Joanna Newsom "Sapokanikan" (Official Video) 

I looked up the lyrics because I could barely understand the whole poetic speech and WOW. I'm completely blown away. It has tons of references to history and literature, and there is a superb flow to the words. All combined with her showstopping performance and everything from the pretty melody to the gorgeous arrangements results in a song of titanic proportions. And to think her whole discography is quite of the same caliber... Joanna Newsom is a true gem. And this song is definitely one of the best of this year, hands down.

I can't believe Joanna Newsom inspired Percy Bysshe Shelley's famous poem Ozymandias. What a legend

"look upon my works, ye mighty, and despair." - joanna newsom gesturing to her discography

This song makes me bawl. The passage of time is unforgiving and humans are so small.

I must admit that I just now stumbled across Joanna Newsom because of Andy Samberg. This is the first song I've heard of hers. Halfway through the music video I thought to myself "this is the kind of artist that makes you feel smarter just for knowing them. A true and respectable artist." I had to look up the lyrics and shortly thereafter the meaning. It's 2am and I have put that aside to unpack tomorrow. I most definitely will listen to another song or two!

Can we take a moment to think about how many historical and literary references she put into these lyrics? 5 beautiful minutes singing (in her own words) about remembrance, forgetting, accretion, concealment, amendment, erasure, distortion, canonization, obsolescence and immortality. All of this accompanied by the beautiful sounds of not-so-known instruments to the general public, such as celestas, bouzoukis and baglamas, while flaunting her smile through the streets of New York City. This woman is an utter genius!

Joanna Newsom is the reason why I close Spotify and open RU-vid once in a while

around 4:30, when she's passed by the emergency vehicles, and she looks like she has tears in her eyes, i'm always reminded of one of the interviews she did regarding Ys. where she talks about how she went home an emotional wreck after fasting by a river for a couple days. she said she would pick up a newspaper and read about someone who died in a car crash, and just be totally inconsolable, because she couldn't stop thinking about how afraid and in pain they must've been when leaving this earth

My beautiful cat just passed. She always purred when I played or hummed this song. Funny thing. Listening in her honour. Thanks Joanna

What I love about this song is the fact that your enjoyment of it is equal to the amount of effort you put in understanding it. In a world where instant gratification is the norm, art like this is a beautiful rarity.

The climax broke me, didn't expect that.

I'd say she was psyched when she realised Ozymondian rhymes with Sapokanikan

The instrumentation in this masterpiece is like a wild river. Constantly changing, restless, flowing forward while expanding and retracting with the terrain. Truly remarkable!

I legit went from _"Lucky girl married Andy Samberg"_ to _"Damn Andy! You got lucky!!!"_

This is an unnervingly deep song. About monuments of the past, referencing Shelley, Flory Walker! Tamanend to Tamany Hall to John Purroy Mitchel!!!!!! These are legitimate and profound contrasts in history. The connection spans centuries. The song is about remnants and preservation and reverence of the past! Good lord. It is so complex. My goodness. I may sleep with the light on tonight. gosh. Yesterday I had never even heard of Joanna Newsom. Now this.

Thank you mother for this sweet gift

The song is based on the poem "Ozymandias" writ here: "I met a traveller from an antique land Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone Stand in the desert. Near them on the sand, Half sunk, a shatter'd visage lies, whose frown And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command Tell that its sculptor well those passions read Which yet survive, stamp'd on these lifeless things, The hand that mock'd them and the heart that fed. And on the pedestal these words appear: "My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!" Nothing beside remains: round the decay Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare, The lone and level sands stretch far away."

Fun fact: Sapokanikan was a Native American trading station which later became the Meatpacking District of New York City - I'd bet that's where she's walking!

My God the *density* of this song. You could teach a graduate course on the number of references alone. And a masterpiece besides.

The second part is so powerful. Sometimes I'm listening to Joanna while doing something else, but whenever the second part of Sapokonikan starts I just have to stop whatever I'm doing and listen closely, sometimes sing along. I just can't ignore it.

I don’t know why but I always really love her little subtle interaction with the lil kid on the scooter near the beginning. It’s just kinda heartwarming.

Imagine being this good at something.

walking through washington park like "wow there are so many dead bodies here and i will be forgotten"

This is the most beautiful song I've ever heard. I don't feel like I deserve it. I feel honored to have heard this song.

I used to listen to this song whenever I was having a panic attack because it calms me down. No idea why this song in particular did it for me but there you go.

God this is actually such a sad song. Looking at the cultures and peoples who have passed upon Manhattan. Opening with a reference to Ozymandias' kingdom, all are fated to disappear, even our own 100 years from now. And ending upon the despair the future hunter found upon uncovering that only a monument or some lost artifact is all that is left of a place/time/people, coupled likely with the self realization that their culture and society will too one day be just a stone or a statue left in a desert. Joanna's starting out the album REAL STRONG.

I don't understand what she said but I'm so sad now

she's the greatest musician of our time. thank you joanna.

2:54 onward is absolutely magical. I bet the director was even like "damn this shot is perfect."

I’ve always loved the ending of this song. It somehow has always made me feel as though the melody would continue after the song ends. Like it just plays on forever.

The tempo and instrumental change at 2:50 will forever haunt me. It's pure unfiltered beauty.

I feel like she was genuinely in tears by the end of the video

Gives me so much hope as a musician to see that someone like Joanna Newsom to get over 1.5 million views on her song. She has inspired me for a long time

Damn, Joanna is the One True Master of juxtaposition. Forgetting and remembering, despair and hope, she's always playing on themes and counter themes. Thanks for your music, you're my favorite artist!

Lyrics The cause is Ozymandian The map of Sapokanikan Is sanded and bevelled The land lorn and levelled By some unrecorded and powerful hand Which plays along the monument And drums upon a plastic bag The brave-men-and-women-so-dear-to-God- And-famous-to-all-of-the-ages rag Sang: Do you love me? Will you remember? The snow falls above me The renderer renders: The event is in the hand of God Beneath a patch of grass, her Bones the old Dutch master hid While elsewhere Tobias And the angel disguise What the scholars surmise was a mother and kid Interred with other daughters In dirt in other potters' fields Above them, parades Mark the passing of days Through parks where pale colonnades arch in marble and steel Where all of the twenty-thousand attending your footfall And the causes they died for are lost in the idling bird calls And the records they left are cryptic at best Lost in obsolescence The text will not yield, nor x-ray reveal With any fluorescence Where the hand of the master beginsand ends I fell, I tried to do well but I won't be Will you tell the one that I love to remember and hold me I call and call for the doctor But the snow swallows me whole with ol' Florry Walker And the event lives only in print He said: "It's alright" And "It's all over now" And boarded the plane His belt unfastened The boy was known to show unusual daring And, called a "boy" This alderman, confounding Tammany Hall In whose employ King Tamanend himself preceeded John's fall So we all raise a standard To which the wise and honest soul may repair To which a hunter A hundred years from now, may look and despair And see with wonder The tributes we have left to rust in the parks Swearing that our hair stood on end To see John Purroy Mitchel depart For the Western front where our work might count O mercy! O God! Go out, await the hunter to decipher the stone And what lies under the city is gone Look and despair Look and despair

Joanna Newsom has a knack for creating art that puts on a faux sense of simplicity while holding immeasurable depth (see the cover of Ys/ any of her songs ever). This being her first music video I think it's important to keep this context, I mean how many times did you guys listen to Only Skin before you actually heard it? We're following her through New York after she laughingly refers to "The map of Sapokanikan". Important context: Sapokanikan is the name of the first village wihin the area of Greenwich (a place that is still considered by many to be a crucial contribution to the culture of New York). She tells us that this land is now leveled from "Ozymandian" causes. Ozymandian here meaning unimportant. It doesn't matter what caused the land to become so devoid of its original charm and nature, all that matters is that it happened. As we follow her through different areas of Manhattan we see her skipping along and telling us a story involving the story of Tobias and the Angel (from the Orthodox biblical canon, also fascinating considering her celestial obsessions and love for religious allegory, she obviously isn't afraid to source from places not taught in modern churches nor is she identifying as Gentile) and mentions Florry Walker (not sure of the context exactly but here is a cool article: www.cbc.ca/news/arts/artist-s-secret-love-notes-revealed-after-restoration-project-1.643417 ). We eventually hit the "breaking point" (every Newsom song has one God Bless) and the camera stops its sporadic editing and change of location and turns into one fluid final shot. We learn that our current repairs and renovations are "improvements" that in a century will be frowned upon (think: The Library of Alexandria). As she walks we see fire trucks, a parade of lights, a man in a business suit, and a walking way showing off all of our modern technology, but learning that because of it when the hunter must find the origins of the culture (Sapokanikan) he will be unable to find the stone and will be able to do nothing but despair. The video is fascinating right off the bat because we are seeing Newsom's facial reactions to her own music. Her voice does the trick as far as conveying is concerned, but it is nice to see a more visual reaction. It's important to remember this is directed by Paul T. Anderson, Newsom's character in his film Inherent Vice is obsessed with the stars and the origins of L.A. and wishes for a way to harken back to the original culture before it became a pot of filth. Here they move their message to New York together. Newsom cries because she discovers that even with a fellow scavenger there is no way to discover the original Greenwich, Paul Anderson's camera finally lets her depart and walk out of the shot as he also realizes their journey has come to an end. I fucking loved this video ya'll.

this video is awesome...watching her be in her world as she walks in ours

The last part of the song broke my heart. Her voice is surprisingly beautiful.

The second half of this song is other-worldly

Right at 3:53 my hair stands straight up, and get goose bumps all over. What soul, and beauty 😍

This song is monumental. The lyrics are absolutely breathtaking and her performance is awesome, as usual. For everyone who does not get the meaning of the lyrics, I suggest checking the genius annotations. They are quite encompassing.

Paul Thomas Anderson has directed all of my favorite movies: Magnolia, There Will Be Blood, and Sapokanikan.

The moment you can briefly see tears shine in her eyes as she sings "look and despair" is so transcendent.

The vocals happening around 4:00--unbelievably beautiful

2015 is the greatest year for music of all time, I'm sure of it.

I feel embarrassed my colleagues at work might find out I'm listening to the same song for the 100th time this week. Better keep my headphones tight and keep my cool. Thank you Joanna.

I have NO idea what she is saying but I have to admit I like this music

I've just discovered this artist thanks to a comment that mentioned her under a Kate Bush song. I'm surprised I hadn't heard of her before, it's really great! I haven't listened to any of the other songs, so I'm going to give it a go, because it's all good: the original theme, which suddenly changes at 3:00, the ending where she gets into the high notes and the sad, beautiful lyrics which contrast with the happy theme. Nobody around me has heard it, so I'm going to tell everyone about it!

I love how she lingers on specific words and extends and stresses vowels. So incredibly powerful

Thank you Joanna Newsom for this amazing piece! Loving the unexpectedly dramatic use of recorder here.

This song is like nothing I've ever heard before. The first two times I watched it (in a row) my jaw was on the floor. About to watch it again for the fifth time. Freshest song in years.

I spent a lot of time in that park when I was lost, alone, unwanted, and confused. I tried to forget it. Your music makes me miss it.

no matter how many times i listen to this it always ends with a heavy feeling in my chest.

The climax of this never fails to bring me to tears...perfect merging of music, setting, and performance. I wonder how this came together...were they shooting what would have been a much less impactful video and then got lucky with the firetrucks?

i'm................dead. SHE HAS RETURNED

The ending of this song was sublime. I didn't want it to end!

I think it's primarily about the victims of Westward expansion. And how America's headed towards a future whose ruins will not say "Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair" but "Look and despair". This song is terrifying. I love Joanna Newsom with all my heart.

This is my Bohemian Rhapsody

Happy 8th birthday, Sapokanikan!

I love that the video gives her music a more urban aesthetic. Pretty song!

your hate only makes her stronger. one day she will devour us all.

