We didn't sleep too late.
There was a fire in the yard.
All of the tress were in light.
They had no faces to show.
I saw a sign in the sky:
Seven swans, seven swans, seven swans.
I heard a voice in my mind:
"I will try, I will try, I will try.
I will try, I will try, I will try."

We saw the dragon move down.
My father burned into coal.
My mother saw it from far.
She took her purse to the bed.
I saw a sign in the sky:
Seven horns, seven horns, seven horns.
I heard a voice in my mind:
"I am Lord, I am Lord, I am Lord."
He said: "I am Lord, I am Lord, I am Lord."
He said: "I am Lord, I am Lord, I am Lord."

He will take you. If you run,
He will chase you.
He will take you. If you run,
He will chase you.
Cause he is the Lord.


Lyrics submitted by EvilPopkin

Seven Swans Lyrics as written by Sufjan Stevens

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management

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Seven Swans song meanings
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    General Comment

    Sufjan Stevens is obviously a well read individual and I'm sure this song has a few different meanings; however, there's no doubt in my mind that the "seven swans" mentioned in this song refer to Tolkien's Silmarillion.

    It can be found in "Of Tuor and the Fall of Gondolin."

    "...he [Tuor] saw seven great swans flying south, and he knew them for a sign that he had tarried overlong, and he followed their flight along the shores of the sea."

    Tolkien's story of the Fall of Gondolin is one of the best mythologies he crafted. It's a great song and it struck me when I reread the story not too long ago.

    nemovon February 29, 2008   Link

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