"In lieu of her death, I felt a desire to be with her, so I felt like abusing drugs and alcohol and fucking around a lot and becoming reckless and hazardous was my way of being intimate with her."
This song touches on his feelings from that time. Sufjan goes through a destructive or even suicidal phase but finds sustaining beauty in religion and nature.
The Only Thing
Sufjan Stevens Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Half-light, jack knife into the canyon at night
Signs and wonders, Perseus aligned with the skull
Slain Medusa, Pegasus alight from us all
Do I care if I survive this, bury the dead where they're found
In a veil of great surprises I wonder did you love me at all?
Cross hatch, warm bath, Holiday Inn after dark
Signs and wonders, water stain writing the wall
Daniel's message, blood of the moon on us all
Do I care if I despise this, nothing else matters, I know
In a veil of great disguises, how do I live with your ghost?
Should I tear my eyes out now?
Everything I see returns to you somehow
Should I tear my heart out now?
Everything I feel returns to you somehow
I want to save you from your sorrow
The only reason why I continue at all
Faith in reason, I wasted my life playing dumb
Signs and wonders, sea lion caves in the dark
Blind faith, God's grace, nothing else left to impart
Do I care if I survive this, bury the dead where they're found
In a veil of great surprises, hold to my head till I drown
Should I tear my eyes out now, before I see too much?
Should I tear my arms out now, I wanna feel your touch
Should I tear my eyes out now?
Everything I see returns to you somehow
Should I tear my heart out now?
Everything I feel returns to you somehow
Sufjan Stevens's 'The Only Thing' is a thought-provoking song that delves into the depths of despair and hopelessness. In the first verse, the singer contemplates driving their car off a cliff into a canyon in the dead of night. They mention Perseus, a hero of Greek mythology, aligned with the skull, and the slain Medusa, whose head Perseus cut off, and the winged horse Pegasus. Perseus's journey to slay Medusa represents the power of the human mind to overcome fears and anxieties. However, in this song, the imagery of Perseus and Pegasus takes a darker turn, representing the singer's desire to escape from reality and its accompanying pain.
In the second verse, the singer considers cutting their arm and bathing in a hotel, possibly a suicide attempt. They refer to the biblical Daniel and his mysterious message, which represents the singer's own confusion and turmoil. The blood of the moon represents the sorrow and pain shared by all humanity, as if they feel alone in their pain. This verse highlights the singer's reluctance to face the truth and contemplate the possibility that their loved one did not love them back, as they wonder if their love was ever reciprocated.
In the final verse, the singer realizes that faith in reason may be the only thing that keeps them from despair. They refer to sea lion caves, a natural wonder in Oregon, as a metaphor for the mysterious and often inexplicable workings of God. They acknowledge that they feel blind and helpless, but suggest that maybe that's all that's left to impart. The song ends with the singer questioning whether it is worth living in a world that only serves to remind them of the loved one they lost.
Line by Line Meaning
The only thing that keeps me from driving this car
Without this one thing, I would drive off this canyon and take my life
Half-light, jack knife into the canyon at night
In this semi-darkness, I imagine myself piercing my way into the canyon with a knife
Signs and wonders, Perseus aligned with the skull
Remarkable events and miraculous occurrences, Perseus faces off with the skull
Slain Medusa, Pegasus alight from us all
Medusa is defeated, and the flying horse, representing hope and purity, emerges from the ruins
Do I care if I survive this, bury the dead where they're found
Does it matter if I live or die, leave the corpses where they are
In a veil of great surprises I wonder did you love me at all?
Through a smokescreen of unexpected twists, I ponder if you ever loved me
The only thing that keeps me from cutting my arm
This one thing is preventing me from harming myself
Cross hatch, warm bath, Holiday Inn after dark
Marking my skin, soaking in a tub, at a motel in the night
Signs and wonders, water stain writing the wall
Unexpected, puzzling phenomena - watermarks on the wall spell out a message
Daniel's message, blood of the moon on us all
A message from Daniel, the blood moon affecting us all
Do I care if I despise this, nothing else matters, I know
Does it matter if I hate my existence when nothing else holds any significance, I realize
In a veil of great disguises, how do I live with your ghost?
In a haze of deceit, how do I co-exist with your lingering presence?
Should I tear my eyes out now?
Should I gouge my own eyes out?
Everything I see returns to you somehow
Regardless of what I look at, my thoughts turn to you
Should I tear my heart out now?
Should I rip my heart out of my chest?
Everything I feel returns to you somehow
All of my emotions lead back to you in some way
I want to save you from your sorrow
I want to help you overcome your misery and pain
The only reason why I continue at all
The single motive for me to carry on living
Faith in reason, I wasted my life playing dumb
Belief in logic and rationale, yet I squandered my life feigning ignorance
Signs and wonders, sea lion caves in the dark
Strange signs and peculiar events - sea lion dens in the darkness
Blind faith, God's grace, nothing else left to impart
Undoubting belief, divine benevolence, no other teachings to offer
In a veil of great surprises, hold to my head till I drown
Amid a shroud of unpredictable shocks, I clutch my head until I can no longer breathe
Should I tear my eyes out now, before I see too much?
Is it better to gouge my own eyes out now and see no more?
Should I tear my arms out now, I wanna feel your touch
Should I sever my own limbs now, in a bid to feel your touch
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Sufjan Stevens
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@AliUmbriel
Sufjan makes this earth a little bit more beautiful than it is.
@trurisingrecords9801
+Ali Umbriel more beautiful than it is.
@AliUmbriel
+Tru Rising Records yes, sorry for my bad english and thank you.
@trurisingrecords9801
<3
@anthonytelles2226
I think he helps us see the beauty that's always been there.
@daydrmnation
he brings the beauty front and center to our attention
@waterglas21
Sufjan Stevens, the only artist that can make a guitar sound like a harp.
@AB-ur9rq
This is a harp?
@oakgroove6757
That is the power of mixing and mastering.
@TONYSTARK557
@Derry Andrean I see.