All the King
Sufjan Stevens Lyrics


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One mother rises, pulling the sheets from the grill
All the disguises, wandering stars once she did
All the king's horns, all the kings men, saddled and [Incomprehensible] raise the dead
Only an infant, He came to raise up the dead

Wandering wise men what did you bring to his bed
Shameless surprises, incense to bring to the dead
Nothing is wrong, it's what she did, all the king's horns and kings men
Nothing is wrong, it's what she did, all the king's horns and kings men





Nothing is wrong, it's what she did, all the king's horns raise the dead
Nothing is wrong, it's what she did, all the king's horns

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Sufjan Stevens's song All the King's Horns explore the themes of resurrection and rebirth, particularly through the lens of the Nativity story. The opening lines depict a mother rising and pulling sheets from a grill, which could be a metaphor for uncovering something that was hidden or concealed. This sets the tone for the rest of the song, which touches upon themes of disguise, wandering, and revelation. The line "All the king's horns, all the king's men" harkens back to the classic nursery rhyme "Humpty Dumpty," but in this context, it seems to allude to the power structures at play in the Nativity story. The phrase "raise the dead" is repeated multiple times, underscoring the theme of resurrection.


The middle section of the song shifts to a focus on the wise men who brought gifts to the newborn Jesus. The lyrics describe their offerings as "shameless surprises" and "incense to bring to the dead." This suggests that their gifts were not just an homage to the baby Jesus, but also a nod to his divine power to bring the dead back to life. The repeated refrain of "nothing is wrong, it's what she did" seems to indicate that the actions of the mother and the wise men were not just acceptable, but deeply meaningful and significant.


Overall, the lyrics of All the King's Horns are cryptic and open to interpretation, but they seem to be grappling with themes of power, resurrection, and the supernatural. Through images of wandering stars, disguised mothers, and powerful kings, the song paints a picture of a world where anything is possible, and where life can triumph over death.


Line by Line Meaning

One mother rises, pulling the sheets from the grill
A mother awakens and uncovers something hidden


All the disguises, wandering stars once she did
She used to pretend and follow a certain path


All the king's horns, all the kings men, saddled and [Incomprehensible] raise the dead
The powerful will use any means to gain control even if it means bringing back the dead


Only an infant, He came to raise up the dead
Despite being an innocent child, He had the power to raise the dead


Wandering wise men what did you bring to his bed
The wise men who traveled far brought something to offer to the child


Shameless surprises, incense to bring to the dead
Their gifts were unexpected and meant for the dead


Nothing is wrong, it's what she did, all the king's horns and kings men
The actions taken by the woman were not necessarily wrong or right


Nothing is wrong, it's what she did, all the king's horns and kings men
The powerful will use any means to achieve their goals


Nothing is wrong, it's what she did, all the king's horns raise the dead
Even actions that seem wrong are justified by those in power


Nothing is wrong, it's what she did, all the king's horns
The powerful will do whatever it takes to maintain their position




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: SUFJAN STEVENS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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