From an interview mentioning the song:
...
GB: In a strange paradox, even as it describes sexual molestation and murder, "John Wayne Gacy, Jr." has the most tender sound of these songs. What do you see going on in those lyrics?
SS: I made a concerted effort to scrupulously evoke the series of events which led to his crime, and, considering the circumstances, that was not a pleasant task. In all the crime novels I'd skimmed and in all the news clippings I read, there was a deliberate obsession with finding the source of his depravity. What went wrong, everyone asked. What made him this way? Was it his abusive father? Was it a head injury? A doting mother?
I'm less interested in cause and effect, in terms of human iniquity. I believe we all have the capacity for murder. We are ruthless creatures. I felt insurmountable empathy not with his behavior, but with his nature, and there was nothing I could do to get around confessing that, however horrifying it sounds.
Looking back, I see another thing going on here. It's no mistake that the song follows a 9-minute diatribe against the pretenses of commerce, advertisement, and bad art[namely, "Come on! Feel the Illinoise!"]. John Wayne Gacy embodies the crime of disguise in the most human way possible.
John Wayne Gacy Jr.
Sufjan Stevens Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Folding John Wayne's t-shirts when the swing set hit his head
The neighbors, they adored him
For his humor and his conversation
Look underneath the house there
Find the few living things, rotting fast, in their sleep
Twenty-seven people
Even more, they were boys, with their cars, summer jobs
Oh my God
Ooh, are you one of them?
He dressed up like a clown for them
With his face paint white and red
And on his best behavior
In a dark room on the bed he kissed them all
He'd kill ten thousand people
With a slight of his hand, running far, running fast to the dead
He took off all their clothes for them
He put a cloth on their lips, quiet hands, quiet kiss on the mouth
And in my best behavior
I am really just like him
Look beneath the floor boards
For the secrets I have hid
"John Wayne Gacy Jr." is a haunting song by Sufjan Stevens that delves into the psyche of infamous serial killer John Wayne Gacy Jr. The song describes the troubled upbringing of Gacy, whose father was an abusive alcoholic and whose mother was emotionally unstable. The lyric "his father was a drinker and his mother cried in bed" highlights the instability of Gacy's childhood. The line "folding John Wayne's t-shirts when the swing set hit his head" speaks to the traumatic head injury that Gacy suffered as a child.
Despite his troubled upbringing, Gacy was well-liked in his community and was known for his humor and conversation skills. The neighbors "adored him," which makes the fact that Gacy went on to kill 33 young men and boys all the more disturbing. The lyrics "twenty-seven people, even more, they were boys with their cars, summer jobs" refer to Gacy's victims, most of whom were young men and boys. The line "oh my god, are you one of them?" is particularly chilling as it implies the possibility that the singer of the song could be a victim of Gacy's, or perhaps someone with similar tendencies.
The song takes an eerie turn when it describes Gacy's habit of dressing up like a clown to entertain local children. The lyrics "he dressed up like a clown for them, with his face paint white and red" add a layer of horror to Gacy's already disturbing story. The final verse, "in my best behavior, I am really just like him, look beneath the floorboards for the secrets I have hid," implies that the singer may have similar tendencies or is haunted by a secret of their own.
Line by Line Meaning
His father was a drinker and his mother cried in bed
John Wayne's father was an alcoholic and his mother was overwhelmed with emotion and sadness.
Folding John Wayne's t-shirts when the swing set hit his head
John Wayne suffered a severe head injury while playing on a swing set, and his mother was doing laundry at the time.
The neighbors, they adored him For his humor and his conversation
Despite his troubling home life, John Wayne was able to charm and endear himself to those around him with his wit and engaging personality.
Look underneath the house there Find the few living things, rotting fast, in their sleep
Beneath John Wayne's house, there are a few living things, but they are in a state of decay and close to death.
Oh the dead Twenty-seven people Even more, they were boys, with their cars, summer jobs Oh my God Ooh, are you one of them?
John Wayne Gacy Jr. killed 27 people, mostly young men who had their whole lives ahead of them. The singer is horrified and asks if the listener could be one of the victims.
He dressed up like a clown for them With his face paint white and red And on his best behavior In a dark room on the bed he kissed them all
John Wayne would dress up as a clown to entertain his victims, and then sexually assault and murder them while maintaining a facade of polite behavior.
He'd kill ten thousand people With a slight of his hand, running far, running fast to the dead He took off all their clothes for them He put a cloth on their lips, quiet hands, quiet kiss on the mouth
John Wayne Gacy Jr. was a prolific serial killer who had the ability to easily kill many people. He would then undress them and place a cloth over their mouth to silence them.
And in my best behavior I am really just like him Look beneath the floor boards For the secrets I have hid
The singer confesses that, despite his outwardly good behavior, he has dark secrets hidden beneath the surface, just like John Wayne Gacy Jr. did beneath his floorboards.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Sufjan Stevens
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind