"This one is for a friend… Read Full Bio ↴Sufjan Stevens on "Opie's Funeral Song" :
"This one is for a friend of ours named Opie who I went to school with in Alanson, Michigan. Opie was a foster kid in middle school who unfortunately was killed very early on in the school year in 7th grade and many of us felt like we hadnt really gotten to know him as well because he was a foster kid and you know how people are in middle school and in junior high.. so it was kind of a big revelation I think for all of us at that age.."
opie's funeral song
Sufjan Stevens Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You make it worth it, to the end
You put a hole in my head
Just like you put a fire in the tree
Ever since dawn
Ever since when
You put the note in my pocket again
I was invited for once
Yes I was invited for once
You make it difficult, friend
You make it worth it, to the end
You put a hole in our heads
Just like you put a fire in the tree
Ever since dawn
Ever since three
We made the plans at your party to be
And we tied the ribbon beside your back tree
Yes we tied it upside down
Yes we tied it upside down
The lyrics to "Opie's Funeral Song" by Sufjan Stevens are a tribute to a beloved friend who recently passed away. The opening lines, "You make it beautiful, friend / You make it worth it, to the end" convey a deep sense of admiration and appreciation for the friend. The lyric "You put a hole in my head / Just like you put a fire in the tree" appears to reference the friend's impact on Sufjan's life – he has left a permanent impression in the same way that a hole or a fire cannot be undone or forgotten.
The next verse describes a significant moment between the two friends, when the friend left a note in Sufjan's pocket and invited him to meet at three. This invitation was meaningful to Sufjan, as it gave him a sense of inclusion and value. The chorus repeats the earlier sentiment of appreciating the friend's difficulty and worth, while also extending this sentiment to include everyone in the friend's life – "You make it difficult, friend / You make it worth it, to the end / You put a hole in our heads / Just like you put a fire in the tree."
The final verse seems to describe a moment where the friend was still alive, at a party where they made plans to visit "your" back tree and tied a ribbon upside down. This could be a symbolic reference to the friend's passing, with the untraditional method of tying the ribbon upside down representing a departure from the norm. Overall, "Opie's Funeral Song" is a deeply personal and emotional tribute to a special person who has passed on.
Line by Line Meaning
You make it beautiful, friend
The subject of the song is a friend who has the ability to make things beautiful.
You make it worth it, to the end
The subject of the song has a quality that makes everything worthwhile until the very end.
You put a hole in my head
The subject of the song has a strong impact on the writer's thoughts and emotions, comparable to creating a hole in their head.
Just like you put a fire in the tree
The subject of the song has an ability to create and spread intensity and vitality, akin to lighting a fire in a tree.
Ever since dawn
The writer has been affected by the subject since dawn (possibly metaphorical).
Ever since when
The influence and impact of the subject of the song can be traced back to a specific time or moment.
You put the note in my pocket again
The subject communicates with the writer through notes, signifying an ongoing rapport and relationship.
And you said you wanted to meet me at three
The subject sets up an appointment or a way to meet, reflecting a desire to have a personal relationship with the writer.
I was invited for once
The writer has received an invitation, presumably from the subject of the song, which implies that the writer does not typically receive invitations.
Yes I was invited for once
The writer reaffirms that they were invited for the first time, possibly indicating their gratitude for being included.
You make it difficult, friend
At times, the influence and impact of the subject of the song can pose challenges and obstacles to the writer.
You put a hole in our heads
The subject of the song can have a profound and significant impact on the minds and thoughts of many individuals, comparable to creating a hole.
Just like you put a fire in the tree
The subject has an ability to inspire and create vibrancy and intensity, akin to lighting a fire in a tree.
Ever since dawn
The subject's impact can be traced back to dawn (most likely a metaphorical reference).
Ever since three
The appointment mentioned earlier seems to have served as a turning point in how the subject impacted the writer.
We made the plans at your party to be
The writer made plans with the subject during a party, indicating a shared social circle or group of friends.
And we tied the ribbon beside your back tree
The writer and the subject crafted something together (a ribbon) next to a tree, which could symbolize growth and vitality.
Yes we tied it upside down
The writer reflects that they deliberately tied the ribbon upside down, possibly as a sign of rebellion or rule-breaking.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: SUFJAN STEVENS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
luna
you make it beautiful, friend
you make it worth it to the end
you put a hole in my head
just like you put a fire in the tree
ever since dawn
and ever since when
you put the note in my pocket again
and you said you wanted to meet me at three
i was invited for once
yes, i was invited for once
you make it difficult, friend
you make it worth it to the end
you put a hole in our heads
just like you put a fire in the tree
and ever since dawn
and ever since three
we made the plans at your party to be
and we tied the ribbon beside your back tree
yes, we tied it upside down
yes, we tied it upside down
John McNeil
"I remember in Elementary School when my friend Opie was killed, and it was the first time I really experienced a death of a friend. And the grievance counselor came to school and said: ‘This was Opie’s desk, he no longer occupies the desk. Now he occupies heaven.’ And it was really strange because there was this palpable physical and emotional vacancy where he was. There was this space, this energy beforehand but now it no longer is there which was really difficult for me to kind of manage that. And then as I get older, dealing with other deaths – friends and family, grandparents and my mother – and I started to realize that there’s all these vacancies that are created and yet I still feel this sort of weight – this heaviness from it. So it seems bullshit that there is a vacancy there, there is actually a palpable, physical weight in which we carry around, at least I carry around, and I started to think its because even though they no longer occupy the physical space – they now occupy my space."
Sufjan Stevens, Chicago Theater 4/24/2015
toev
Thank you for sharing this.
jdavidsparham
I would just like you to know that I have been watching this video on a semi-regular basis for two years. You have taken your previously useless footage and turned it into something that truly means something to me. I grew up in Southern Ontario, on Lake Erie. Somehow this video is home to me. I live in London England now, and lived in Ottawa before that, but whenever I needed reassurance, whenever I needed calm, I sought out this video. It may seem strange, but this video means a lot to me.
cool sports
ive lived in london my whole life but i stayed in canada for a while with people i consider to be my closest friends, we regularly had dock nights where we would sit on the dock and i would play this on the guitar and play either john denver or sufjan and look at the canoes on the lake its my favourite memory. This was in Ontario too. Have a good one mate wherever you are since its been 9 years.
MD-80
one of Sufjans best. Never understood why this is so unknown
Blake Stebbe
It really is. I don’t know why he didn’t include it on any of his earlier records.
toev
That's how I feel about all his songs lol
Flips McGee
yes. yes. yes.
baconmeat
I grew up in Dayton, OH - noticed the Speedways and the I-75 signs. Brings back a lot of memories of the melancholic beauty of the Midwest.
Nora Horphzinger
I move a lot. Born in Utah, raised beside pine trees and watermelon in Missouri, but spend my teen years in Indiana right behind a corn field. Many folk around the Midwest can be harsh and oft' times it feels alienating, but at the same time, I'd never wish to actually be anywhere else. You find the best of gems in people here.