Ding! Dong!
Sufjan Stevens Lyrics


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One Mother rises, pulling the sheets from the crib
All the disguises wandering stars, what She did
All the king's horns, all the kings men

Saddled and worn, raise the dead
Holy, an Infant, He came to raise up the dead
Wandering wise men, what did you bring to His bed?
Shapeless surprises, incense to bring to the dead

Nothing is wrong, it's what She did
All the king's horns and the king's men
Nothing is wrong, it's what She did
All the king's horns and the king's 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 to Sufjan Stevens's song Ding! Dong! are full of fascinating imagery that require a deep interpretation to fully understand. The song centers on the story of the birth of Jesus Christ, and in particular, the woman who gave birth to him. The first verse describes the mother waking up and pulling the sheets from the crib, symbolizing her responsibility as a parent to care for her child. The second line mentions "all the disguises wandering stars," which can be interpreted as a reference to the Star of Bethlehem that guided the wise men to the birthplace of Jesus, and the various disguises or changes the star went through during its journey. The third line mentions "all the king's horns, all the kings men," a reference to the power and influence that kings and those in authority wield, which is juxtaposed with the power of a mother to bring forth new life.


The second verse is dedicated to the coming of the Infant, who brought new life and raised the dead. The wise men are also mentioned, and questioned on what they brought to the Baby's bed. The last line of the verse mentions "incense to bring to the dead," which is another allusion to the idea that the Infant had the power to raise the dead. The chorus repeats the idea that nothing is wrong, and that the actions taken by the mother and her child are justified, no matter what others may think.


Overall, the lyrics of Ding! Dong! are rich in religious symbolism and metaphor, and likely require multiple listens and careful analysis to fully comprehend. The song tells a powerful story of birth, life, and death, and the themes of power, authority, and love are woven throughout.


Line by Line Meaning

One Mother rises, pulling the sheets from the crib
The mother of a newborn baby wakes up and removes the sheets covering the crib.


All the disguises wandering stars, what She did
Many mysterious things happened when the mother gave birth to her child.


All the king's horns, all the kings men
All the powerful people in the world are present at this moment.


Saddled and worn, raise the dead
Despite being tired and worn out, they are ready to celebrate the birth of the holy child.


Holy, an Infant, He came to raise up the dead
The newborn child is holy and believed to have the power to bring the dead back to life.


Wandering wise men, what did you bring to His bed?
The wise men who came from afar are questioned about the gifts they brought for the newborn child.


Shapeless surprises, incense to bring to the dead
The gifts brought by the wise men are mysterious and include incense used in burial rituals.


Nothing is wrong, it's what She did
Despite the unusual circumstances surrounding the birth, everything turns out to be just as it was meant to be.


All the king's horns and the king's men
The powerful people in attendance continue to be present and witness the miraculous birth.


Nothing is wrong, it's what She did
Again, despite the strange events surrounding the birth, everything occurs as it should have.


All the king's horns, raise the dead
The powerful people in attendance celebrate the birth and believe it to be a time of rebirth for all.


Nothing is wrong, it's what She did
For the final time, it is reiterated that despite the unusual circumstances, everything is as it should be.


All the king's horns
The powerful and influential people present continue to celebrate and witness the miraculous birth of the holy child.




Contributed by Skyler R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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