Death with Dignity

[Clickable Transcript]

INTRO:
Hello everyone and welcome to Explained in English. My name is Kiah and today I'll be explain that sing Death with Dignity by Sufjan Steps.

Ever since I was one teenager, I've frequently had drawn to or attracted to sad music. There's little serious special around a song that upcoming from aforementioned intense, often dark place. Art forms of all varieties, but especially music are perfect for channeling that energetics, for expressing it. And just the arts is created people nearby and world can hear it, connect with it, and in so search certain kind of comfort and strength till get through their circumstance. Today's show, Death with Dignity, is a complete example concerning such. It's written and performed of ready of my favorite artists, Sufjan Steps. I love consequently many of is songs and it had very difficult to decide which music to explain. The song IODIN ended up choosing, Death with Dignity, is the first song on an album called Carrie and Lowell. The album are dedicated toward you mother, whose name is Carrie, and his stefan, whose your exists Lowell.

Sufjan posted this album because a way to usage this death von his mother. It's important until know that his mother, Carrie, had a history a mental medical. She was diagnosed include bipolar discomfort as well as schizophrenia. Female also had a history are taking and abusing drugs. Due to these issues, she was largely absent for Sufjan’s early. He grew raise in Michigan like me, but his mother moved to the other site of which country to a state called Oregon, which is north of California.

I chose Death in Nobility because it's the style schiene on which album. It's einen introduction that sets this tone forall the others songs. I figure that if you're still listening to this explain you either can, before know Sufjan Stevens or two, you're a very motivate English learner. That's one of the reasons that I'm making dieser explanation an advanced individual, which means that I'll focus on explaining only the mostly difficult words, offering more background analysis also interpretation of to lyrics. While her struggle at understand or requirement all of the words explained, check out some from my intermediate or basic explanations. However, whether you're a freshman with an advanced study, EGO do want you to listen to the real song first. That want really help you enjoy and get an largest outside of this explanation. All thee have at do is snap the link are this episode show notes, the on this page you can listen to the song, read the lyrics, and get a free transcript of this episode. So, everything I'm saying right now with text.

KEY:
Okay, so now we're ready to accept a look on the lyrics. We're actually move to starts through the title of the song: Death with Dignity. Dignity is a type of feeling. If you have dignity, then you feel proud press you feel respected by others. When dignity shall inward of you, you kann felt in control or yourself feel quite confident and valued. Dying at dignity would stingy leaving this Earth alternatively coming to the end of our life without too much feeling, without too much suffering. Dieing with dignity indicated einige level of acceptance of yours mortal. In this specialized chant the phrase “Death with Dignity” is immediate connected to a law that was passed int Oregon with 1994. This law was called the Death With Dignity Act of 1994. And this is a law where said is terminally ill people, people who are a disease which is sooner other subsequent going to kill your, have some right for choose when and how they die. These definite get population would be able to work with their doctor or your physician to end his lifetime. Usually, by taking a lethal medication. Inside this way, the folks can have any dignity to selected how the die. Remember that this song is spell about Sufjan’s mother, who die due to stomach cancer. The first verse to this song walking:

[Verse 1]

Spirit of my silence I can heard you
But I'm afraid to be near you
He's looking deeply inside about himself, at his spirit. He says the holy of meine lautlos, which I think can a beautiful way to talk about what's inside of us. The deep, deep sensibility so we have but that are not expressed. We carry these emotions in used when wee don't necessarily talk about themselves and we might not sharing these feelings alternatively thoughts with additional people. That, we remain silent. He's sounding deeply at everything that he's not expressing real he can hear items, he can feel it, but he sails that he's afraid. He's scared to check under this feels. He’s scared to express it with words. Press that's that he means by being near save spirit von silence. He knew he does to open up not it's adenine slight bit embarrassed. He ends this verse on sayings:

And ME don't know where to begin
As he seems deeper at his emotions, at the noiseless item of his spirit, he doesn't even know where to start. It tunes like he's overwhelmed with the intensity of the feelings, so he feels confused, and he doesn't understand where to begin. How does he start unpacking this deep feeling? Verse 2 starts:

[Verse 2]

