There are several potential meanings to this song (or maybe more than one that was intended by Sufjan at once). Here are three possibilities (all of which I think build off of Sufjan's faith, as this song clearly has spiritual undertones):
It is simply a well written song dealing with the poem "Paradise Lost." The song fits pretty well if you just read the poem (which features references to birds in almost every chapter). I lean towards believing this interpretation is correct, with Sufjan offering his own interpretation on the implications of Paradise Lost within the song.
My interpretation would then be this: the point of the song is that Paradise has been lost, and now we are searching ever so hard for God, and it is hard to find the quiet place where the Holy Spirit can be heard. However, just like John Milton followed up his Magnun Opus (Paradise Lost) with another epic work, "Paradise Regained", Sufjan's song conveys there is hope as long as we don't stop searching and seeking after God.
Based on Sufjan's comment (per reports from a concert) that this is the song that would be sung when the Lion lays down with the Lamb (A Bible allusion meaning when there is peace on earth), I think it may be about how there are different beliefs within Christianity that don't all have the right answer completely by themselves. This is told by contrasting two errors of the historic church (which was almost entirely Catholic for centuries, so he uses much allusion to the Catholic tradition):
The Rain Bird is Historic Catholicism where the priest's words were that mattered, with some people who were deemed sweet (and helpful to the church), while others were considered wicked, but able to be forgiven for the right price. , In either case the church decided someone's fate, so it is all that mattered to the person. The song then goes into the chorus where the listener is trying to discern if this is truly the way to hear God.
Moving on, the result historically was the Catholic church losing influence and being in need from her "sister", the Snowbird (an emphasis on sacrifice because the rain bird's promises fell flat in bringing peace to people). The Snowbird emphasizes sacrifice on the part of the believer, and how this must proceed anything else ("Show them first"). The end of the verse emphasizes how hard of a journey this task is to show sacrifice ("stuttered sweet," meaning difficult).
There is then the chorus again where the listener (Sufjan) is trying to discern what voice is the proper one to hear God. Which voice is the right one to find peace?
He finally decides what is key is to hear directly from God rather than through man (and doesn't relieve the tension of exactly how to do this, but does emphasize that if hearing God is the goal, if we don't quit seeking His voice, we will have a place (heaven) in the end and find Him. The song leaves a tension with the search continuing because that "place" has not yet been reached.
The third possibility is that it is (as others have noted) two different ways of approaching God; one from ease of life where God is easy to find, and one through the road of suffering. It is possible the easy and hard road are (a) expressing our own experience in following God (sometimes sweet and sometimes hard), or (b) to convey Jesus' own life on earth which sometimes was sweet, and sometimes was hard (Him giving His life for humanity).
The answer as to which one reveals God is never truly answered in the song; my view on this is that sometimes both the pleasant road (when we need respite) and the hard road (when we need to be challenged and disciplined) can reveal God to us; the key is not to stop.
In any event, I think it is fair to say this song conveys the rain bird (which seems to promise much and be easier than the weight of the snowbird) is incomplete without its sister (suffering and hardship); that's why the song is called "Majesty Snowbird," connecting the majesty with suffering. (Perhaps an allusion to the suffering Savior?)
This song is tough stuff to interpret, but hopefully those ideas will get minds thinking and perhaps some more in depth analysis. Honestly, I think the Paradise Lost interpretation is probably the accurate one.
There are several potential meanings to this song (or maybe more than one that was intended by Sufjan at once). Here are three possibilities (all of which I think build off of Sufjan's faith, as this song clearly has spiritual undertones):
My interpretation would then be this: the point of the song is that Paradise has been lost, and now we are searching ever so hard for God, and it is hard to find the quiet place where the Holy Spirit can be heard. However, just like John Milton followed up his Magnun Opus (Paradise Lost) with another epic work, "Paradise Regained", Sufjan's song conveys there is hope as long as we don't stop searching and seeking after God.
The Rain Bird is Historic Catholicism where the priest's words were that mattered, with some people who were deemed sweet (and helpful to the church), while others were considered wicked, but able to be forgiven for the right price. , In either case the church decided someone's fate, so it is all that mattered to the person. The song then goes into the chorus where the listener is trying to discern if this is truly the way to hear God.
Moving on, the result historically was the Catholic church losing influence and being in need from her "sister", the Snowbird (an emphasis on sacrifice because the rain bird's promises fell flat in bringing peace to people). The Snowbird emphasizes sacrifice on the part of the believer, and how this must proceed anything else ("Show them first"). The end of the verse emphasizes how hard of a journey this task is to show sacrifice ("stuttered sweet," meaning difficult).
There is then the chorus again where the listener (Sufjan) is trying to discern what voice is the proper one to hear God. Which voice is the right one to find peace?
He finally decides what is key is to hear directly from God rather than through man (and doesn't relieve the tension of exactly how to do this, but does emphasize that if hearing God is the goal, if we don't quit seeking His voice, we will have a place (heaven) in the end and find Him. The song leaves a tension with the search continuing because that "place" has not yet been reached.
The answer as to which one reveals God is never truly answered in the song; my view on this is that sometimes both the pleasant road (when we need respite) and the hard road (when we need to be challenged and disciplined) can reveal God to us; the key is not to stop.
In any event, I think it is fair to say this song conveys the rain bird (which seems to promise much and be easier than the weight of the snowbird) is incomplete without its sister (suffering and hardship); that's why the song is called "Majesty Snowbird," connecting the majesty with suffering. (Perhaps an allusion to the suffering Savior?)
This song is tough stuff to interpret, but hopefully those ideas will get minds thinking and perhaps some more in depth analysis. Honestly, I think the Paradise Lost interpretation is probably the accurate one.