The Heartbreaking Story Behind Sufjan Stevens' Fourth of July 

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

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

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

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.

"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

This song never fails to make me cry.

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

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

"My mother, she betrayed us, but our father loved and bathed us" I now see a whole new side of him 😭

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

Listening to this song live is a transcendent experience.

Literally as his new song comes out lol

Fine, I'll cry!

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

I'm so angry that people only know sufjan for the CMBYN soundtrack. he's such a brilliant and underappreciated artist and he's so much more than just that. truly my favourite.

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.

"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.

Sufjan Stevens songs hit hard just on their own, but when you analyse them, they hit even harder

Sufjan calls his just deceased (at night) mother 'firefly' and wonders whether he could be a night sky filled with fireworks as an alternative to raising her from the dead. By considering whether he could be a night sky he is searching here desperately to be with his mother, who is now a light fleeting into the night sky. This verse is incredibly powerful and a testament to Sufjan's profound lyrical talent

Oh my god! Last night I was drowning myself in tears relistening this, because being a non-American, this is the only thing I feel special about the 4th of July. Such raw poignant and potent lyrics. Truly devastating.

I’ve always like the way that Sufjan interpret themes on his each albums, It’s like a storytelling in a way, like the album Illinoise, the whole album felt like a movie, the slumps of “John Wayne Gacy Jr.” and “Casimir Pulaski Day”, and then backed with “Come On! Feel The Illinoise” and “Chicago”. Such an amazing person and personality, Sufjan Stevens always moved me emotionally, and it’ll always be good.

Somehow just found this song. My dad died literally this past 4th of July, 2023, of lung cancer. Bawling rn. Miss you Dad

I lost my mother last year. She was my best friend, and her loss has devastated me. I stumbled upon this song. And I can't stop crying whenever I listen to it. The line, "Did you get enough love, my little dove, why do you cry?" breaks my heart...it feels like it's my mum comforting me from the heavens..."We're all gonna die" gives me a deep sense of comfort that one day I'll join her...

Had an ugly cry to this first thing in the morning, thanks Middle 8. Guess I needed that.

Shall we look at the moon, my little loon? Why do you cry? I’m an avid camper. If you’ve ever heard a loon at 3 am in the morning it is by far one of the most profound, loneliest sounds you will ever hear in the stark blackness of the woods at night. A very deep metaphor for this song.

My favorite thing about this album is that a lot of the lyrics are about the loss of his mother but are relatable enough that they can be applied to the loss of really anyone (for example the loss of a relationship/partner)

Sufjan is the most consistent artist with his whole discography. From sound to lyrics, he ca pull them with ease.

I think sufjan mentioned something along the lines of “bless her heart for knowing it was best to leave” and it inspires me how strong Sufjan is, and how he chooses to be thankful that she left him at a young age instead of staying around because he understand the possible consequences of that option. Bless Sufjan for being such an amazing artist and remarkable person

This song is amazing. I always interpreted "and I'm sorry I left but it was for the best, though it never felt right" as being about leaving him as a child, not in death, as she refers to him as her little Versailles. Marie Antoinette attempted to flee Versailles.

Appreciate the break down of the song. I discovered this album right before I had to put down my wonderful doggo, Taggart. So this album is forever attached to the emotional rollercoaster of learning about his degenerative illness, making the decision to put him down, and the moment I was there with him at his end. While it still saddens me years later, I appreciate it for how it helped and still helps me process loss.

This is one of my favourite songs, but I can't listen to it whenever I want. I just can't do it. One of the most interesting lines here is the "dragonfly" one. The symbolism around this insect drastically changes depending on your cultural background. For instance, in my country, the dragonfly is often associated with "change" and the "ability to change". Perhaps, Sufjan is referring to the relationship between him and her mother, which changed drastically in her last moments.

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

I knew there was a reason why I've been attracted to Sufjan's music lately after the passing of my mother who also died of cancer. 💜

The entire Carrie and Lowell album feels like a mother's hug

"Such a funny thought to wrap you up in cloth" line hits me. After my father passed away, seeing his body getting readied for the burial broke my heart and made me feel a thousand emotions but numb at the same time. The song always gets me. Listening to Sufjan's song I have realized how much of a legendary artist he is. And reading the comment sections and reviews of his songs really shows that his listeners are very artistic people. Every song has a deep meaning that took me a while to actually understand. His voice and songs are so beautiful it makes me cry.

Sufjan Stevens calls his mother "dragonfly" because it hearkens back to another song that called the dark side of her alcoholism and mental disorder "the dragon". It is him accepting the dichotomy that she was both dragon and dragonfly in her lifetime--fragile and indomitable, terrifying and gentle.

The more I listen to Carrie & Lowell, the more I appreciate every single song in it. There is not a single throwaway song in the album. Each one is a gem.

This song is the definition of melancholic beauty, the metaphors of fleeting beauty intertwined with lasting beauty, and how the reality of the situation created a dialogue showing the tragedy of death and the beauty of life. Anyone who's ever tended to a dying relative will know how tear inducing the line about wrapping her up in cloth. The most evocative song of the century.

sufjan steven is an amazing artist, and he is by far my favourite artist, and carrie and lowell is my favourite album of his

Thank you for putting this together. My partner has cancer and this is just what I needed to hear right now.

This is the saddest song ever I love how it breaks my heart

Recommending Carrie and Lowell to someone who is grieving the loss of a loved one is practically attempted murder.

Man imagine is bon iver and him made a song

Its crazy, while i know this doesnt have that much to do with Michigan, knowing that he's from there makes the song more special to me as Michigan is my home and has played a big part in my life. This song has helped me through the process of grief over my brother, and I'm sure itll help with any more grief that comes my way.

my favorite Sufjan Stevens album is planetarium, its so underrated!

AMAZING! AN ANALYSIS ON SUFJAN’S SONGS. I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR A CHANNEL TO DO THIS FOR SO LONG I HOPE MORE CHANNELS DIVE INTO CARRIE AND LOWELL. Such a beautiful and heartbreaking album

No, I'm not crying. You're crying!

Being French and having grown visiting Versaille, the line with versaille in it just destroys me in the most beautiful way. The little dove one follows quite closely. This entire song is just a stunning yet harsh emotional roller coaster. I think each line hits someone differently according to the story of their lives and their experiences with death and I honestly find that beautiful.

He will take you. If you run, He will chase you. Cause he is the Lord. Sufjan has great gift of using words and sounds to communicate the most intimate emotions, we often struggle to express. Sometimes even unavoidable Truth, that we cannot fully comprehend, as in Seven swans.

You should do something about Jack Stauber. One of the most creative artists I am able to listen too

Carrie and Lowell is my favorite album, but the Mystery of Love is such a beautiful song; I still need to see Call me by Your Name.

Carrie & Lowell album is soo underrated. I cry every time I listen to it. It's just beautiful.

been a sufjan fan for years but my brother died a few months ago, and I understand on a deeper level the way sufjan is able to convey what it feels like to face the chaos of life

The first time I’ve listened to this song was right after watching Lars von Trier’s “A Dancer in the Dark”, which is a movie about a mother who makes an ultimate sacrifice for her son. Needless to say, I had an actual mental breakdown that day.

Thanks for talking about this record, it might be my favoruite of his. It's one of the most honest and raw collections of songs I've ever heard. The live version of Fourth Of July is epic too.

“did you get enough love? my little dove, why do you cry?” 😪

Look at the separation of the light and the darkness battling his mom's addictions. We were all born sober, but we learn and unlearn these addictions throughout life.

I loved the song fade out effect after each lyric cutoff in the video, as it wasn't too abrupt or gradual. "Carrie and Lowell" gives me feelings I can't describe, and I love every single song on the album. Thank you for the brilliant analysis.

Fourth of July is a masterpiece on grief. The only other song that touches me so deeply and connects with my experience of loss is Arcade Fire’s “In the Backseat”. And yes I’ve watched your video on AF where you also discuss that song :) BTW I wait impatiently for every new video! Best greetings from Poland!

I relate this song to my pet that passed June 3rd, 2020. She was with me my entire life until that day, I unluckily found her after she passed at around 1:20 AM, knowing it would come soon, but still in disbelief and in shambles. I relate this song to it as it reminds me of how she wouldn't want me to cry, and how close the dates are.

I also love how the title contrasts with the tone of the song. The 4th of July to me at least is a time of happiness and spending time with family and friends, and even though this song also reflects the intimacy of family, its in a totally different way.

love how the music used in the video is just chopped and screwed versions of songs of sufjan stevens haha.....amazing video

Oh my God this is possibly my favorite song ever it just means so much to me 🥺😭😭😭

Great video, my friend. Personal share. On March 24, 2015 I got a call at work in downtown Chicago that My Dad was unconscious and had been rushed to the hospital. It was serious so I needed to fly home immediately to my hometown of KC. He was an esophageal cancer survivor but the radiation treatment from 5 years before had nuked his liver and he was dying of liver failure. This happened suddenly. One week later, I’m sitting in ICU and I saw that Sufjan had a new album release that day (March 31, 2015). I had no idea what the album was about but you can imagine my astonishment upon my first listen that it was all about his own parent’s death. I listened to that album almost nonstop for the next 7 days living in constant fear because I knew my old man was going to die any day. He did, one week after the album released, on 4/7. A few nights before he died I got a little drunk and decided to uber to the hospital at 3AM listening to Fourth of July over and over. My dad was in induced coma but I said all the things I wanted to say to him and just poured out my love for him while absolutely weeping for like 2 hours. The reason I share that, is Sufjan’s honest look at mortality and message of it’s ok to have fear, sorrow but love and forgiveness is most important. After that night I accepted that his was indeed dying and I spent every hour with him facing death with dignity and talking about all the good times and laughing about my mistakes. He couldn’t talk but he’d squeeze my hand to let me know he’s going to be ok and he will always love me, whether he’s here or on to his next chapter as a soul. 3 weeks later Sufjan is live at the Chicago Theater playing Carrie and Lowell in its entirety and me and my now ex girlfriend were sobbing in the balcony. We didn’t care what anyone thought. That album was the soundtrack to my Dad’s death and I’m so Grateful it came out when it did. It was no coincidence. I put it on from time to time and it actually makes me feel good. It was one of the hardest times of my life but I ended up facing it head on and in the five years since I’ve had a spiritual awakening and only transact in love, not fear. As I’m sure you all feel the same way, this music we love sometimes is more than a great melody, good beat or beautiful harmony. It’s a part of our journey that helps us grow and grieve and laugh and ultimately...love. Thanks for your videos and know that your work is very appreciated. You have a ton of talent and be proud of yourself for it. As another Sufjan song preaches “ Love Yourself.” He was spot on on that one too!

