| Sufjan Stevens – Sister Lyrics | 19 years ago |
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The lyrics talk about the sea running into the land and back - which is a very elemental phenomenon. Some lines later they very tenderly describe Sufjan's sister's small hands as a tiny and fragile detail. Again he states that she lives "somewhere" in Detroit, creating a feeling of something vulnerable being lost within something big or, maybe even endless... Both, the lyrics and the music of the song, express this contrast: chaotic, powerful dissonance on the one hand; vulnerability and tenderness on the other. This song tells us how small and tiny and how weak we are, compared to the huge waves of life. It hints to some greater power or principle, that we don't fully understand, just like the disharmonic chords in the first part of the song, that seem a little "chaotic". But surprinsingly, within the huge and waving sounds, Sufjan creates a fragile moment of peace and rest, reminding us of the small things in life. Isn't the red kite the perfect metaphor of something small being lost within something huge? Still it's the small piece of paper that gets torn around by the forces of nature that gives us hope and joy. The quiet and tender part of the song wouldn't create such an impressive atmophere if it would not stand in front of the darker and more powerful first part. Like a ray of light escaping a sky filled with dark and threatening clouds.... |
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