The Tallest Man the Broadest Shoulders
Sufjan Stevens Lyrics
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I count the days the Great Frontier
Forgiving, faced the seventh year
I stand in awe of gratefulness
I can and call forgetfulness
And when I, and when I call
The Patient, the Patient fall
The Spirit, the Carpenter
Invites us to be with her
What have we become America?
Soldiers on the Great Frontier!
Carpenter and Soldier, one on one
It's the battle, volunteer!
Run from yourself, from your friends, from ya--
Run for your life, for your friends, for ya--
American, merica, meri--
Oh Illinois, Illinois, Illi--
The prairie, the frontier, the perfect farm, it's from here
The fortress, the faker, the cornerstone, the baker
The dancer, the fisher, audition and the disher
The boxer, the fetcher, the ghweing gum, dream catcher
I count the days the Great Frontier
Forgiving, faced the seventh year
I stand and strain to make ends meet
Five Spirits on the Grand Marquee
And when I, and when I call
The Patient, the Patient fall
The Spirit, the Carpenter
Invites us to be with her
There was a man at the wall
He was grateful for us all
I saw the Wise Woman sing
She wasn't asking anything
She wasn't asking anything
How she made the nations sing!
What have we become America?
Soldiers on the Great Frontier!
Run from yourself,
from your friends, from ya--
Run for your life,
for your friends, for ya--
American, merica, meri--
Oh Illinois, Illinois, Illi--
The mattress, the floozies, the actress at the movies
The lantern, the lotion, the wind that wakes the ocean
The Standard Edition, the architect's rendition
The fashion, the fevers, the house we got at Sears
Part II: "Come to Me Only With Playthings Now"
Oh Great Fire of Great Disaster
Oh Great Heaven, oh Great Master
Oh Great Goat, the curse you gave us
Oh Great Ghost, protect and save us
Oh Great River, green with envy
Oh Jane Addams, spirit send thee
Oh Great Trumpet and the singers
(Given what you lost are you better off?)
Oh Great Goodman, King of Swingers
(Given what you had, has it made you mad?)
Oh Great Bears and Bulls, Joe Jackson
(Celebrate the few. Celebrate the new.)
Oh Great Illinois
(It can only start with you)
The Tallest Man the Broadest Shoulders by Sufjan Stevens is a two-part song, with Part I titled “The Great Frontier." The song is about America's progress and transformation, and the fleeting nature of human existence. The lyrics are complex and require some analysis to understand, but Sufjan’s unique style of music and lyrics carries a certain sense of poetic depth.
The song begins with Sufjan counting the days 'The Great Frontier,’ forgiving and facing its seventh year. Here, he admires the greatness and gratitude of the American spirit, but cannot help but contemplate the flaw of the human spirit, which is forgetfulness. Throughout the song, he explores themes such as war and the battles within oneself that one must fight, the illusion of the perfect life, and the longing for home.
The second part of the song, “Come to Me Only With Playthings Now,” takes a more somber tone. The lyrics call out for protection from various gods and spirits, and pay homage to different cultural figures. The song elaborates on the theme of forgetfulness and the lost greatness of American history, where we must celebrate the few who have contributed to society.
Line by Line Meaning
I count the days the Great Frontier
I am keeping track of the time and events that happened during the expansion of the American frontier
Forgiving, faced the seventh year
Forgiving what has happened in the past, we commemorate the seven-year anniversary of a significant event
I stand in awe of gratefulness
I am amazed by the expression of gratitude from others
I can and call forgetfulness
I am able to forget about the past and move on
And when I, and when I call
And when I, in times of need
The Patient, the Patient fall
I wait patiently for the moment to arrive and take action
The Spirit, the Carpenter
The soul, the craftsman
Invites us to be with her
Gives us the opportunity to join her in her work
What have we become America?
What has become of us as a nation?
Soldiers on the Great Frontier!
We are like soldiers who are fighting on the American frontier
Run from yourself, from your friends, from ya--
Flee from yourself and others, if needed
Run for your life, for your friends, for ya--
Run for your life, or for the life of others, if needed
American, merica, meri--
An attempt to pronounce the word 'America' in different forms and styles
Oh Illinois, Illinois, Illi--
An ode to the state of Illinois
The prairie, the frontier, the perfect farm, it's from here
The wide-open spaces, the place where we are starting out
The fortress, the faker, the cornerstone, the baker
The stronghold, the impostor, the foundation, the cook
The dancer, the fisher, audition and the disher
The performer, the fisherman, the one who tries out, and the server of food
The boxer, the fetcher, the ghweing gum, dream catcher
The fighter, the retriever, the chewing gum, the dream catcher
I stand and strain to make ends meet
I endure the hardships of life and try to get by
Five Spirits on the Grand Marquee
Five entities on the sign or list of performers
There was a man at the wall
Someone was standing near a barrier of some kind
He was grateful for us all
He expressed his gratitude for everyone, regardless of their differences
I saw the Wise Woman sing
I witnessed the performance of a wise woman, who was singing
She wasn't asking anything
She wasn't making any demands, or seeking anything in return for her actions
How she made the nations sing!
The way she sang inspired people from different nations to join in
Oh Great Fire of Great Disaster
An invocation or calling upon an event in the past
Oh Great Heaven, oh Great Master
An invocation or calling upon an entity in the heavens
Oh Great Goat, the curse you gave us
An invocation or calling upon an animal, and the hardships that it has brought upon us
Oh Great Ghost, protect and save us
An invocation or calling upon a spirit, to provide protection and safety
Oh Great River, green with envy
An invocation or calling upon a body of water, which is designed to bring prosperity and growth
Oh Jane Addams, spirit send thee
An invocation or calling upon the spirit of a specific person
Oh Great Trumpet and the singers
An invocation or calling upon a trumpet, and the people who play or sing with it
(Given what you lost are you better off?)
Asking a rhetorical question about the benefits of losing something
Oh Great Goodman, King of Swingers
An invocation or calling upon the spirit of a particular person or entity, who is known for swinging
(Given what you had, has it made you mad?)
Asking a rhetorical question about the effects of having something
Oh Great Bears and Bulls, Joe Jackson
An invocation or calling upon specific animals and a specific person
(Celebrate the few. Celebrate the new.)
Emphasizing the importance of celebrating the new and the few
Oh Great Illinois
An invocation or calling upon the state of Illinois
Contributed by Violet H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.