I'd swim across Lake Michigan
I'd sell my shoes
I'd give my body to be back again
In the rest of the room
To be alone with you
To be alone with you
To be alone with you
To be alone with you
You gave your body to the lonely
They took your clothes
You gave up a wife and a family
You gave your goals
To be alone with me
To be alone with me
To be alone with me
You went up on a tree
To be alone with me you went up on the tree
I've never known a man who loved me
I'd sell my shoes
I'd give my body to be back again
In the rest of the room
To be alone with you
To be alone with you
To be alone with you
To be alone with you
You gave your body to the lonely
They took your clothes
You gave up a wife and a family
You gave your goals
To be alone with me
To be alone with me
To be alone with me
You went up on a tree
To be alone with me you went up on the tree
I've never known a man who loved me
Lyrics submitted by vwkeychain
To Be Alone With You Lyrics as written by Sufjan Stevens
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
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In response to the line "You gave up a wife and a family" , Sufjan is trying to talk about the humanity of Christ. He was both fully human and fully God (see John 10:30). Hebrews 4:15 says that Jesus was tempted in -every- way - therefore He was tempted sexually, but He never sinned. A lot of times people have a picket-fence house dream of a family with 2.5 children and a dog and a cat, but Jesus chose a much harder life. And for one reason - to accompliish salvation for those who would believe in Him.
In response to "You gave up your ghost", Sufjan speaks of the Holy Spirit. Because of the finished work on the cross, Christians have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
"The tree" is another word for the cross since it was made out of the wood from trees.
Allthearmsweneed, I hope this helps to relieve your confusion.
For His Glory,
PemberleyTea
Colossians 1:19
1) Sufjan saying "I've never met a man who loved me.." except for Jesus.
2) Jesus saying "I've never met a man who loved me." But he loved man anyway.
That's my take.
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i think it's the idea that, no matter what you think about religion, you listen to him, and you just love it and you want to convince yourself that it's not religious or that it is, so you can feel good about yourself listening to it.
guys, it doesn't matter how many times you analyze these lyrics. he's religious. he's said it. he means it. he's not going to write bad about it.
oh, but here's the best part:
it doesn't matter! he's a visionary, a vangaurd for his generation, and maybe, you should all stop fighting. if you like his music, listen to it, and stop hating. their his beliefs, you don't need to go around and change them, and you know what? you don't need to! so, stop fighting, i don't think sufjan would've wanted this anyway. if he wants to write about religion, it's his choice, and you should respect it.
and another thing: the whole, "sufjan's gay, look at his lyrics!"
we cannot determine whether or not he's gay or straight, and frankly, it doesn't matter. he can be whatever he wants to be, and we're not the judge of his lifestyle. let him live. he plays music because he loves it, and we're here on the sidelines listening to it, and that's all, and that's it.
<3
Walty- I was raised Christian and I was only allowed to listen to Christian music for a lot of my younger years. Some of the artists I found were good and even though I'm not Christian anymore I still listen to them. Pedro the Lion, Over the Rhine, Jennifer Knapp, and Sixpence None the Richer produce literate and innovative Christian music, though not quite of Sufjan's quality.
this seems different, however. as the bible passages that have been cited have proved, there's a strong christian connection (but given how much of the bible there is, it seems possible to give almost any line, especially ones so vague, a christian slant). yet there's something about the christian explanation of the song that bothers me: the third and fourth lines. I dunno, they seem to suggest to me that he's somehow lost his connection. that he'd swim across lake michigan to be alone with the big J again. like it's a trial of faith rather than a pure devotional song.
and to wrap this ramble up with my initial thought, that feeling is so disparate from, to use a example from the bottom of the barrel, apologetix's abomination "come out and pray". It doesn't scream we're better than you, it simply invites you to sit next to it a while and see what happens.
So for those of you who say you know it's about Jesus "but...", youre right. There is another meaning, and it could be something totally personal to you that Sufjan intended to just be between you and the song.
Secondly, do you athiests with obvious "daddy issues" regarding God need to STOP.
If this song was about anything other than Jesus and someone went into any book other than the Bible to explain exactly what the song is about, you would have applauded; but because someone who BELIEVES what the song is about to be TRUE explained the subject matter as such, a bunch of people decided to get their panties in a wad.