Sufjan Stevens - Michigan Album Lyrics

It's the same outside,
Driving to the riverside.
I pretend to cry,
Even if I cried alone.
I forgot the start.
Use my hands to use my heart.
Even if I died alone.

Since the first of June,
Lost my job and lost my room.
I pretend to try,
Even if I tried alone.
I forgot the part.
Lose my hands to lose my heart.
Even if I died alone.

All good thoughts in spite of righteousness
Is not the kind of thoughts in spite of greatness
Often not the state is advocation
If we form a power of recognition

Forget loss and perfect advocation
If it drops or stays in convocation
All we praise is all we want in commerce
All we praise is parties, foreign commerce
Entertain ideas of great communion
Shelter not materials in union
(All we praise is not the kind of commerce
That's the right solution!)

All good thoughts is not the act of doing
What we want but what we should improving
Properties, ideas, a woman's pleasure
Is empowered by love, a perfect measure!

2, 3, 4

I have called you children, I have called you son
What is there to answer if I'm the only one?
Morning comes in Paradise, morning comes in light
Still I must obey, still I must invite
If there's anything to say, if there's anything to do
If there's any other way, I'll do anything for you

I was dressed embarrassment
I was dressed in wine
If you had a part of me, will you take your time?
Even if I come back, even if I die
Is there some idea to replace my life?
Like a father to impress
Like a mother's mourning dress
If you ever make a mess, I'll do anything for you

I have called you preacher, I have called you son
If you have a father or if you haven't one
I'll do anything for you, I'll do anything for you
I'll do anything for you, I'll do anything for you
I did everything for you, I did everything for you
I did everything for you, I did everything for you
I did everything for you, I did everything for you
I did everything for you, I did everything for you

I live in America with a pair of Payless shoes
The Upper Peninsula and the television news
I've seen my wife at the K-Mart
In strange ideas we live apart

I live in a trailer home with a snowmobile, 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

Demonstrate I was
raised from the start
By a priest and
the maid on the part.
Still know what
to wear on my back:
Michigan!
Ponshewaing!
Cadillac!

If I ever meant to go away
I was raised, I was reaised
In the place, in the place.
Still I often think of going back
To the farms, to the farms
Golden arms, golden arms
start to remind me.

If the lakes took
the place of the sea.
If the cars drove
themselves, way to be!
Opposite the trains moving in
Rivers run interstate, Michigan!

Still I never meant to go away
I was raised, I was raised
In the place, in the place.
Still I often think of going back
To the farms, to the farms
Golden arms, golden arms.
Tried to change the
Made in Michigan
I was raised, I was raised
In the place, in the place,
part to remind me

(Instrumental)

All the time we spent in bed
Counting miles before we set
Fall in love and fall apart
Things will end before they start

Sleeping on Lake Michigan
Factories and marching bands
Lose our clothes in summer time
Lose ourselves to lose our minds
In the summer heat, I might

Once a great place. Now a prison.
All I can say. All I can do.
People Mover: Bad Decision.
From suburban. Now a prison.
All I can say. All I can do.

From the trembling walls. It's a great idea!
Everything you want. It's a great idea!

Once a great place. Now a prison.
All I can say. All I can do.

Henry Ford. Henry Ford.
Public Trans. Public Trans.
Pontiac. Pontiac.
Feed the poor. Feed the poor.
City Hall. City Hall.
Windsor Park. Windsor Park.
Saginaw. Saginaw.
After dark. After dark.
Tigers game. Tigers game.
Eighty-four. Eighty-four.
Industry. Industry.
Unemployed. Unemployed.
Gun control. Gun control.
Wolverine. Wolverine.
Iroquois. Iroquois.
Industry. Industry.
Public Trans. Public Trans.
Auto Cars. Auto Cars.
Jefferson. Jefferson.
Michigan. Michigan.

From the trembling walls. It's a great idea!
Everything you want. It's a great idea!
From the Renaissance. It's a great idea!
Everything you want. It's a great idea!
Throw them all away. It's a great idea!
From the Renaissance. It's a great idea!
Everything you want.
(Hesitate to burn the buildings)

Once when our mother called
She had a voice of last year's cough
We passed around the phone
Sharing a word about Oregon

When my turn came
I was ashamed
When my turn came
I was ashamed

Once when we moved away
She came to Romulus for a day
Her Chevrolet broke down
We prayed it never be fixed or be found

We touched her hair
We touched her hair
We touched her hair
We touched her hair

When she had her last child
Once when she had some boyfriend somewhile
She moved away quite far
Our Grampa bought us a new VCR

We watched it all night
We grew up in spite of it
We watched it all night
We grew up in spite of it

We saw her once last fall
Our Grampa died in a hospital gown
She didn't seem to care
She smoked in her room and coloured her hair

I was ashamed
I was ashamed of her
I was ashamed
I was ashamed of her
I was ashamed
I was ashamed of her
I was ashamed
I was ashamed
Of her

(Instrumental)

Oh Sleeping Bear!
Ran to the top and got scared
of what I could see.

Oh Lamb of God!
Tell us your perfect design
and give us the rod.

Oh Sturgeon Bay!
Covered completely in sand
And covered in sun.

Oh Saint Marie! Give up
the rocking boats drowned.
The Captain is done

If you happen to be educated
Time it marches on,
oh time it marches on.
In the end there is a sacred show
delivers every song,
delivers every song.

Mourning steps and
mourning gallivants
And mourning never shows,
no mourning never slows.
If the avatar reminds that it
will never stand at all,
will never stand as tall.

Since the water made it,
most to sail it,
made it most to song,
it made it most to song.
For the politics are not political
for what they stand,
For not what they demand.
Every senator and diplomat
combines her certain part,
A matter for the heart.
Save yourself from recognition.
selfless and quite song
To better get along.

(We love you. We Chose to.
We made to. We love you.)

If we concentrate and pull
resources to the highest poll,
To beat the highest pull, too.
Ever will we conquer grief
and find it faster to resolve
the dead, to be absolved
and fed, to restore.
If the advantageous
reprimand misgivings,
We wont grow.
We will not ever know.
We will not!
(Lift my life in healthy places!)

Oh God, hold me now
Oh Lord, hold me now
There's no other man who could raise the dead
So do what you can to anoint my head

Oh God, where are you now?
Oh Lord, say somehow
The devil is hard on my face again
The world is a hundred to one again

Would the righteous still remain?
Would my body stay the same?

Oh God, hold me now
Oh God, touch me now
There's no other man who could save the dead
There's no other God to place our head

Would the righteous still remain?
Would my body stay the same?

There's no other man who could raise the dead
So do what you can to anoint my head

Oh God, hold me now
Oh Lord, touch me now

(Instrumental)

I always knew you
In your mother's arms
I have called her name
I've an idea

Placed in your mind
To be a better man,
I've made a crown for you
And put it in your room

And when the bride groom comes
There will be noise.
And there will be glad
And the perfect bed

And when you write a poem
I know the words,
I know the sounds
Before you write it down

When you wear your clothes
I wear them too
I wear your shoes.
And the jacket too

I always knew you
In your mother's arms
I have called you son.
I've made amends

Between father and son.
Or if you haven't one
Rest in my arms,
Sleep in my bed,

There's a design
To what I did and said
Rest in my arms,
Sleep in my bed,
There's a design

One dark day the trees began a trumpet sound,
trumpet sound
We sat listening patiently, the sky was near
and I felt the trembling motion
we ran out to see the future, from the ground
from the ground
from the ground
from the ground
people died and people risen everywhere
We held hands and made a circle
quietly from the ground
quietly from the ground
We returned and set the table, by the door