Carrie & Lowell Lyrics

Lyric discussion by coolcrowe 

Cover art for Carrie & Lowell lyrics by Sufjan Stevens

Wow surprised no one has picked this apart yet. My favorite from the album, this is just loaded with symbolism. Here's some stuff I looked up that I think fits pretty well.

Dead horse: symbolizes something that once gave you strength but then failed you.

Meadowlark: messengers, bringers of change.

Horsefly: symbolizes masculinity? Couldn't find too much about this.

Pear tree: symbolizes motherhood and fertility.

Dido's lament: famous classic lament, sang before she dies

Erebus: darkness and death personified

Thorazine is a drug used to treat a lot of symptoms like vomiting or nausea

Opals: symbolize hope or inner change for the better

Mayfly: symbolizes inner change and growth, also childhood and innocence

Ephemera: it's a Latin name for a genus of mayfly

Broken arm: in dreams this symbolizes a perceived inability to help oneself or loved ones

So given all that, and the context of the album, it's pretty clear this song is an exploration of sufjan's mother's absence, sickness, return and death altogether.

@coolcrowe That's great! Thanks.