Yeah, girl, you think you've got it
Coming back to you
But in the words of the governor
I found the strength

It's too much strength
It's too much strength
I hold in back in me
But when I put on my back shoes
I cannot strengthen these
It's too much strength
It's too much strength
I put it back in you

But I was holding it to
???

And tell me straight
Tell me straight
Do you think I care?

You got it coming back to even
If I tell you what
I told you straight
???
I put it under the table
I put it under the bed

Yeah, girl, you think you got it
Coming back to you
But in the words of the governor
I never said it's true
It's too much strength
It's too much strength
I hold it back to me

I'll hold you to it even if you want to pressure me

I'll tell you staight
I'll tell you staight
Do you think I care?

I put it down
???
The paper

It's in my strength
It's in my strength
And in my strength I know

???
I put my face up
Put my face up

I said I was going
???
It's too much strength
It's too much strength

In the words of the governor
I said I want you to put it back
??? sheriff
I said
I can't fight anymore
Well, he said ???
Put it out
Put on your shirt and put on your shirt
We are going to go outside
We're going to ???
Put it back
Put it back

It's in my strength
It's in my strength
It's inside of me

I put it back
I put it back
I put it back
In me

It's too much strength
It's too much strength
Inside of me
I put it back
I put it back
I put it back
I put it back
I put it back
I put it back
I put it back
I put it back
It's too much strength

It's too much strength
It's too much strength
It's too much strength
It's too much strength
It's too much strength in me
It's too much strength
Don't fight with me


Lyrics submitted by harlot

In the Words of the Governor song meanings
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3 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment

    this song is so great. it's so unexpected, coming from sufjan. but he did a great job with it, regardless!

    i wish it was easier to understand!

    harloton February 21, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I disagree with the multitudes of blogs saying that this is an amazing song and hoping Sufjan goes in this direction. I have endless respect for Sufjan, but this made me lose a tiny tiny bit of it, which was restored after hearing another new song of his, "There's Too Much Love". That song sounds actually like Sufjan, it's different than the old stuff, but still unique and quirky. I just can't believe the same guy that had jaunty 5/4 rhythms with horns and trumpets, vulnerable and beautifully sung lyrics, turned to White Stripes cover band in one song. Even his voice doesn't sound remotely similar, I honestly thought this was a joke or something.

    I really hope his new album goes in the direction of "There's Too Much Love", not this song.

    RackinFootyon September 27, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I guess RackinFooty got his/her wish! Hahahaha. I don't think of this as so much a "new" direction for Sufjan. It resembles the rock-y simplicty of some of his first songs. It's very garage band, but I didn't lose respect for him after listening to it. I think it's brilliant that he's so versatile and he's not "too good" for the raw power of noise rock, or any genre. For all I care, his next album can be in the style of Mariachi music! And it's not because I'll take anything he dishes out whether good or bad, but that he has already proven himself a talented musician/songwriter/composer in all that he's published before so I trust he will continue to amaze (and surprise) us. Certainly he accomplished that with Age of Adz, and "Too Much" is definitely more on the accessible, mellow pop end of the spectrum for that album. So yeah... it doesn't do any good to put Sufjan in a box. He'll just bust out of it and make from it a ridiculously awesome robot costume to super-punch your opinions of who he is/should be as an artist into the next millenium.

    This song rocks. It's in your face, but intelligent. Wish I knew the other lyrics so I could understand.

    rocknrollgirl47on September 01, 2011   Link

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