This song is definitely about someone falling in love with someone much younger, shamefully younger, but someone old enough to feel sexual feelings for... The speaker initially thinks "what's right and what's wrong?" in terms of, is me falling for this person a morally bankrupt thing to do? What does it say about me, he's essentially asking. He probably tries to push this person away but saying, yes my words are serious. go away. don't take that likely. He ruminates on how he has objectified their young, perhaps virginal body.
Once their young person is gone, the speaker mourns them, but justifies why they pushed them away but thinks its for the best.
"Oh forgive me, oh gods
Or forgive me in fortune
Forgive me in feeling it out for myself
As I ought to have feelings for something
As great as thou art"
He's admitting to his higher power that he felt lust for this feeling, but insisted it was something his soul needed to work through. He asks for forgiveness that he should have impure thoughts about this person, and tells himself he is not good enough for the object of his affection either because of age or the things he's done in his past.
The reason I believe this person is young and virginal is the line about the youthful white rose, so beautiful but so guilty to behold. He said at one point, he indulged this person ad gave them gifts of his (wiser) heart, but felt himself pushing the younger person away slowly, because in his mind he is not worthy, or even mad at himself for corruption.
He deals with the power struggle of the relationship. He says all at once, "obey me", but also "go your own way". There is deep conflicting, something incomplete within him.
Eventually he says, I will have no objection to you walking away, because this relationship hurts both of us.
beautiful song packed with meaning, and of a subject matter that Sufjan often writes about I think...
This song is definitely about someone falling in love with someone much younger, shamefully younger, but someone old enough to feel sexual feelings for... The speaker initially thinks "what's right and what's wrong?" in terms of, is me falling for this person a morally bankrupt thing to do? What does it say about me, he's essentially asking. He probably tries to push this person away but saying, yes my words are serious. go away. don't take that likely. He ruminates on how he has objectified their young, perhaps virginal body.
Once their young person is gone, the speaker mourns them, but justifies why they pushed them away but thinks its for the best.
"Oh forgive me, oh gods Or forgive me in fortune Forgive me in feeling it out for myself As I ought to have feelings for something As great as thou art"
He's admitting to his higher power that he felt lust for this feeling, but insisted it was something his soul needed to work through. He asks for forgiveness that he should have impure thoughts about this person, and tells himself he is not good enough for the object of his affection either because of age or the things he's done in his past.
The reason I believe this person is young and virginal is the line about the youthful white rose, so beautiful but so guilty to behold. He said at one point, he indulged this person ad gave them gifts of his (wiser) heart, but felt himself pushing the younger person away slowly, because in his mind he is not worthy, or even mad at himself for corruption.
He deals with the power struggle of the relationship. He says all at once, "obey me", but also "go your own way". There is deep conflicting, something incomplete within him.
Eventually he says, I will have no objection to you walking away, because this relationship hurts both of us.
beautiful song packed with meaning, and of a subject matter that Sufjan often writes about I think...