This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
What the water wants is hurricanes,
And sailboats to ride on its back.
What the water wants is sun kiss,
And land to run into and back.
I have a fish stone burning my elbow,
Reminding me to know I'm glad
That I have a bottle filled with my own teeth.
They fell out like a tear in the bag.
And I have a sister in Detroit.
She has black hair and small hands.
And I have a kettledrum.
I'll hit the earth with you.
And I will crochet you a hat.
And I have a red kite;
I'll put you right in it.
I'll show you the sky.
And sailboats to ride on its back.
What the water wants is sun kiss,
And land to run into and back.
I have a fish stone burning my elbow,
Reminding me to know I'm glad
That I have a bottle filled with my own teeth.
They fell out like a tear in the bag.
And I have a sister in Detroit.
She has black hair and small hands.
And I have a kettledrum.
I'll hit the earth with you.
And I will crochet you a hat.
And I have a red kite;
I'll put you right in it.
I'll show you the sky.
Lyrics submitted by EvilPopkin
Sister Lyrics as written by Sufjan Stevens
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Well I'll throw out my first impression of the lyrics and maybe somebody else can help figure out what he might be talking about:
I'm not sure why he's talking about the water, maybe it relates to the fish stone somehow, but it seems like he's talking about the things in life that make you happy.
"What the waters wants is hurricanes" Hurricanes could be a metaphor excitement...
"and sailboats to ride on its back." Sailboats make me think of children which is reinforced by the "ride on its back".
"What the water wants is sun kiss," Laying around in the sun is fun but more than the kiss suggests love and affection.
and land to run into and back." Just like we run into the sea and back the sea does the same to land.
"I have a fish stone burning my elbow reminding me to know that I'm glad" If you're truly glad you shouldn't need to be reminded. Not to mention "burning" doesn't seem like a happy sensation. These lines seem to suggest he isn't happy.
"that I have a bottle filled with my own teeth. They fell out like a tear in the bag." Not really sure what this is about. Again doesn't convey a happy feeling.
"And I have a sister somwhere in Detroit." The fact he knows he has a sister "somewhere" in Detroit suggests they're not close
"She has black hair and small hands." The physical description is one a stranger could give. He doesn't describe her in personal terms at all again suggesting they're not close.
"And I have a kettle drum. I'll hit the earth with you." You strike the stretched leather on a kettle drum to play it so I'm not sure why he's talking about the earth. "I'll hit the earth with you" sounds almost angry or frustrated to me.
"And I will crochet you a hat." I'm not sure who "you" is but obviously making a gift for the person shows its someone he cares about. Maybe "you" is his sister (the song is called Sister) and he's hoping to (re)connect with her?
"And I have a red kite; I'll put you right in it. I'll show you the sky." I'll show you the sky suggests he wants to show "you" something beautiful. It's obviously someone he cares about.