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Artist: Sufjan Stevens
Track: America

Lyrics
Is it love you're after?
A sign of the flood or one more disaster?
Don't do to me what you did to America
Don't do to me what you did to America

I have loved you, I have grieved
I'm ashamed to admit I no longer believe
I have loved you, I received
I have traded my life for a picture of the scenery
Don't do to me what you did to America
Don't do to me what you did to America

I give it all up in laughter
The sign of the cross awaiting disaster
The dove flew to me like a vision of paranoia
The dove flew to me like a vision of paranoia

I have loved you like a dream
I have kissed your lips like a Judas in heat
I have worshiped, I believed
I have broke your bread for a splendor of machinery
Don't look at me like I'm acting hysterical
Don't look at me like I'm acting hysterical

I have worshiped, I have cried
I have put my hands in the wounds on your side
I have tasted of your blood
I have choked on the waters, I abated the flood
I am broken, I am beat
But I will find my way like a Judas in heat
I am fortune, I am free
I'm like a fever of light in the land of opportunity
Don't do to me what you did to America
(Don't do to me what you do to yourself)
Don't do to me what you did to America
(Don't do to me what you do to yourself)
Don't do to me what you did to America
(Don't do to me what you do to yourself)
Don't do to me what you did to America
(Don't do to me what you do to yourself)

Don't do to me what you did to America
Don't do to me what you did to America
Don't do to me what you did to America
Don't do to me what you did to America

