X-mas Spirit Catcher
Sufjan Stevens Lyrics


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The angel came and said its name
But she could not keep from trembling
The spirit went where it went
Though it could not cede forgiveness

And when it came to pass again
Enterprising in its legend
The government did all it could
To be sure its power was given

To see yourself
What have you done with yourself?
Have you missed it?
To be of life, in living it
Love in fullness, life worth living

To understand the Son of Man
For the vision is the ending
In Israel, of sacrifice
Indignation is the mending

Blessed is the woman
For to be called fullness
Blessed is the woman
For to be called fullness

And Gabriel, in spite of it
Went for wandering in the desert
The Holy One is born of it
Mary and her cousin ever

Blessed is the woman
For to be called fullness




Blessed is the woman
For to be called fullness

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Sufjan Stevens's song X-mas Spirit Catcher are enigmatic and reveal different meanings to different people. The song opens with the image of an angel coming and revealing its name to someone who is tremulous and hesitant. The spirit moves on its own accord without being able to forgive or be forgiven. The second verse is more oblique, with the overarching theme being that of understanding the Son of Man, who saves humanity from sin. The words hint at the theme of sacrifice and mention the notion of indignation, which means righteous anger, and how it affects redemption.


The chorus speaks about the idea of "fullness," and how blessed women are to be called so. The song moves back and forth between the themes of sacrifice and fullness, speaking of how one understands the other. The final verse speaks of Gabriel wandering in the desert, while Mary and her cousin conceive the Holy One. The lyrics hint at how faith moves from the old to the new, with echoes of the Old Testament inspiring the New.


In conclusion, while it may be difficult to pin down the exact meaning of X-mas Spirit Catcher, the song speaks of faith, redemption, and sacrifice in a poetic, cryptic manner that invites interpretation.


Line by Line Meaning

The angel came and said its name
An angel appeared and introduced itself


But she could not keep from trembling
The person who saw the angel was scared and shaken


The spirit went where it went
The spirit moved around freely


Though it could not cede forgiveness
Although the spirit could not forgive


And when it came to pass again
When the event occurred again


Enterprising in its legend
It was a great and remarkable event


The government did all it could
The authorities exerted their power


To be sure its power was given
To make sure they had control over the situation


To see yourself
To know and understand yourself


What have you done with yourself?
What actions have you taken for yourself?


Have you missed it?
Have you overlooked something important?


To be of life, in living it
To exist fully and experience life


Love in fullness, life worth living
A life full of love is a life worth living


To understand the Son of Man
To comprehend the meaning of Jesus' existence


For the vision is the ending
The ultimate goal is to reach the vision


In Israel, of sacrifice
In Israel, sacrifices were made for atonement


Indignation is the mending
Righteous anger is necessary for healing


Blessed is the woman
A woman is deserving of blessings


For to be called fullness
For being complete and whole


And Gabriel, in spite of it
Gabriel, despite what happened


Went for wandering in the desert
Went on a journey through the desert


The Holy One is born of it
From this journey, a sacred child was born


Mary and her cousin ever
Mary and her cousin always remembered this event


Blessed is the woman
A woman should be celebrated and honored


For to be called fullness
For being complete and whole




Contributed by Brody W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

@estebanmolina7748

we need more concerts about christmas with this man!

@Coco_Board

I love it 🔅

@alantrue7316

Superb..Merry Christmas to all in September,I love you.

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