I should have known better than to watch a video about Sufjan, now I cry uncontrollably in my living room.

We need more of Sufjan Stevens!!

Aaaaaand now I'm depressed, why do I do this to myself. I read the title of the video, I should of known better.

Thank you, I never fully paid attention to the lyrics nor new their meaning; now I’m sobbing and can never hear this song the same again 😭

my mom was the same way. this made me break on tears so hard

I've liked Sufjan bc of Illinois since 2013, but the 2015 album "Carrie and Lowell" only came to my attention in the beginning of this year, 2023. And during that time, my cousin who had a stomach cancer was breathing her last breaths on this world. When she was first hoapitalized, I felt like sending a message, but I just... didn't know what to say. How to face her. I felt ashamed because I knew how much she wanted to live, while I was and am extremely su*cidal. During my darkest times, I even wished for a cancer, so that I could leave this world soon w/o my parents having to deal with the thought of me taking my own life. I felt so bad for her, I wanted to give a word of comfort or just trade places, and yet I couldn't do neither of those things. And so she died. And I lived, miserably. This is when I heard Carrie and Lowell. "Death With Dignity" and "The Only Thing" in particular were songs that spoke a lot w/ me. I'm glad Sufjan released this. His work somehow always finds me when I need him most. Same with the current Javelin

I read a short story for English literature class called the yellow wallpaper. It was about a woman who experienced diagnosis after diagnosis after diagnosis from her husband, who is a doctor. She has a psychotic episode and tears down the yellow wallpaper on her bedroom wall as a symbol of her feelings of being trapped by her own psychosis which she believes was caused by her husband but nobody else does.

new album soon!

Am I strange for finding this song safe and comforting? With every different listen I seem to feel a different emotion, I either end up crying or smiling. He is so underrated

Wallows Lake Monster does the real job of what 4th of July tried to do. The mysticism and wonder of the passing dragon always seemed to be filled with awe.

This album came out around the time I was separated from my mom at 15. I used this album to process the grief of the estranged relationship I had with her to begin with. The more I listened to it, the more I found closure in the lyrics that Sufjan wrote. 10/10 would reccomend.

I just love his music, he just makes me feel seen, you know what I mean.

i always cried with the whole album while i listened to it. it's amazing how much sadness and pain can turn into art. And it's amazing how much younger people get to know Sufjan bc of the "Call Me By Your Name" soundtrack. I knew his music bc of "Futile Devices" (the og version) and literally, i started to listening to him more often, now i love him and his music of course. Sufjan is such an incredible artist.

Wonderful artist lucky to see him live 2 times and even meet him.

Is the "I was ashamed... I was ashamed of her" from Romulus at 1:10 really saying that she was unfit to be a parent? I've always heard the lyric as disgust at the fact that he was *ashamed* of his mother.

man every album of his is so good. and this song is such a masterpiece.

brilliant video as always!

I love this, thanks for this video.

2020 carnage started early for me when one of my colleagues got killed by a drunk driver. After the funeral I put on Carrie and Lowell and bawled my eyes out. It helped a lot

Thank you for this

I WAS WAITING FOR THIS

Absolutely well done

Awesomely edited video

This is so fascinating because I always assumed it was a one-way conversation between Sufjan and his mother. In this sense, the line “did you get enough love, my little dove, why do you cry?” becomes Sufjan asking whether his mother got enough love in her life as she was so distant towards him - not seeing her actions as a character flaw but a result of deep pain she encountered in her life. Also the line saying “I’m sorry I left” I thought was about Sufjan becoming estranged from his mother until close to her death, kind of like the regret he shows in “Futile Devices”. After watching this I definitely see how both Carrie and Sufjan have dialogue in this song, but envisioning it as just Sufjan talking to his mother really centralizes the care he had for her in her final moments.

thank you so much for this video

Thank you for making this video 💚🙏

The song Fourth of July always helps me cope with my pet cat’s death… she was like my best friend, she was the best pet I could ever ask for. the line “we’re all gonna die” is correct, we all do have to leave our parents and loved ones one day, this comment is not to make you sad or worried about when your loved ones are going to pass away, but a comment to remind you that no one lives forever, and we should spend our time with our loved ones, because one day, they will leave this earth. Have a pleasant day with your loved ones ❤ In memory of Julia the cat August 27th 2022 - November 2nd 2023 Age of 1 year You will be missed dearly.

really good work my guy

i love the animation in this video!

im on the verge of crying rn

Nice. First the new Sufjan song, now this.