Sufjan Stevens, "Fourth Of July" (Official Audio) 

imagining a mother on her deathbed asking her son "did you get enough love, my little dove?" perfectly encapsulates human compassion

My Son (My Little HAWK) committed suicide last year in May. I loved this song before, but now I have a deeper appreciation. R.I.P. Jake. I love you forever.

The author of this song wrote this song in grief of his mother, who died of cancer. The lines were directly taken from the conversation he had with her before passing.

My mom passed away from cancer in my arms three years ago. "Im not afraid of death, Im afraid of.. not being here". I miss you mom..

“I’m sorry I left, but it was for the best, though it never felt right” I’m sobbing

We’re all gonna cry.

I'm not ashamed to admit that I literally cried reading the comments as the song played on. I'm so sorry for everyone who had to experience grief. I hope one day you will be happy again💌

My best friend once told me, "if i die dont cry and take pitty on me. Instead, remeber all all the things i did in my life." Today marks the 8th year since she died. This song reminded me very much of her. Thank you.

"Did you get enough love, my little dove. Why do you cry?" This hurts, indeed.

I’m 14. My mom is in her fifties. I’m scared of the time that will come when she will die. I’m not prepared and I don’t think I’ll ever been prepared. I know I should be enjoying the moments with her rather than being scared of when she won’t be here so I will try. I love her so much and this song reminds me so much of her. Great work Sufjan!

Marking my presence here on 4th July, 2020. This has been a horrible year. A lot of people have lost their loved ones. I hope they all rest in peace.

"Did you get enough love, my little dove. Why do you cry?" That hit me so hard

Just remember that your not the only one crying in the other side of the screen. ALL pain will end.

This seriously might be the saddest song I've ever heard

Today, the 4th of July, I was supposed to end my life. That was my mission. Yesterday my friends prepare a surprise for me: a cake for me. All this party was my best friend's idea. Now I'm sitting in the living room, dreaming about the travel we're going to start in two weeks. Just want to listen to this song and remember how it feels so sad when I was at my lowest. But now, I can see some light in my future. And this, this feels so relaxing.

100 reasons to keep going in life: 1. to make your parents proud 2. to conquer your fears 3. to see your family again 4. to see your favourite artist live 5. to listen to music again 6. to experience a new culture 7. to make new friends 8. to inspire 9. to have your own children 10. to adopt your own pet 11. to make yourself proud 12. to meet your idols 13. to laugh until you cry 14. to feel tears of happiness 15. to eat your favorite food 16. to see your siblings grow 17. to pass school 18. to get tattoo 19. to smile until your cheeks hurt 20. to meet your internet friends 21. to find someone who loves you like you deserve 22. to eat ice cream on a hot day 23. to drink hot chocolate on a cold day 24. to see untouched snow in the morning 25. to see a sunset that sets the sky on fire 26. to see stars light up the sky 27. to read a book that changes your life 28. to see the flowers in the spring 29. to see the leaves change from green to brown 30. to travel abroad 31. to learn a new language 32. to learn to draw 33. to tell others your story in the hopes of helping them 34. Puppy kisses. 35. Baby kisses (the open mouthed kind when they smack their lips on your cheek). 36. Swear words and the release you feel when you say them. 37. Trampolines. 38. Ice cream. 39. Stargazing. 40. Cloud watching. 41. Taking a shower and then sleeping in clean sheets. 42. Receiving thoughtful gifts. 43. “I saw this and thought of you." 44. The feeling you get when someone you love says, “I love you." 45. The relief you feel after crying. 46. Sunshine. 47. The feeling you get when someone is listening to you/giving you their full attention. 48. Your future wedding. 49. Your favorite candy bar. 50. New clothes. 51. Witty puns. 52. Really good bread. 53. Holding your child in your arms for the first time. 54. Completing a milestone (aka going to college, graduating college, getting married, getting your dream job.) 55. The kind of dreams where you wake up and can’t stop smiling. 56. The smell before and after it rains 57. The sound of rain against a rooftop. 58. The feeling you get when you’re dancing. 59. The person (or people) that mean the most to you. Stay alive for them. 60. Trying out new recipes. 61. The feeling you get when your favorite song comes on the radio. 62. The rush you get when you step onto a stage. 63. You have to share your voice and talents and knowledge with the world because they are so valuable. 64.Breakfast in bed. 65. Getting a middle seat in the movie theater. 66. Breakfast for dinner (because it’s so much better at night than in the morning). 67. Pray (if you are religious) 68. Forgiveness. 69. Water balloon fights. 70. New books by your favorite authors. 71. Fireflies. 72. Birthdays. 73. Realizing that someone loves you. 74. Spending the day with someone you 75. Opportunity to create meaningful and lasting relationships. 76. Potential to learn, grow, and evolve as a person. 77. Joy and happiness in the little things. 78. The power to inspire others. 79. The ability to create art, music, and other forms of self-expression. 80. To explore different cultures, traditions, and ways of life. 81. To make a positive impact on the environment and help protect the planet. 82. Experience the joys of parenthood and raise a family. 83. Learn new things and develop new skills. 84. Create a legacy that will outlive you. 85. Being wrapped up in a warm bed. 86. Cuddles 87. Holding hands. 88. The kind of hugs when you can feel a weight being lifted off your shoulders. The kind of hug where your breath syncs with the other person’s, and you feel like the only two people in the world. 89. Singing off key with your best friends. 90. Road trips. 91. Spontaneous adventures. 92. The feeling of sand beneath your toes. 93. The feeling when the first ocean wave rolls up and envelops your toes and ankles and knees. 94. Thunderstorms. 95. Your first (or hundredth) trip to Disneyland. 96. The taste of your favorite food. 97. The child-like feeling you get on Christmas morning. 98. The day when everything finally goes your way. 99. Compliments and praise. 100. to look on this moment in 10 years time and realize you did it.

Today my grandpa passed away in the morning. When I heard the news I immediatly remembered this song. I was listening to this while remembering all my memories with him and looking at the white snowy forest, until I realised that his birthday was exactly on the fourth of july. He passed away alone in the hospital bed and no one got to say goodbye. I hope he didn’t feel alone though and felt our love towards him. Now he’s finally reunited with his love, my grandma. Rest in peace George. Just know that I love you very much.

This song is a conversation between Sufjan and his mother, Carrie, while she was dying in the hospital. Each stanza alternates between them. Sufjan spoke of this time in an interview: She had stomach cancer, and it was a quick demise. We flew to see her in the ICU before she died. She was in a lot of pain, and on a lot of drugs, but she was aware. It was so terrifying to encounter death and have to reconcile that, and express love, for someone so unfamiliar. Her death was so devastating to me because of the vacancy within me… At that point, I was only interested in communicating my love for her, unconditionally. There was a reciprocal deep love and care for each other in that moment. It was very profound and healing. A beautifully sad album overall. This song makes me cry though.

Devastating and gorgeous.

My sister showed me this song, it's so coincidental to the loss of our mother. She died on the fourth of July at 1am. My heart goes out to those who've lost their parents❤

This makes me think about how much little me went through. She didn't deserve any of what happened. She was so confused, sad and alone. She helped everyone, but no one helped her when she needed the most. I imagine present me singing this to old me. I wish i could've taken better care of my inner child. She deserved so much more.

"did you get enough love, my little dove?" this line always makes me think of my mother and her last words to me before she passed away when i was 5, its currently almost been a decade since she passed and i still continuously wish she was here still just so she could see me and how far ive come in my lifetime and see me graduate high school

LYRICS : The evil, it spread like a fever ahead It was night when you died, my firefly What could I have said to raise you from the dead? Oh, could I be the sky on the Fourth of July? "Well, you do enough talk My little hawk, why do you cry? Tell me, what did you learn from the Tillamook burn? Or the Fourth of July? We’re all gonna die." Sitting at the bed with the halo at your head Was it all a disguise, like Junior High? Where everything was fiction, future, and prediction Now, where am I? My fading supply "Did you get enough love, my little dove? Why do you cry? And I’m sorry I left, but it was for the best Though it never felt right My little Versailles." The hospital asked should the body be cast Before I say goodbye, my star in the sky Such a funny thought to wrap you up in cloth Do you find it all right, my dragonfly? "Shall we look at the moon, my little loon? Why do you cry? Make the most of your life, while it is rife While it is light Well, you do enough talk My little hawk, why do you cry? Tell me, what did you learn from the Tillamook burn? Or the Fourth of July? We’re all gonna die." We're all gonna die We're all gonna die We're all gonna die We're all gonna die We're all gonna die We're all gonna die We're all gonna die

Everyone misses, some miss the past, some miss the future, some miss someone who will never come..

