts - Now all of me thinks less of you - despite the good sex. I think that ultimately the song is about empty, lonely sex. Also, something is linked to his childhood summers with his mom in Oregon at Spencer's Butte, maybe through an old photo he saw, but I think only Sufjan understands how exactly the landscape changed his point of view. This, paired with All For Myself, make a pretty strong case for Sufjan's sexual fluidity, imho.

This song is great. So beautiful yet so sad at the same time :/

I wonder about the timeframe of this song. If its about Sufjan's childhood then it's 25-30 years ago when there were no cell phones and texting.

Shall we beat this or celebrate it? You’re not the one to talk things through You checked your texts while I masturbated Manelich, I feel so used

I think this song is about how he coped with Carrie's death by sleeping around a lot. He is saying should I find a better way to cope or live in the moment and make choices that feel good temporarily. He's talking to himself saying he isn't good at talking through things or dealing with them. The texts part is hard to say because presumably when he was a kid texting wasn't a thing. So I want to say this is maybe his one night stand checking her messages while he masturbates because the encounter wasn't fulfilling, it was just a meaningless distraction. Manelich I think is a name? Maybe he feels used by himself, used by his partner as just a sexual object?

Found myself on Spencer’s Butte Traced your shadow with my shoe Empty outline changed my view Now all of me thinks less of you

Not sure if he found himself as a kid in Oregon hiking Spencer's Butte or if maybe he looked back on an old photo from there and realized his mistakes. That interpretation makes me think that he is looking at this photo and tracing carries shadow and thinking about how this isn't what he wants in life.So now after seeing that he thinks less of his hookup partner.

On the sheet I see your horizon All of me pressed onto you But in this light you look like Poseidon I’m just a ghost you walk right through = Even after this realization he reverts back because it was a distraction from his pain and loss,even if it didn't fill the gap Carrie left. During the course of events and being pressed onto this person he realizes that this isn't some angel to deliver him from pain it is symbolic Poseidon, the god of storms and bad weather aka someone bringing negativity into his life. Poseidon also was notorious about getting around and had offspring of many differnt species human, horse ect. So Sufjan is just a ghost this person walks right through because he doesn't matter to them, it is just another casual encounter and he is easily replaceable.

Saw myself on Spencer’s Butte (All of me wants all of you) Landscape changed my point of view (All of me wants all of you) Revelation may come true (All of me wants all of you) Now all of me thinks less of you (All of me wants all of you) = This part is him finally realizing that this isnt what he wants. A recollection of his past as a kid at spencers butte makes him realize and change his point of view on things. Revelation may come true because if he continues down this bad path it'll be like the end of the world, the end of him and his happiness. But at the same time he is hurt and confused. He says he thinks less of this person but at the same time wants them. It reminds me of the feeling of doing something you know will hurt you but doing it anyway because it feels good in the moment. At the end though I think he decides to stop going down that path, even though it is hard.

Obviously I could be wrong - the first verse really makes it sound relationship-ish. But this could still be a parallel still to his mother. This third verse could easily be about birth:

"On the sheet I see your horizon" Born in a hospital bed

"All of me pressed onto you" Being held by mother

"But in this light you look like Poseidon" Feeling small next to her, as a child to an adult

"I’m just a ghost you walk right through" She left because he was so insignificant