This was the summer it got so hot we p… Read Full Bio ↴Sufjan Stevens on 'Holland' :
This was the summer it got so hot we put a fan in each window. At night we teamed up with the Palestinian students and stole tulips from Centennial Park. We used them as garnishes: we arranged bouquets on table ends and desktops.
We burned a wicker chair on the beach at night. We cooked steaks and pork chops on sticks over the fire. We went skinny-dipping. We huddled under the towels. We told stories about our fathers, about our first kiss, about that one uncle who was always drunk at family reunions.
We bought guitars and accordions and played them under blankets in the park. We tried to follow the Dutch dancers. We mowed lawns and stole flags from construction sites and kissed on the lips at the drinking fountain. We drank Boone’s Sangria and cried and cried and cried on the couch.
We sewed shirts for our friends, with decorative borders made from ribbons, with zippers, with billowing collars, with floral patterns. Nothing fit right. We went around shirtless, even the skinny ones, even the fat ones, even the ones with terrific arms and shoulders.
We took our time talking things out; we listened carefully, with a serious look. We prayed. We read Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. We tried very hard to understand this.
We went to a church that was in English and Spanish. We tried very hard to understand this.
We made omelets on the weekends. We whittled wood. We knitted hats. We smoked cigarettes. We gave each other gifts. Elaborate, handmade, complicated passive aggressive gifts.
We were afraid to be left behind. We were afraid to be loved. We were afraid this would come to an end, as all things do. We sat on the couch and cried and cried and cried.
Holland
Sufjan Stevens Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴
Counting miles before we said
Fall in love and fall apart
Things will end before they start
Sleeping on Lake Michigan
Factories and marching bands
Lose our clothes in summertime
In the summer heat I might
interpret these lyrics to mean the fleeting nature of relationships and the way we can fall in love so quickly, but ultimately fall apart just as fast. The first verse sets the tone for this idea, with the imagery of laying in bed and counting miles indicating a sense of anticipation and excitement for the future. But the second half of the verse, with the line "things will end before they start," dampens that excitement and suggests that all this build up may not lead to a successful relationship.
The second verse describes a specific moment in time - being on Lake Michigan in the summer. The contrast between the natural beauty of the lake and the man-made factories and marching bands highlights the fleeting nature of the moment itself. The following lines also suggest a sense of carelessness and impulsiveness, with the singer losing their clothes and their mind in the midst of it all.
Overall, I interpret this song as a meditation on how we can be so drawn to and excited by certain people or moments in our lives, but how ultimately they may run their course and end before we even realize it. The lyrics convey a sense of melancholy and nostalgia for these fleeting moments, but also an understanding that they are a natural part of life.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: SUFJAN STEVENS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind