17 January 2010

Monday Miscellany: Sufjan Stevens and My Boy turns Nine

I have been hearing about Sufjan Stevens for several years now.  Last summer I finally bought his album Come on and feel the Illinoise.  I wish I had listened years ago.  His writing is beautiful, clever, and original.  I do not think I have ever heard a song more perfect than Casmir Pulaski Day nor more devastating than John Wayne Gacy, Jr.

It has been a long, cold winter.  This song touched me today.  Here are the lyrics from Oh, God Where are you Now?

Oh God hold me now.
Oh Lord hold me now.
There's no other man
who could raise the dead.
So do what you can
to anoint my head.

Oh God, where are you now?
Oh Lord, save somehow.
The Devil is hard on my face again.
The world is a hundred to one again .

Would the righteous still remain?
Would my body stay the same?
Oh God hold me now.
Oh God touch me now.
There's no other man
who could save the dead
There's no other garden
to place our head.

Would the righteous still remain?
Would my body stay the same?

There's no other man
who could raise the dead
So do what you can
to anoint my head,
Oh God hold me now.
Oh Lord touch me now.


My eldest son turned nine this week.  He is amazing, lovely, and more than I ever could have hoped for in an eldest son.  He is smarter than his parents put together.  Pray that we can be the parents that he needs.


A rather maudlin miscellany.  Maybe later I shall tell you about my mini-class on films of the Cold War.  Youngsters really hate black and white these days.

Peace
..._

2 comments:

Scott said...

Agreed. That's a great album, but I can't listen to the Gacy song.

Splitcat Chintzibobs said...

The Gacy song is certainly not a sunny day, roll down the windows, crank it up, and sing along kind of song. But I think it is pretty brilliant.