My mother died on the fourth of July battling cancer. I can relate to each and every word of this song as I have infact and lived every moment of this song with her before I discovered it, I was with the till the end and the only person I ever loved selflessly in this world. I love this song but I can't listen to it without wet eyes and avoid it because it only makes me cry. I wish you rest in peace maa and I will see you on the other side. I hope I was a good child.

The thing I love almost more than the songs by Sufjan is his fan base. The comments section is always interesting and empathetic and emotional... Its the good side of youtube

i'm laying in bed in the dark listening to this, in tears. my parents don't understand where i'm at in my life. they keep blaming it on my phone and little do they know my phone is my only escape. i have no motivation for anything anymore. this song upsets me so much because it makes me think of my younger and happier self. nothing could ever bring her down. she would be so disappointed in me.

My dad committed suicide on the 4th of july this year, and now this song relates so much to me and has a deeper meaning than before. Miss him lots.

My boyfriend passed away a week ago, there's no song that resonates more than this masterpiece.... Thank you Sufjan..

Last year I lost my little sister in December to suicide, this was the song I listened to every night. Sometimes I listen to this song and think of her.

to whoever comes across this, i just want to say that you deserve so much more than what you've been through and you are worth so much more than you could ever comprehend

Everytime I heard this song it only reminds of the time where my mom was admitted to hospital and the doctor told us that anytime, my mom could go and leave us. I can still remember my silent cries whenever we visit the hospital, she couldn't talk anymore. God, I miss my mom so much. Life has never been the same ever since she left us. fvck cancer, my mom had a lots of dreams.

“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

My dad's funeral is tomorrow. I'm thinking of using this song. It would've been his and my mother's 41st anniversary. He was only 64 yrs old. We didn't get a chance to tell him goodbye because of hospital restrictions on visitors.

3:10 "why do you cry?.." This part always made me wanna hug someone and cry

I love you Dan. RIP 3-16-24. Your five babies miss you.

It's lovely that people like Sufjan gives some people the confidence to share stories with an incredible level of intimacy. It's a beautiful way of connecting.

I lost my mother to cancer yesterday. this amazing album will be with me for the coming month and so many more.

You've got the world crying in public places Sufjan!

Got the call this morning that my estranged father is in the active stage of dying. July 4, 2024. Just saw him and got to say my final goodbyes, tell him about his grandchildren that he doesn't know. Asked him to hold on long enough to see my sister, who flies in tonight. This album has always meant a lot to me, this song in particular, but today it means more than ever. Thank you, Sufjan.

An absolutely heartbreaking song. "The hospital asked, 'Should the body be cast?'" is when I lost it. Both my parents died in 2013, six months apart and this is easily the first song I've heard since then that offered me a sort of sonic communion with their memory. Losing people you love can become so numbing, but this made me feel something true. Sufjan's voice is so haunting and beautiful. "Make the most of your life, while it is rife, while it is light" is the takeaway quote for me from this song. A real masterpiece in my opinion.

My brother died in a car crash the night before the fourth of July, I was fourteen. It really hits home because this song is a different kind of sad. It sounds hollow and cold and broken rather than deeply emotional, and that's the magic of it.

Lie down. Try not to cry. Cry a lot.

It's fourth of July here again..and this masterpiece is still unforgettable.

every time i hear "why do you cry" i swear i wanna cry

Hi there. Just wanted to add few lines here. I'm from Ukraine and I was listening to this song while sitting in the basement because of bombs and rockets. I cannot express that feeling of near death, but that were surely the worst four weeks of my life. This song calmed me, when thoughts about absence of tomorrow came. This song calmed me, when the rocket fell in 200 meters near our house (our neighbors were lucky to be at another part of the house that time, so no victims from that one). It calmed me, when I left the dangerous area. And it calms me now, when I think of this whole thing continuing for 3 months already. I hate the war and people who started it. Let the sky be calm. Stay safe, guys. Thank you, Sufjan. UPD: as many of you asked, I'm okay, as well as my family. I'm home now, but the war still continues and we still are waking up to sounds of explosions. Had to get used to it, as well to understanding that I might not wake up next time.

