The Upper Peninsula
Sufjan Stevens Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

live in America
With a pair of Payless shoes
The upper peninsula
And the television news

And I've seen my wife
At the K-Mart
In strange ideas
We live apart

I live in a trailer home
With a snow mobile, my car
The window is broken out
And the interstate is far

I drove all night
To find my child
In strange ideas
He's been revived

In strange ideas
In stranger times
I've no idea
What's right sometimes

I lost my mind
I lost my life




I lost my job
I lost my wife

Overall Meaning

The Upper Peninsula by Sufjan Stevens is a melancholic song that explores the difficulties of life in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The song speaks to the sense of isolation and dislocation that pervades life in the region, where harsh weather and the lack of economic opportunities create a sense of despair. The lyrics evoke the image of an individual who is struggling to get by, living in a trailer home with a snowmobile as his only means of transportation.


The song also contains a poignant reference to the singer's wife, whom he sees at the K-Mart but with whom he lives apart. The singer is clearly struggling with emotional distance and a sense of alienation in his relationships, which is further compounded by the harsh reality of life in the Upper Peninsula. This sense of disconnection is further underscored by the reference to the news on television, which serves as a reminder of the wider world beyond the insular Upper Peninsula.


Throughout the song, Sufjan Stevens captures the sense of disorientation and unease that comes with living in a place that is at once beautiful and remote, yet also marked by economic hardship and social fragmentation. It's a powerful meditation on the human condition and the struggle to find meaning and connection in a world that can seem indifferent and cold.


Line by Line Meaning

live in America
I reside in the United States of America.


With a pair of Payless shoes
I own and wear cheap shoes from Payless Shoesource.


The upper peninsula
I am from the region of Michigan that is located north of the more famous part of the state.


And the television news
I keep abreast of current events by watching the news on television.


And I've seen my wife
I have encountered my spouse somewhere.


At the K-Mart
I saw my wife shopping at K-Mart, a discount department store.


In strange ideas
Our thoughts and beliefs are unconventional and out of the ordinary.


We live apart
Although we are married, we are separated from each other.


I live in a trailer home
I reside in a mobile home or a manufactured house.


With a snow mobile, my car
I use a snowmobile as a vehicle, in addition to a car.


The window is broken out
One of the windows in my home or vehicle is shattered or missing.


And the interstate is far
The nearest highway is located at some distance from my home.


I drove all night
I did not stop to rest or sleep while driving for an entire night.


To find my child
My son or daughter was not where they were supposed to be and I went to look for them.


In strange ideas
My mind and thoughts are fixated on unconventional and bizarre things.


He's been revived
My child has been resurrected or brought back to life from something traumatic.


In stranger times
These are perilous, chaotic and abnormal times.


I've no idea
I do not know or understand the course of action to take.


What's right sometimes
At times, it is difficult to differentiate between right and wrong.


I lost my mind
My mental state has deteriorated and I have become disoriented or insane.


I lost my life
I no longer have a life worth living.


I lost my job
I am no longer employed.


I lost my wife
My wife and I are no longer together and I am suffering from this separation.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: SUFJAN STEVENS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Alessandro Bilancia

What a piece of art... Sufjan is a Walt whitman in music

T K L

love that! walt was a male nurse. double the respect.

RichardCranium317

I discovered this song during late 20s.. 10+ years now and it hits my feels so hard. I enjoy my walk down Memory Lane with this

Camden Adler

brilliant song and banjo work. Cacophonous guitar solo, yet it fits so well

AlexDaGreat

I love this song❤

wildmercuryfilms

Anyone who can rhyme A-Part with K-Mart is a genius, obviously

Pumpkin Pumpkin

this song is my soundtrack to the walking dead the song fits so well Rick Grimes But even without that is this song beautifully god i love sufjans music!!!

Cream 794

I LOVE YOU SUFJAN! SO DOPE.

jude benjamin

certified hit....east africa is listening...yasssss...

Beatrice Mwamidi

Listening in 2021😊

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