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We Are What You Say Lyrics
We are a servant
We have a song
The side of a beehive
A tabernacle choir
We are the sound
Working in wars
The bishop is gone
To the acolyte shores
We save our Bibles
We pull our sleeves
The word is a guard
And the guard is a cleave
We are the right
We are the stay
The accolade's gone
We are what You say
We have no language
We have no chore
The side of a beehive
The bride is a whore
We are a spite
We are at bay
The Spirit is life
We are what You say
We have a sermon
We have a song
The bishop is easy
The bishop is wrong
The Spirit is right
The Spirit will say
We are a light
We are what You say
We have a song
The side of a beehive
A tabernacle choir
Working in wars
The bishop is gone
To the acolyte shores
We pull our sleeves
The word is a guard
And the guard is a cleave
We are the stay
The accolade's gone
We are what You say
We have no chore
The side of a beehive
The bride is a whore
We are at bay
The Spirit is life
We are what You say
We have a song
The bishop is easy
The bishop is wrong
The Spirit will say
We are a light
We are what You say
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Wow, nobody's commented on this! First of all, I love the celtic and middle eastern influences. Sufjan seems to be denouncing the bishop by saying he's easy and wrong, and that The Spirit is right and will say. I'm guessing he means that the Holy Spirit has more religious authority than the easily-swayed bishop, and will truly decide people's fates in the end. The Servant line could refer to being a servant to God. Okay, that's about all I can think of. Anyways, I like the almost passively rebellious feeling in the "we are what you say" lines.
I hope that I can one day defiantly proclaim, "We are what you say."
I hope that I can one day defiantly proclaim, "We are what you say."
I agree with the above poster except i think that the "we are what you say" are directed at god, i guess to let him know that they will not be swayed in spite of all the worldly forces.
The song sounds great. It has Mormon allusions, no? The Mormon "tabernacle choir", Utah, the center of the Mormon world, is known as the Beehive state...
I love this song. It makes me want to dance!
He seems to be quietly refering to the religion of Mormanism, maybe a little critique. Mormanism had changed over and over since Joseph Smith created back in the day. Sufjan seems to be telling the story.
Many of Stevens' songs have religious or spiritual allusions, but he has stated that even though he is Christian, he does not want to overtly advertise this in his music. He did, however, do some work with the Seven Swans, a Christian folk group.
My, my. I agree with what most here have said about what this song means, so I won't talk about that. Just love this song. And dance away, PemberleyTea!
Seven Swans was his album. The Christian folk group he did lots of work with is the Danielson Familie. He works alot with Bro. Danielson (the mastermind behind the Danielson Familie). You can sense some of the influence of the Danielson Familie on some of his work.
I like the idea that this may be about mormonism. It makes sense.
Seven Swans was his album. The Christian folk group he did lots of work with is the Danielson Familie. He works alot with Bro. Danielson (the mastermind behind the Danielson Familie). You can sense some of the influence of the Danielson Familie on some of his work.
I like the idea that this may be about mormonism. It makes sense.
what is the acolyte shore?