When I was a teenager, I’d cry with tears. Now as an adult, there’s no tears. My body just aches, I can’t feel my legs and I shake. *We’re all gonna die*

Sitting at my mom's grave...on 4th of July 2024. And I find this song.

I love this song. My cat that's on my pfp passed off to the sky two weeks ago.. I cry daily as she was my best friend and helped me through my roughest days. Always calmed me down and played with me daily. She really ment the world to me but passed due to a broken rib that pushed through her lounge..

Here I am, a 40-year-old man, holding my 5-year-old daughter as tears are pouring out after listening to this song.. I never cry about anything. Sufjan, you've destroyed me in 4 minutes and 38 seconds. Well done.. :O

when my mum dies im dying with her. bury me in the same casket, i love her too much to be without her

1% song 99% memories

fourth of july is the saddest song i have ever heard in my life, but it gave me comfort when i needed it the most. It will always be my go-to song whenever I feel so sad and terrified of death.

My best friend Emily passed away a couple years ago, February 4th 2020. The car hydroplaned off the road, it wasn't raining but the roads were still super wet, she died instantly. A part of me is happy to know that she was never scared. She was maybe 4'11, so when the car came in on her her body was too small to handle it. She died a little over a month until her 17th birthday. Her funeral was beautiful, we had sunflowers and dragonflies and all of her favorite things. She was buried with her funkopop anime characters, stuffed animals, etc. Her body at the viewing, which was two weeks after she passed, looked absolutely beautiful. She looked like she was resting. I'll always remember our plans of moving in together, her going to college for art and me for veterinary science. I loved writing poems for her and she loved drawing pictures for me. I miss you everyday Emmy, my sunflower, my dragonfly, my little pancake. I love you, and I'll never forget our long talks, our dumb fandom interests, our cringy nicknames, I'll never forget us. Forever and always Emmy, you'll be with me forever and always.

three days ago a friend of mine hung himself. I can't sleep without thinking about what he felt. what could i have done differently? it's really sad, he was only 18. he was a great boy and taught me so much. sweet, funny, good heart. in the past, i came here and saw some sad comments and I never thought it could be me living this kind of sadness. i close my eyes and I can see him alive. his details, his hands, his eyes. he didn't seem like himself in that coffin "it was night when you died, my firefly. what could I have said to raise you from the deads?"

my boyfriend died the 4th of July 2024..at the age of 16. I’m praying God every night, oh how I miss and love him..

One of my best friends caught a one way ticket to the Sun today. This song is potent medicine for my heart. Thank you for sharing.

My cat died tonight. Didn't imagine it would hurt this much. He added joy to a joyless life I depressingly bear. Thanks for all the love, the warmth, and all the good times. will forever miss you baby.

both of my parents are dying from cancer, lung and prostate sufjan carry me away with your melancholy melodies

It's good to see I'm not alone here in Fourth of july...

My mother took her life June 23. A song has never made me pull my car over before this one. I don't know what else to say. Thank you.

Sometimes I come back to this song just to read the tributes people have written to their loved ones in the comment section.

damn it death alone is nothing. watching someone else die is terrifying.

Anyone july 4th 2024?? 😥

Listening to this on the 4th of July. It hits a little differently.

This song reminds me of my sister. She was almost 18. She had gone to stay with her mom for a bit but decided to come see us, she bought a plane ticket and she was coming to see us, she wasn't in a car. She was walking..she had her headphones in and she didn't look both ways. She didn't see the speeding car. The drunk man who hit her. I hope she wasn't in any pain in her final moments. She was going to have her double birthday with my sister. Just like always Exept this time it was her very special 18th birthday. I remember walking downstairs seeing my parents, I could tell something was wrong so I asked them what was going on, they explained to me that she was gone, but I wasn't sad, it hadn't processed yet, all I could think about was everything she had done wrong to me. I had just started 3rd grade and I missed 2 or 3 weeks of it. I remember going to her funeral, my siblings and I all held hands. I remember that they gave me a big crayon set and a huge coloring sheet to keep me occupied. I don't think I realized at the time I was in the same room as my dead sister. Soon we had another funeral this time with family that we know, that's when it hit me. That she was gone. I tried so hard not to cry. I remember the black box with her ashes. Seeing her pictures. My parents told me the night she died they remember hearing something on my baby monitor, a voice talking to me. It confused me because I had remembered waking up and seeing a bright light, I wasn't afraid, I remember asking if I would ever see it again, and I remember it replied with something like "you'll see" I turned back around and went to bed. The rest of the year I had gone deppressed, I slept all class, and I was allowed to bring a stuffed animal that she had left for me. A build a bear, toothless. I still keep him close to me at night, gave him a pin that says "Angel" on it. I'm 14 now. I lost her in 2016. I may not have been able to realize it then. But now I cry everytime I think about her. I love her. Skyler. She wanted to be an author.. She wanted to do something great. And now I'm her honor I'm going to write a book, I'm going to be what she could never be, what she could never do. I wish she could have known me now, now I'm not a brat.. Now I'm not just a stupid kid.. I'm 14.. I'm in highschool.. It's been almost 10 years since I lost my sister. And I don't know If she still visits me.. I love you Skyler..I hope your proud of me.. Edit: thank you guys so much for the replies, it honestly makes my day so much better when I get one, I've never felt this much support, I know it's really not much to reply but it really means a lot to me ❤️❤️❤️

For people who never say: I love you. We're all gonna die... My cousin died 2 years ago, was his death an accident, or was it a suicide, we never find out... His birthday was on the 4 of July. Each time, I cannot help myself but listen to this song whenever I think about him. He was just 19, and a thought that in his lifetime, I never ever said I love you to him... it haunts me till now. It's not like his life, his end would change, but the thought that he would be happier if he knew that I really loved him somehow makes me sad. Luka, Did you get enough love, my little dove? I hope now you are happy and you can feel love from people who never say I love you.

"my firefly" "did u get enough love?" HEART BROKE

I can honestly say this is the first song to have ever made me cry. My mum has stage 3 breast cancer so this resonates with me very much. She doesn't talk about it with me, but lately every hug she gives me feels as if she knows it could be the last and that tells me she's probably not getting better

So my mother died when I was 11 and dad when I was 16 . I'm 19 now. It's human nature that people tend to forget people or at least they remember not quite often as time goes by. After a long time I've cried for them this much. Music is the best way to reach out to people🖤

My mom died a month ago. I've heard this song before but until now I didn't know it was dedicated to Sufjan's mother. I just cried listening to this.

I lost my little dog yesterday. The pain is unbereable. we had to put her down because she was in a coma from a blood infection. I miss her so much. I would do anything to have her back, to hear her little barks and have her by my side when i was sleeping.

This song helps a lot. Reader, please never give up.

"Did you get enough love, my little dove, why do you cry?" Oh the feels...

I couldn't cry because in a separate tab I was reading about instant ramen

Yesterday. The 14th of November 2023. That's when he left. That's when cancer took him away from me. He was my best friend. He had the brightest smile and the most contagious laugh. His heart was full of love to give. He was a really smart guy. He knew so much about history. He was always able to comfort me. He was always by my side. We dreamed of the future together. But what now? He was only 18. He deserved so much better. I miss him so much. He will always be in my heart.

I was a little terse on a call with my mom yesterday, I'm gonna go call her and apologize. Life's too short...

I lost my kitty today (4th july) after 14 years of her by my side. this song has always had a special place in my heart but even more so now. sleep well my baby

It's July 2024, almost an hour before it becomes the 4th and I never thought this song would apply to me until now. A few days ago I see a gofundme posted about an old friend of mine, we were close in middle school and had a few interactions in high school because she took middle college. I find out she was to pass away due to medical complications. I don't know how to grieve. I suppressed what I felt and would forget a little while but then I remember and it hits me more and more. I lay as I think about how awful it feels. She was my friend who loved to read and had wonderful ideas when she wrote, she listened to me and loved when I drew my favorite character at the time, she had a lovely laugh and smile. I remember checking if she had a peanut allergy (she didn't) so I could make her peanut butter and choco chip cookies for being my friend. We shared classes together and would miss her time to time where my friend and I would think about her and wish we could get in touch again. I find our we can't now. She was so kind, she was so smart. It feels unfair how I live with no direction or drive in my future but she had a will, she had a dream, she had interests and hobbies and she was going somewhere, until now. She was so good compared to many people in my life but of all of them it had to be her to die. To no fault to the people around me, I feel alone in my grief. I don't know who to talk to. I find myself numbing myself to the point my brain feels like a terribly thick fog and the pain and guilt just hits so hard it feels my heart is straining. It's not fair, it isn't fair at all, despite her struggles with her own mental health she was a great person I happened to lose touch with as time went on. She was one of the first friends I've had in middle school and one of the few I would've still loved to be friends with again but I can't because she's gone. I don't believe in an afterlife, I believe when your brain shuts down forever you are dead. To me, there is no soul, but the neurons that make our brain that makes our personality that makes our memories that makes who we are. And many times, I hate this. It would be easier on my heart to believe she is in a better place, but she is gone. I know this song is old, and maybe that's why I feel fine screaming into the void like this. I'll miss you Emma. You deserved so much better.

My grandma passed away today. I prayed day and night hoping that she will be able to stay long enough to see me success in life and to meet me one last time. (I study abroad) I wanna hug her, be there for her one last time. See her smile one last time. I feel so lost right now

You can find comfort in the sadness. This song is the proof. Sending everyone love

Rest in Peace Dad, cancer is cruel and evil. You were my best friend and so full of love. Gary Allan 1961-2022.

This song makes me cry every time I hear it reminds me of my mom she been good 16 years and it still hurts 😭😭😭😭

If you're reading this, I hope you're okay. We're never old enough to learn these lessons. But I hope this song feels like a remedy for you. I've known of this song for years, but I've never truly appreciated what a masterpiece it is... a poem... and reading through the comments here helped me realise just how powerful it is. It was stuck in my head, so I came here, to play it on repeat...

For the person reading this, healing takes time. I love you. You're so worth it. You're amazing. You're the best person in the world.

This isn't a song, this is a storm that destroys your well-being.

My parents are till alive and I am very grateful for them. I started a new job at a new place. They visited me and left today. I couldn't see them off because i was at work. I left the house when they were still there in their pjs and I came back with them gone. It sucks to come home to a empty house. And its so scary doing big girl things without them being around. I hope I make them proud.

3:14 "Make the most of your life, while it is rife, while it is light". Those are words that you all need to hear. Hold onto life

Pain never goes away, but at some point it becomes bearable.

This music kinda punched me and said “this is how you’re dad would feel if you did it” and now I’m just like sitting here. Suicidal thoughts suck but I’m glad I’m so much better now.

Woke up and realized it's the 4th of July today and the first thing that came into my mind was this legendary masterpiece!

I lost my mom today. She and I weren't on great terms, and never got along, but the pain is still so severe. I wish I didn't hurt knowing she is gone, since all she ever did was bring me down and make me cry when we lived under the same roof. Despite all of the strain for our relationship, I think there was still some love buried underneath all of the negative things. Please tell your loved ones you love them while you still can and before you regret it.

Why do u cry ? It hits u so hard feels like someone actually is speaking to u

My grandma died last week. She was the person that took care of me when I was little and my parents were working. I have so many memories of her. Taking her places when she could no longer drive, picking her up for holidays, helping her cook, her recipes. I will miss her. She was put in the earth 2/15/2023. It hurts so bad.

This reminds me of my dad so much. I miss him. I wish I could hug him and have a happy family with both parents together. It hurts.

0:05 makes me feel like a light cloud

The line "we're all gonna die" still reminds me that no matter what we've done in life. Whether we were rich or poor, good or bad, small or big, we all face the same end. We don't know what happens after death because no one from there has come to talk about it yet.

my dad is sick and in another country. says he needs to see me before he goes. last time i saw him cry was at the airport, when i was leaving to america with my mom. that's the last memory i have with him. now he calls and cant even describe what the doctors say to him without crying. i stopped going to school so i can work more to afford my new greencard and passport to see him. but im scared itll be too late since he keeps getting worse. i like this song, it's like a blanket to make me feel ....not alone going through this.

It’s fourth of July today, thank you for this comfort song, Sufjan Stevens. 🤍

My 18 year old beautiful daughter said to me a few weeks ago... 'dad... If I die I want this song to be played...'... I'm sure she didn't notice my tears, traffic went blurry in my eyes... God... I love her SO much. Allthough she's healthy and we're blessed... This song went straight to my Core... ❤