The Owl and the Tanager
Sufjan Stevens Lyrics
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I kept inside your car
The rabbit in the barn
Most of all I wait
I wait beside the door
I wait beside the door
And all I was wrong trembling in the cage
In seven hours I consider death
And your father called to yell at me
You little boy, you little boy
Found out you cheated me
I ran behind the barn and cut my hands somehow
Blood in the meadowlark
I punched your ears instead
I punched you in the head
You only laughed and laughed and laughed
How I was wrong tingling from the kill
Tickle me until you devil bird you evil still
Slept on my arms, sleeping in the sill
I was sleeping in the room with you
You little boy, you little boy
How could you run from me now?
The loneliest chime in the house
The loneliest chime in the house
You let it out you let it out
Come to me Calvary still
I'm weeding and raking until
I'm bleeding in spite of my love for you
It bruised and bruised my will
Counting alluvial plains
The breathing inside of the range
You touched me inside of my cage
Beneath my shirt your hands embraced me
Come to me feathered and frayed
For I am the ugliest prey,
For I am the ugliest prey
The owl, the reckless reckless praise
You said you'd wait for me
Down by the Tannery Creek
Far out by the clotheslines where we used to kiss behind the sheets
Wrapped in a blanket of red
The owl and the tanager said
The owl and the tanager said
One waits until the hour is death
The Owl and the Tanager is a poetic and cryptic song by Sufjan Stevens that tells a story of a failed relationship, jealousy, and desperation. The song opens with the singer confessing that they had kept all their hopes inside their lover's car, hoping for validation and acceptance. The image of the rabbit in the barn is symbolic of the burden of unfulfilled expectations. The singer is waiting anxiously beside the door, unable to let go of their desire for love.
As the song progresses, the singer's desperation and jealousy turn into violence. They feel wronged and trapped like "diamonds in the cage." This imprisonment is driving them to the brink of death. The father of the lover calls to yell at the singer, who is demeaned as a "little boy." This insult further fuels the singer's frustration.
The climax of the song is a physical altercation where the singer punches their lover in the head. But the lover laughs, which only intensifies the singer's humiliation. The song ends with the singer wishing for death and for the lover to come back to them, an irony in itself. The Owl and the Tanager is a complex and layered song with many possible interpretations.
Line by Line Meaning
All I had hoped for
I had kept all my hopes inside your car
The rabbit in the barn
I had hidden my fears in the barn with the rabbit
Most of all I wait
My greatest desire is to wait beside the door for you
I wait beside the door
I am waiting beside the door for you
And all I was wrong trembling in the cage
I was wrong to be trapped in my fears
I was diamonds in the cage
I was precious even though I was trapped
In seven hours I consider death
Death seems like a better option than being trapped in my fears
And your father called to yell at me
Your father called me and scolded me
You little boy, you little boy
He was angry and called me a child
Found out you cheated me
I discovered that you had deceived me
I ran behind the barn and cut my hands somehow
I ran to the barn and injured myself in some way
Blood in the meadowlark
There was blood in the meadowlark
I punched your ears instead
I punched your ears in anger
I punched you in the head
I punched your head in anger
You only laughed and laughed and laughed
You found my anger amusing and laughed
How I was wrong tingling from the kill
I was wrong to feel pleasure from my violent outburst
Tickle me until you devil bird you evil still
You keep tormenting me, you evil being
Slept on my arms, sleeping in the sill
You slept on my arms while I was sitting in the window frame
I was sleeping in the room with you
I was sleeping in the same room as you
You little boy, you little boy
You still treated me like a child
How could you run from me now?
Why would you run away from me now?
The loneliest chime in the house
The sound of the chime made me feel more lonely
You let it out you let it out
You released the chime, making me feel even more lonely
Come to me Calvary still
I am still trying to find salvation in you
I'm weeding and raking until
I am trying to get rid of my negative thoughts
I'm bleeding in spite of my love for you
I am hurting even though I love you
It bruised and bruised my will
My will was repeatedly hurt
Counting alluvial plains
Trying to forget my pain by counting the plains
The breathing inside of the range
The sound of breathing in the distance
You touched me inside of my cage
You touched me even when I was trapped in my fears
Beneath my shirt your hands embraced me
You hugged me tightly
Come to me feathered and frayed
Come to me even if you are hurt and broken
For I am the ugliest prey,
I am the most vulnerable and weak
The owl, the reckless reckless praise
The owl is praising recklessly
You said you'd wait for me
You promised to wait for me
Down by the Tannery Creek
You said you'd be at Tannery Creek
Far out by the clotheslines where we used to kiss behind the sheets
You promised to be at the clotheslines where we once kissed behind the sheets
Wrapped in a blanket of red
I imagined us being together, wrapped in a red blanket
The owl and the tanager said
The owl and the tanager reminded me
One waits until the hour is death
Patience is rewarded even if you have to wait until death
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: SUFJAN STEVENS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind