The Heartbreaking Story Behind Sufjan Stevens' Fourth of July

#Middle8 #FourthofJuly #SufjanStevens

This video is sponsored by Skillshare
Written, voiced and edited by Frank Furtado
Additional Music by Matthew McClelland

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If you were to ask a fan what their favorite Sufjan Stevens album is, you’re likely to get a different answer from each one you speak to. The singer-songwriter has released more than a handful of career-defining albums -- each housing its own individual brand of folk music: Like the soft acoustics of Seven Swans. Or the lush multi-instrumentals of Illinois. And the unexpected, electronic punch delivered by The Age of Adz. But it’s his 2015 album, Carrie & Lowell, that might wind up defining Sufjan’s career.

Shortly after the release of The Age of Adz, Sufjan’s mother passed away. His relationship with her had always been a complicated one. His earlier music defined her as an unfit parent. Regardless of your history, when your mother dies, it tends to be a devastating loss. Her passing sent Sufjan on a trajectory towards processing grief: searching for the significance in the end of life while also honouring the universal experience that is death. By virtue of his powerful songwriting, Carrie & Lowell is the artist’s most emotionally impactful body of work. It’s how Sufjan Stevens deciphers death.

[labbern]

Everyone listening to this song:
"We're all gonna cry"

[limbo]

Fourth Of July is my go-to song when I'm having a horrible time and just want to cry it all out.

[erickarakelian]

As a huge Sufjan Stevens fan, I clicked this the second I saw it. He’s such an underrated artists it’s insane

[libbibunni]

i think the part where she said "im sorry i left but it was for the best" was in reference to when she first left him as a kid and basically saying it was for the best because he wouldn't have ended up where he was if she didn't. that even though his past hurt and will still hurt, he is where he is meant to be.

[Riley-nwjv]

Imo when sufjan sings "and I'm sorry I left and it was for the best though it never felt right" I think it's his mom apologising for leaving him as a baby, and not for dying

[MangoLassie]

"Did you get enough love, my little Dove?"

This line tightens the lump in my throat and brings me to tears every fucking time I hear it... To me it shows that his mother, even at the end of her life, was concerned about whether Sufjan felt that she had shown him enough love, and wanted to make sure he knew that she loved him dearly... Fuck man

[j.andrew]

My brother died on the night of July 3rd, this song has a whole layer of meaning for me

[el_rey_gris]

"My mother, she betrayed us, but our father loved and bathed us"

I now see a whole new side of him 😭

[faribanouri]

The interesting thing about the "Shall we look at the moon, my little loon?"
Is that you can see a little pun. Because "lune" means "moon" in french.

[alwindsor]

God, this song is heartbreaking but in a beautifully melancholic way. It's hard to listen to Carrie and Lowell without getting sucked into the intense emotional lyrics and instrumentation.

[darshanambule]

4th of july is the one song that I love so much that I don't loop it.

[daneeyul]

This album came out right when my dad died. Like Sufjan and Carrie, my relationship with my father wasn't always constant, but it did exist in flashes. This album was constantly on during the long drives to the undertakers, the removal and, eventually, the funeral. 'We're all gonna die' became kind of a gallows humour joke between my family- it's quite funny to drive to a funeral with 'WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE' repeating over and over and over again. Our laughter helped us cope. I love this track, and I know it helps others cope too. This is a great video and a good excuse for me to re-listen to this masterpiece again.

[Enriqueta_Fuentes]

So interesting... I always thought that "My little Versailles" was a term of endearment that Carrie was calling Sufjan. A reference to the Palace, stating that her son, himself, holds beauty and art inside of him.

[jacksonpaul]

Literally as his new song comes out lol

[dylandarcy]

ngl, even the small snippets of the songs you played here kinda made me tear up a bit. such a hard album to listen to but it's also probably one of the best ever made. Suf is a genius.

[ethananderson]

Listening to this song live is a transcendent experience.

[EnkiDenki]

"We're all gonna die, Skillshare has a creative writing class for you."

[writhingmassofworms]

I started crying as soon as I read the words “fourth of July” on the thumbnail
That’s how much this song has wrecked me

[ikemeitz]

At 5:17, when his mother says "I'm sorry I left, but it was for the best" she is likely also referring to when she left his family. Sufjan adds a double-meaning when he puts it in Fourth of July.

[DailyDoseOfFootballYT]

"Shall we look at the moon, my little loon?" is one of the most heart wrenching lines I've ever heard. Before learning it was about his mother, I couldn't stop myself from being reminded of someone else in my life and well that hurt and soothed me at the same time. Thanks for the video, it was great and I love this channel.