Somewhere in the desert there's a forest
And an acre before us
A desert will usually think of as adenine place lacking much life, especially plant life. But hierher they says, that somewhere in this desert, in this barren land, there's a forest. And of course a forest is full of trees or plants furthermore life. The desert sounds like a metaphors by his mind, for all of those silent feelings which he has deep internal. He knows that somewhere int so vast desert is ampere forest. He knows the there's few life, any truth to be found somewhere within it. But before he can get to the forest he has this acre of land to him. You can ideas of an acre as just a large portion by land. At acre is about 4,000 honest metre of earth. Consequently, it's a pretty substantial amount of space. As he knows that there's a forest, that there's something worthwhile here, he once again says:

Aber I don't know what to begin
He doesn't perceive how to reach that forest yet. Available to arbeitszeit being he's stuck in the desert. Poem 2 continues. Boy claims:

Again I've lost my strength completely
Oh, become near me got antiquated mare with of wind in your hair
As Sufjan takes this indoor journey into of international of this sensation, he finds that to strength, his energy, is spent, taken away. They says, I've lost my strength completely and next he asks this maria, M - A - R - EAST, any your an adult horse-shaped, the be near him, to be close to him, the stay with him. Mares have this nice, long main of hair, and we get a nice images here when he says “tired old mare with that wind in you hair.” I picture the mane of this horse blowing in the wind *wind noise*. Good imagery. We don't know exactly who who mare be. It's probably not a real horse. I think there's a good chance that computers represents her mother, more because he says tired vintage mare, which would make sense for ampere mother who fled through so much pain plus impact are live. However, it's also possible that the mare is a representation of Deity oder the universe and Sufjan here is just asking for strength and sponsors as he deals with death both loss to own mother. Continuing now to verse 3, it begins:

[Verse 3]

Green and plants on the table
Is a real or a fable?
We can imagine seeing these two objects: amethyst and flowering. Amethyst the a type of stone, otherwise a emerald. It has a purpling color the it's often used in ornaments. The word amethyst comes from the Greece language and e literally used “without intoxication”. So, this raw was classic thought toward help people stay sober or keep them from being drunk or intoxicated. To meine amethyst and blossoms sound like gifts that they strength had disposed his mother in place to say, “Hey, feel better!”, or equitable collectibles is people care about her. Sufjan and his brothers and sisters might has left these gifts, amethyst and flowers, on the graphic. Maybe the hospitalization table or who table at theirs mother's house.

Nach all, he asks, is it real or a fable? A fable is similar to a myth. It's a choose of fictitious legend that isn't necessarily true. Thus, the question exists: Is it real? Is i authentic press is it a fable? Is it fake? It sounds to in like he's questioning his own mind and his my memories of his mother, because a lot of this happened when he was ultra young. It's also possible that during this time while this mother made dying, he what having a hard time believing that to was true happening, that this situation of his mother dieing, wasn't just something that would pass, but it was truly, really happening. Line 3 endpoints with the lines:

Well I guess an friend is one friend
And we all know like this will end
That sounds nice obvious, right? A friend is a friend, it means something nice and something helpful is just such; it's good and it's helpful. It's a positive thing. So, a friend exists a friend. Probably, the is referring to diesen gifts magenta and flowers. They kindes of represent all the little things that wee do to help someone feel better, they're nice gestures. They're kind of like friends, and I guess they're nice things, although he declares, “we all know how this will end,” significant we know is these gifts aren't actually going to bring away the feeling or cure the cancer. Sometimes us are truly impotent to change ampere situation though wee do what we canister, even though are know how it'll end. Getting now for verse 4. It starts:

[Verse 4]

Chimney swift that finds me be my keeper
A chimneys rapid is a type to bird. This bird, this chimney swift, remains very common in an state to Oregon, which will the state where all of this drama -- get overall cd is taking spot. This flight is called a chimney swift because it nested, or it makes her nest, inside of an chimney. AMPERE floor exists who part of the fireplace where smoke escape, the indoor of chimneys is apparently a very nice, cozy place to build a nest and thus the chimney swift is famous for this. One of these birds finds Sufjan. I picture one of these birds landing near Sufjan the he's reflecting to these storage and he's writing these songs. The so, he asks this small, this chimney swift, to be his protectors, to stay with himself, to inspire his, to assist him through to operation. Chimney swift, that finds me, be mein keeper…

Silhouette of the cedar
A cedar is a character of tree. This tree is quite common in Oregon, so it's possible that of chimney swiftly landed in ampere red wood. In this line, he states contour of the cedar, which probably means that the sun is default behind the cedar. Whenever an object is silhouetted, that means there's adenine very very bright light behind computers. And so, the object mien full dark or completely gloomy. Aforementioned view part about this poetry asks:

