Sufjan Stevens, 'John My Beloved' (Official Audio)

From the album CARRIE & LOWELL
Available on Asthmatic Kitty Records

LYRICS:
Are we to speak, first day of the week
Stumbling words at the bar
Beauty blue eyes, my order of fries
Long Island kindness and wine
Beloved of John, I get it all wrong
I read you for some kind of poem
Covered in lines, the fossils I find
Have they no life of their own?

So can we pretend sweetly
Before the mystery ends?
I am a man with a heart that offends
with its lonely and greedy demands
There’s only a shadow of me; in a manner of speaking I’m dead

Such a waste, your beautiful face
Stumbling carpet arise
Go follow your gem, your white feathered friend
Icarus, point to the sun
If history speaks of two baby teeth
I’m painting the hills blue and red
They said beware, Lord hear my prayer:
I’ve wasted my throes on your head

So can we be friends sweetly
Before the mystery ends?
I love you more than the world can contain
in its lonely and ramshackle head
There’s only a shadow of me; in a manner of speaking I’m dead

I’m holding my breath
My tongue on your chest
What can be said of my heart?
If history speaks, the kiss on my cheek
Where there remains but a mark
Beloved my John, so I’ll carry on
Counting my cards down to one
And when I am dead, come visit my bed
My fossil is bright in the sun

So can we contend peacefully
Before my history ends?
Jesus I need you, be near, come shield me
From fossils that fall on my head
There’s only a shadow of me; in a manner of speaking, I’m dead

[elizabeth]

"I am a man with the heart that offends with its lonely and greedy demands."
god damn.

[drummer]

"I love you more than the world can contain in its lonely and ramshackle head."  Wow.

[NewHopeRichieRich]

I am in tears thinking of my blue eyed love who has left this world....Michael My Beloved.

[sofialarramendia]

i had a neighbour, an old man that ended up being a family friend, he was lonely but he was always smiling along with his dog. he would always greet me when he left for work on his truck, until suddenly he passed away one night. I played this song when i got the news and now every time i listen to it i remember him, i remember how lovely yet lonely he was, mr benitez i hope you know you were loved.

[moldyloaf]

I came from Call Be by Your My NAme and now i am addicted to his voice.

[Sameoldfitup]

“Has it ever struck you that life is all memory, except for the one present moment that goes by you so quick you hardly catch it going?”― Tennessee Williams

[Anonimous]

Are we to speak, first day of the week
Stumbling words at the bar
Beauty blue eyes, my order of fries
Long island kindness and wine
Beloved of John, I get it all wrong
I read you for some kind of poem
Covered in lines, the fossils I find
Have they no life of their own?
So can we pretend sweetly
Before the mystery ends?
I am a man with a heart that offends
With its lonely and greedy demands
There's only a shadow of me, in a manner of speaking I'm dead
Such a waste, your beautiful face
Stumbling carpet arise
Go follow your gem, your white feathered friend
Icarus, point to the sun
If history speaks of two baby teeth
I'm painting the hills blue and red
They said beware, Lord hear my prayer
I've wasted my throes on your head
So can we be friends sweetly
Before the mystery ends?
I love you more than the world can contain
In its lonely and ramshackle head
There's only a shadow of me, in a manner of speaking I'm dead
I'm holding my breath
My tongue on your chest
What can be said of my heart?
If history speaks, the kiss on my cheek
Where there remains but a mark
Beloved my John, so I'll carry on
Counting my cards down to one
And when I am dead, come visit my bed
My fossil is bright in the sun
So can we contend, peacefully
Before my history ends?
Jesus I need you, be near me, come shield me
From fossils that fall on my head
There's only a shadow of me, in a matter of speaking I'm dead

[tonsoftutorials]

I love the lyric
"i love you more than the world can contain in its lonely and ramshackled head"

[genghis_connie]

My jaw hasn’t fallen agape in shock over lyrics on a long time.

[bambiitree]

I'm never prepared for when he starts singing.

[jacobweinreich]

This is my favorite song on Carrie and Lowell and maybe ever. Can’t believe it’s been 10 years

[azirsamson]

This, Fourth of July, Eugene and death with dignity all my favorites

[valeriamedina]

I love this song and interpret it as an ex-lover story. But today something clicked in my brain and I realized it's also about John as the Jesus disciple. Love Sufjan Stevens lyrics, they never cease to amaze me.

[daytripperarrabal]

I'm so happy for Sufjie. There shouldn't be happiness in the tragedies and the losses in life, but he's the proof that we can create from the ashes of our memories and beloved ones. I'm definitely getting this album.

[tharunlogeishwaran]

Sometimes I don't even understand humanity. Why in this beautiful god-forsaken earth would you ever dislike this?

[WoahNelli]

This is truly beautiful. I love when he sings "such a waste, your beautiful face" so lovely

[ofthetree]

All of Carrie and Lowell is Beautiful, but this song is Perfection.

[ДжонДжон-яч]

for my nearly 40 years this is the best song I've ever heard
cause  i feel  its like  bout me and my life

[flyeaglesflyers]

While it may be irrelevant or thematically indirect, I can’t help but think of the apostle John in a nurtering, parabolic way when I hear “John my beloved”. In John’s Gospel, he used the word “love” more than any other, and while he wrote in the simplest, kindest prose, his meekness and emotion bled out all the more. Christ even instructed his “beloved” John to watch over Mary while on the stake, and in some unexplainable aesthetic overture, I hear that brotherly, spiritual love in this notes and rythems of this song. Perception is a wonder to behold.

[lukaswolf]

Came here after reading “On earth we’re briefly gorgeous “ by Ocean Voung, forever grateful for you music Sufjan