Chicago (Multiple Personality
Sufjan Stevens Lyrics
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All things go, all things go
Drove to Chicago
All things know, all things know
We sold our clothes to the state
I don't mind, I don't mind
I made a lot of mistakes
In my mind, in my mind
You came to take us
All things go, all things go
To recreate us
All things grow, all things grow
We had our mindset
All things know, all things know
You had to find it
All things go, all things go
I drove to New York
In a van with my friend
We slept in parking lots
I don't mind, I don't mind
I was in love with the place
In my mind, in my mind
I made a lot of mistakes
In my mind, in my mind
You came to take us
All things go, all things go
To recreate us
All things grow, all things grow
We had our mindset
All things know, all things know
You had to find it
All things go, all things go
If I was crying
In the van with my friend
It was for freedom
From myself and from the land
I made a lot of mistakes
I made a lot of mistakes
I made a lot of mistakes
I made a lot of mistakes
You came to take us
All things go, all things go
To recreate us
All things grow, all things grow
We had our mindset
All things know, all things know
You had to find it
All things go, all things go
You came to take us
All things go, all things go
To recreate us
All things grow, all things grow
We had our mindset (I made a lot of mistakes)
All things know, all things know (I made a lot of mistakes)
You had to find it (I made a lot of mistakes)
All things go, all things go (I made a lot of mistakes)
Sufjan Stevens's "Chicago" is a song that speaks to the human experience of growth and change, as well as the inherent vulnerability and mistakes that come along with it. The repeated line "all things go" speaks to the fleeting nature of life, as well as the inevitability of change. The singer sings about falling in love again, and driving to Chicago, perhaps as a symbol of a new beginning or a fresh start. The lines "we sold our clothes to the state" and "we slept in parking lots" suggest a sense of starting anew with nothing but the bare essentials.
The chorus speaks to the idea of reconstructing oneself, both physically and mentally. The line "to recreate us / all things grow, all things grow" suggests that this process involves growth, and becoming a better version of oneself. The lines "if I was crying / in the van with my friend / it was for freedom" suggest that the singer is shedding old patterns or beliefs, in order to gain a sense of liberation and freedom.
Line by Line Meaning
I fell in love again
I experienced love again after a period of being without it
All things go, all things go
Everything comes and goes, nothing lasts forever
Drove to Chicago
I traveled to Chicago by car
All things know, all things know
Everything knows its own nature and purpose
We sold our clothes to the state
We got rid of our belongings in order to start anew
I don't mind, I don't mind
I don't have any negative feelings about it
I made a lot of mistakes
I have made many errors in judgement or action
In my mind, in my mind
In my head or my imagination
You came to take us
You arrived to lead or guide us
To recreate us
To bring about a new and improved version of ourselves
All things grow, all things grow
Everything has the potential to improve and evolve
We had our mindset
We had a specific way of thinking or approaching things
You had to find it
You had to discover our mindset for yourself
In a van with my friend
Traveling in a van with my companion
We slept in parking lots
We spent the night in parking lots due to necessity or preference
If I was crying
In the event that I was weeping
It was for freedom
My tears were shed in the pursuit of liberation
From myself and from the land
From my own limits and from the constraints of society
Contributed by Jason C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.