Once in the backyard,
she was once like me,
she was once like me.
Twice when I killed them,
they were once at peace,
they were once like me.

Hold to your gun, man,
and put off all your peace,
put off all the beast.
Paid a full of these, I wait for it,
but someone's once like me.
She was once like me.

I once was better.
I put off all my grief.
I put off all my grief.
So I go to hell, I wait for it,
but someone's left me creased.
Someone's left me creased.

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A Good Man Is Hard to Find Lyrics as written by Sufjan Stevens

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First off, it's safe to say that O'Connor has a completely different take than Sufjan. I've read O'Connor's story and came away thinking that the Misfit, as Larson has stated, is Christ. He's taking self-righteous, smug, Churchites and putting them through the gauntlet of true Christianity (or persecution). Here are some signs to support this.....

"Daddy was a card himself," The Misfit said. "You couldn't put anything over on him. He never got in trouble with the Authorities though. Just had the knack of handling them."
- this represents God the Father, whom the Jewish leaders (Authorities) had no problem with.
  
  The grandmother shrieked. She scrambled to her feet and stood staring. "You're The Misfit!" she said. "I recognized you at once!"
"Yes'm," the man said, smiling slightly as if he were pleased in spite of himself to be known, "but it would have been better for all of you, lady, if you hadn't of reckernized me."
- She only recognizes him when her family is in trouble, and she sees him for who he really is. He tells her that it would have been better if she never recognized him, because now she will have to suffer (Jesus mentions a number of times that in order to find your life, you must lose it).
The Misfit also states that he doesn't know why he was locked up, as no one explained it to him. He writes in the sand, doesn't have a shirt (Jesus' clothes were left in the tomb), and speaks of justice in an all-or-nothing way, as if everyone is guilty of something and all guilt deserves the same penalty.

As for Sufjan's meaning, I think....

"Once in the Backyard" represents how children start off the same, on fair ground, but move in new directions. Even though we evaluate by what decions others make after childhood, the Misfit is still like the old woman in that they still possess a sin nature. Even so, from his view, he is now skewed.

"Twice when I killed them." - The Misfit killed them in his mind and in actuality. O'Connor understood that in God's site, sins of the mind were the same as sings of the physical state.

I think the rest of the song deals with the Misfit's close encounter with an emotion that should have been dead long ago - the understanding and acceptance of grace. He is startled by the old woman's desperate change, and how close he came to it himself ("Someone's left me creased"). It is almost as if his determination and acceptance in a sinful, hellbound life are somewhat damaged after his encounter with this woman.

This is just my view. I'm sure Sufjan can enlighten us one of these days as to what he really meant.
First off, it's safe to say that O'Connor has a completely different take than Sufjan. I've read O'Connor's story and came away thinking that the Misfit, as Larson has stated, is Christ. He's taking self-righteous, smug, Churchites and putting them through the gauntlet of true Christianity (or persecution). Here are some signs to support this..... "Daddy was a card himself," The Misfit said. "You couldn't put anything over on him. He never got in trouble with the Authorities though. Just had the knack of handling them." - this represents God the Father, whom the Jewish leaders (Authorities) had no problem with. ------------------------------------------------------ The grandmother shrieked. She scrambled to her feet and stood staring. "You're The Misfit!" she said. "I recognized you at once!" "Yes'm," the man said, smiling slightly as if he were pleased in spite of himself to be known, "but it would have been better for all of you, lady, if you hadn't of reckernized me." - She only recognizes him when her family is in trouble, and she sees him for who he really is. He tells her that it would have been better if she never recognized him, because now she will have to suffer (Jesus mentions a number of times that in order to find your life, you must lose it). The Misfit also states that he doesn't know why he was locked up, as no one explained it to him. He writes in the sand, doesn't have a shirt (Jesus' clothes were left in the tomb), and speaks of justice in an all-or-nothing way, as if everyone is guilty of something and all guilt deserves the same penalty. As for Sufjan's meaning, I think.... "Once in the Backyard" represents how children start off the same, on fair ground, but move in new directions. Even though we evaluate by what decions others make after childhood, the Misfit is still like the old woman in that they still possess a sin nature. Even so, from his view, he is now skewed. "Twice when I killed them." - The Misfit killed them in his mind and in actuality. O'Connor understood that in God's site, sins of the mind were the same as sings of the physical state. I think the rest of the song deals with the Misfit's close encounter with an emotion that should have been dead long ago - the understanding and acceptance of grace. He is startled by the old woman's desperate change, and how close he came to it himself ("Someone's left me creased"). It is almost as if his determination and acceptance in a sinful, hellbound life are somewhat damaged after his encounter with this woman. This is just my view. I'm sure Sufjan can enlighten us one of these days as to what he really meant.

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Joelius_Caesaron April 25, 2007 Link
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