There is the strange kid i… Read Full Bio ↴Sufjan Stevens on 'The Upper Peninsula' :
There is the strange kid in seventh grade who is two years older than everyone else. He can grow a mustache. He wears shoes without laces, his back pocket stuffed with Skoal, and a sleeveless T-shirt, even in the winter. His name might be Mike Wiggleshorts or Judd Zilowski or R.C. Cole. He smokes between classes. He grows a tail and braids it. One summer he sketches his girlfriend’s profile on the back of his hand with a nail file. It bleeds and scabs over. This is what he does for fun. He throws rocks at the swing bridge. He makes dirty jokes about the gym teacher, who is overweight. He says she is a lesbian. He says her left boob is fake. By tenth grade he is a father, gets married to Andrea Stillwater, quits school, moves to the U.P., buys a trailer, starts working at the bait shop, counting worms, or later, at the gas station, counting out change. If anything, he can count. Later, he steals from the register, just a few bucks for beer or lottery tickets. He buys biking magazines and leaves them around the toilet.
His wife likes to party. She goes out to the ski resort to make eyes at the tourists in their ski boots. One night, he is left home alone with his kid, a boy. (They named him Terrence. They call him Mr. T because he was born with a mohawk and a harelip, and this gives him a hard look. He is not easy on the eyes, this kid.) Now this time, his father looks at his son. He gets a real good look for the first time. He sees himself in his son, his own pointed ears, his short forehead, his long nose, his double chin. I made this! He says to himself. I had a part in this! This is my son!
Just then, his wife comes in. She smells of hot cocoa and a sport deodorant. She is drunk. She stumbles with her purse. She is wearing snow boots and a hat with earflaps. She has a lighter in each pocket. What are you looking at? she says. What are you looking at Mr. T for? What is it?
He pulls away the pillows and the baby’s blanket and the terry towels and the baby wipes. He makes room for her on the couch, so she can get a good look at their son. But she doesn’t see it. She looks and shrugs and says she thinks she is starting her period.
Two years later, in the middle of the night, she will leave him, she will drive all night to her mother’s house in Cadillac. Mr. T can talk and walk. He knows a few cuss words. He has ADD. He is put on medication. He goes to speech therapy. She will start working at K-mart, doing stock for women’s clothing. She might steal a tank top or a pair of sandals once in a while. She likes nice things: nail polish and lip-gloss and doilies for the table. She might change her hair color. She might take a trip to Florida. She is tired of these long winters.
The Upper Peninsula
Sufjan Stevens Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
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
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
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😊