Such emotional and philosophical range! Truly a classic in the making.

I've been waiting to listen to this album since it came out. Ive been digesting Joanna's music for about 13 years now. It's about time to start studying "Divers"

she invented the humanity hymn 😭

She cannot be real. She's too perfect.

2015 is going fucking hard

I truly believe this is one of the greatest songs ever written

I am a huge PT Anderson fan and I still think this is one of the best things he's ever directed.

why do i always cry at the end

Probably the best song ever about John Purroy Mitchel, the 95th mayor of New York City. Probably the only song ever about John Purroy Mitchel. Nice touch with the fire truck.

wow this is pure artistry and some very clever historic references.

2 years later: Divers is one of my favorite albums, and this song never fails to give me chills. I find myself repeating 2:26 - 2:54 in my head for days after I listen to this song. Joanna is extraordinary and her 4 albums and 3 EPs have helped me, and certainly many others, through so much

The beauty and depth of the lyrics, the mystical and ethereal atmosphere and the unpredictability of the melody all make this song a true masterpiece!

This is truly a relevation. Joanna makes music you feel truly blessed to have the opportunity to hear.

Wow. This is so different. I don't know if I like it it or hate it but one thing I'm sure of is, it's on a whole different level art form of music. This is art.

This is one of her best songs in a catalogue of masterpiece songs

This song has the most complex lyrics I've ever heard! I googled the meaning and it was fascinating to me how complicated this song was,and how many different things it referenced! its amazing! I love this!

There really aren't words enough. An absolute high water mark.

The whole song changes with the lyric 'he said' then it gradually becomes intense then releases into beautiful blues melody. Just love this over and over again.

Why did I take so long to listen to her music? It's so different from everything i've heard, yet I'm amazed and crying...

She's the one of the greatest things happened in music, Ys and Have one on me are masterpiece

Hands down one of the greatest songs ever written

She has such a dainty and childlike voice, it's so cute

I feel her art is beyond critique at this point.

I've never heard a song like this in my life, I've never heard a song this beautiful and moving. I'm not crying you're crying

I love this quote from Wikipedia _Newsom's early work was strongly influenced by polyrhythms. After Ys, Newsom said she had lost interest in polyrhythms. They "stopped being fascinating to me and started feeling wanky."_

she’s amazing

Wow, so glad I found this. One of the most beautiful, touching, and original songs I've ever heard.

I knew Joanna Newsom since 2006 during my very fockin boring communication journalistic college era and boom suddenly couple of year before covid 19 there are so many musician copying her vocal style

I am not really one to comment on You tube videos and i find the "magazine muso" type comments that use words pinched straight out of poncy NME reviews, frankly irritating However...... Jesus Christ this song is immense in scope. How much can she fit into 5 minutes? She is talking of subjects that i have had no real previous knowledge but have heard in passing or by accident. Done in such a way that i now want to understand more and more. To bend a song around hundreds of years worth of history and to deliver it in the way she does takes a pinch of real talent and artistry. I am not one to use the word genius as i am not a pretentious git....... In fact bollocks to that This song is GENIUS, Joanna is as close to a musical genius that we have had in years. I have listened nearly 100 times now and it gets better every single time. I cant articulate the way it makes me feel, as i am an in- articulate thicko. But it makes me feel really great. I love this song It is incredible

Am I the only one showing this to every friend on their facebook in excitement? (Even if they don't care)

0:30 when she smiles and waves at the little girl :3

I love the video. it has a truly cinematic feeliing. she's reciting all of these profound words but is also reacting slightly to what's going on around her. Also it gives me a nostalgia for New York City before COVID set in.

This is always the most incredible thing I’ve ever heard

I can't breathe. Yes, Joanna!

As if 2015 wasn't already a perfect enough year for music, now we get this? Thank you Joanna.

She looks like a powerful lady or even a queen from an old historical movie, I wish I see her act in such things 💙

She is a God Damn lyrical master

One of the greatest songs ever made in my humble opinion.