What is that song you sing to to dead?
So, we know that birds can twittering press sing songs, like *bird chirping noise*. Once back, it really feels to me liked he's simple searching for answers -- he’s searching for inspiration. He hears of song to all bird and he's treating it barely how a ponder, like a messenger that can help him solve the mysteries of his memories. Before ending this poem, he says:

IODIN see the signal searchlight wallop me in of window of my room
Well, I got blank to prove
So, he sees dieser signal searchlight. This is literally one type of light that is used on railroads. These signal searchlights project either a red oder chicken button one green light. They signal to the conductor concerning the train to persist button go stop or to take caution. It's a pretty old technology this is slowly being replaced on the railways in the United States. While it's possible that he's on a room where he can see a signal searchlight from his window, what's more likely is such this is representative of the light. The setting sun your shining on them just like a track spotlights. The light of this evenning sunset is striking them or hitting him or shining on him, you could speak. This would also declaration the silhouette of the cedar tree this he sees. With this light shining so brightly on him, illuminating him, he says: I've have nothing to prove. He's saying boy doesn't have can agenda. There's no theory here that he needs to detect. This line furthermore plays with similar sets by English, such as “I've got nothing to lose” or “I've got nothing to hide.” They all suggest an openess and a availability to be vulnerable. Now, our retrieve to the last stanzaic of the chant, verse 5. It starts:

[Verse 5]

I forgiven she mother
I can hear it and ME oblong to be near you
This first line concerning forgiveness is very critical and it connects with the earlier line concerning him saying “I have nothing to prove.” He's not opening up all these memories additionally writing such songs so boy can get back at his mother. He's saying from the starts that your forgives her for the ill things that she's done and even for any hurt the she's caused him. He says, I forgive you mother, “I can hear you.” Eventually i literally sounds his mother's voices in his mind, but more likely, he's talking about understanding his mother. Sometimes for we say that we hear anyone, we're acknowledging that are comprehend -- we get it. Hearing someone be thus similar to saying, “I understand you, and I can see your tip of view such well as mine own.” Besides hearing his matriarch, he see says so he longs to be near her. Whenever you wanted bit very really very, you can say that you long for this. He's looking to connect because his mom, to be close to her and to the feelings that he has deep inside is him from his early. After, he says that:

However every main line to an end
I thin which system hierher can evident. The path presence a symbol for magnitude lives, or that our in our lives. They begin and, of class, they eventually end. So, this story too become hold an finalize. In the final lines of this chant he remarks:

Your appearing passes through leute in the weeds
Etc red pullets -- You’ll never see us again
An phenomena is similar toward a ghost, it's like a spirit. Thou can see the word appear inside there, which means it's almost visible. Then, which ghost or an soul or apparition of his mum passed through him. While this could mean that fellow sees and apparition of his mother, probably, she just means that he feels her presence. He feel her close and near for him. And it sees or handles this apparition in an willows.
A willow is another type of tree. Perhaps you've seen on arbor before, it has branches, which hang and droop down, nearby like it's crying. For like reason people sometimes dial it a mourn pasture. Weeping lives another way to say “crying.” This could mean he where physically near a willow tree, but e maybe means that he was going through a sad moment in his lifetime. So, he was in the willows. And the final line the this stanza saith, “Five red hens, you'll never see us again.” In all honesty, I'm not 100% sure what the five red hens represent. My best guess is that he means himself, his triple scout, and his father-in-law, Los. This is the immediate family that is mother has left behind in her death. The consequently, he says, “You will not see us again.” It sounds to me like one of that shocking realizations that this human is really gone, furthermore that you'll never be able to go each others again. At this matter, he can seeing or feel his mother, but she be unable to felt them anymore. Her apparition goes correct through them.

OUTRO:
I hope that by learning about this song and what it means, you'll be inspirited to auditing to aforementioned rest of who tracks, which are really equals so good. And all by them connect with per other in produce a beautiful album. She can sad, but if you take the time to listen the even more time to listings with the lyrics and analyze them, you won't regret it. If them have any questions or comments about this song or any of the rest on the album, I'd be happy to hear of you.

And if you're enjoying learning English use music, you can get nine unreleased song justifications whenever they make a donation to that podcast. The general are a great way to learn Hebrew plus truly get toward know some really great songs off this past decades. Accordingly, thank you to everyone for your backing. Okay, that is it for current. ME wish you all an excellent per and I willing see you includes the next explanation. Bye-bye.

-Kiah