Don't do to me what you did to America
Don't do to me what you did to America
Don't do to me what you did to America
Don't do to me what you did to America
Full Lyrics and Meaning
Genius Lyrics
Sufjan Stevens – America
“America” is the last track and first single from Sufjan Steven’s eighth studio album, The Ascension. The track and album were announced on June 30th, with the digital edition of
Sufjan Stevens – Prairie Fire That Wanders About
Peoria! Destroy-a! / Infinity! Divinity! / For Lydia, Octavia! / And Jack-of-Trades! / The Cubs hooray! / The Opera House / Where Emma sang! / America! Oh will it play? / And Santa
Sufjan Stevens – My Rajneesh
“My Rajneesh” is the B-side to Sufjan Stevens' single “America”, the first from his new album The Ascension. The track was released digitally on July 10th, 2020, a week after “
Sufjan Stevens – The Upper Peninsula
I live in America / With a pair of Payless shoes / The upper peninsula / And the television news / And I've seen my wife / At the K-Mart / In strange ideas / We live apart / I live
Sufjan Stevens – The Tallest Man, the Broadest Shoulders (Part I: The Great Frontier — Part II: Come to Me Only with Playthings Now)
The title of part 2 of this song, “Come to Me Only with Playthings Now”, is a reference to the first line of Carl Sandburg’s poem “Murmurings in a Field Hospital”. This isn’t the
Sufjan Stevens – Tonya Harding (in D major)
“Tonya Harding” is a song about the former Olympic figure skater who was blamed and accused for the attack on Nancy Kerrigan. In spite of her promising talent, Harding’s reputation
Sufjan Stevens – Casimir Pulaski Day
This song details the events that surround the death of the narrator’s female friend, and the crisis of faith that it triggers for the narrator. Some read this as chronological
Read All The Lyrics To Sufjan Stevens’ New Album ‘The Ascension’
“I had to do away with all my previous tropes.”
Sufjan Stevens – The 50 States Song
[Choir] / It's part of the act / The fifty states / Pack up your bags / It's never too late / From Alabama to Arkansas / Follow Alaska, say what you saw / Swim in the ocean
Sufjan Stevens – The Tallest Man, the Broadest Shoulders
Part I: "The Great Frontier" / I count the days the Great Frontier / Forgiving, faced the seventh year / I stand in awe of gratefulness / I can and call forgetfulness / And when I
Sufjan Stevens & Angelo De Augustine – You Give Death a Bad Name
Continuing with the film theme, “You Give Death a Bad Name” is inspired by Night of the Living Dead, but is also heavily based upon “The Runaround” from the Aporia album Sufjan and
Sufjan Stevens – Mystery of Love
“Mystery of Love” is one of two songs written by Sufjan Stevens for the soundtrack of the 2017 film ‘Call Me By Your Name’. The film’s director, Luca Guadagnino, originally
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Genius Albums
America by Sufjan Stevens
“America” is the first single off of Sufjan Stevens’ eighth studio album, The Ascension. Announced with the album on June 30th, “America” was released on July 3rd, with the
The Ascension by Sufjan Stevens
The Ascension is the eighth studio album by singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens, his first solo LP since 2015’s Carrie & Lowell and his second 2020 release after the collaborative
Seven Swans by Sufjan Stevens
Seven Swans is the fourth official studio album by American recording artist Sufjan Stevens. Released in 2004, the album is comprised of “lush acoustic compositions” paired with
Javelin by Sufjan Stevens
Javelin is the ninth solo studio album by American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Sufjan Stevens. It is his first solo album of new material since 2020’s The Ascension
Enjoy Your Rabbit by Sufjan Stevens
Get all the lyrics to songs on Enjoy Your Rabbit and join the Genius community of music scholars to learn the meaning behind the lyrics.
Love Yourself / With My Whole Heart by Sufjan Stevens
Get all the lyrics to songs on Love Yourself / With My Whole Heart and join the Genius community of music scholars to learn the meaning behind the lyrics.
The Dress Looks Nice on You by Sufjan Stevens
Get all the lyrics to songs on The Dress Looks Nice on You and join the Genius community of music scholars to learn the meaning behind the lyrics.
Noel: Songs For Christmas - Vol. I by Sufjan Stevens
This is the first EP in Sufjan Steven’s Songs For Christmas series.
Hark!: Songs for Christmas - Vol. II by Sufjan Stevens
This is the second installment in Sufjan Stevens’s “Songs for Christmas” series.
Gloria: Songs For Christmas - Vol. VI by Sufjan Stevens
Get all the lyrics to songs on Gloria: Songs For Christmas - Vol. VI and join the Genius community of music scholars to learn the meaning behind the lyrics.
The BQE by Sufjan Stevens
Get all the lyrics to songs on The BQE and join the Genius community of music scholars to learn the meaning behind the lyrics.
Ding! Dong! Songs for Christmas - Vol. III by Sufjan Stevens
This is the third installment in Sufjan Stevens’s “Songs for Christmas” series.
Christmas Infinity Voyage: Songs For Christmas - Vol. VIII by Sufjan Stevens
Get all the lyrics to songs on Christmas Infinity Voyage: Songs For Christmas - Vol. VIII and join the Genius community of music scholars to learn the meaning behind the lyrics.
Carrie & Lowell Live by Sufjan Stevens
Get all the lyrics to songs on Carrie & Lowell Live and join the Genius community of music scholars to learn the meaning behind the lyrics.
Convocations by Sufjan Stevens
Convocations is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens and his fourth instrumental album. Convocations is an album about loss, a 49-track piece divided
Carrie & Lowell by Sufjan Stevens
Carrie & Lowell is the 7th Studio Album, by Singer-Songwriter Sufjan Stevens. Sparsely instrumental, Stevens marks a return to his indie folk roots. Carrie & Lowell since its
Christmas Unicorn: Songs for Christmas - Vol. X by Sufjan Stevens
Get all the lyrics to songs on Christmas Unicorn: Songs for Christmas - Vol. X and join the Genius community of music scholars to learn the meaning behind the lyrics.
Mystery of Love by Sufjan Stevens
“Mystery of Love” is an EP released by Sufjan Stevens on Record Store Day 2018. Side A includes the track Mystery of Love, and Side B contains Visions of Gideon and the Doveman
Peace - Songs for Christmas - Vol. V by Sufjan Stevens
This is the fifth and final installment in Sufjan Stevens’s “Songs For Christmas” series.
Lonely Man of Winter by Sufjan Stevens
Stemmed from a contest Stevens held in 2007 dubbed, The Great Xmas Song Xchange, in which songwriter and director Alec Duffy exchanged the rights of his winning song,“Every Day is
Michigan by Sufjan Stevens
The Michigan album (full title is Sufjan Stevens Presents: Greeting From Michigan, The Great Lake State) is an album that Sufjan Stevens had released through his Asthmatic Kitty
The Avalanche by Sufjan Stevens
The Avalanche—full name The Avalanche: Outtakes and Extras from the Illinois Album—is a 2006 album by Sufjan Stevens. The tracks within were assembled from cuts recorded during the
Illinois by Sufjan Stevens
Illinois (or Sufjan Stevens Invites You To: Come On Feel The Illinoise) is the second album in the so-called 50 States Project, which later turned out to be a stunt. The album
The Age of Adz by Sufjan Stevens
The Age of Adz is the sixth album by Sufjan Stevens. Despite being polarizing to both fans and critics upon its release, it managed to receive critical acclaim and charted at #7 on
Michigan (Vinyl Version) by Sufjan Stevens
Get all the lyrics to songs on Michigan (Vinyl Version) and join the Genius community of music scholars to learn the meaning behind the lyrics.
The Greatest Gift Mixtape – Outtakes, Remixes & Demos from Carrie & Lowell by Sufjan Stevens
The Greatest Gift is a collection of outtakes, remixes and demos from Sufjan’s critically-acclaimed 2015 album Carrie & Lowell. The album contains four remixes, four alternate and
I Am Santa's Helper: Songs For Christmas - Vol. VII by Sufjan Stevens
Get all the lyrics to songs on I Am Santa's Helper: Songs For Christmas - Vol. VII and join the Genius community of music scholars to learn the meaning behind the lyrics.
Silver & Gold by Sufjan Stevens
Get all the lyrics to songs on Silver & Gold and join the Genius community of music scholars to learn the meaning behind the lyrics.
Songs for Christmas by Sufjan Stevens
Songs for Christmas is Sufjan Steven’s first Christmas music box set. Released ahead of Christmas 2006, the compilation is made up of five EPs: Noel, Hark!, Ding! Dong!, Joy, and
A Sun Came! by Sufjan Stevens
A Sun Came is the debut album from Michigan-based musician Sufjan Stevens. Stevens himself describes the album’s tone as combining “traditional pop music, medieval instrumentation
All Delighted People EP by Sufjan Stevens
The All Delighted People EP by Sufjan Stevens was released on October 20, 2010. His sixth studio album, The Age Of Adz, was released less than a month later. Given their closely
Javelin (Rough Trade Exclusive Edition) by Sufjan Stevens
By pre-ordering the Rough Trade exclusive vinyl, fans received a Bonus CD that contained 5 previously unreleased songs, rumored to be from the Carrie & Lowell era due to their
Songs for Christmas Volume 8: Astral Inter Planet Space Captain Christmas Infinity Voyage by Sufjan Stevens
Astral Inter Planet Space Captain Christmas Infinity Voyage is an early version of Christmas Infinity Voyage: Songs For Christmas – Vol. VIII that was leaked in 2008. It contains
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AZ Lyrics
Sufjan Stevens - America Lyrics
Sufjan Stevens "America": Is it love you're after? A sign of the flood or one more disaster? Don't do to me what you did to Am...
MusixMatch Lyrics
Sufjan Stevens - America Lyrics
Lyrics for America by Sufjan Stevens. Is it love you′re after? A sign of the flood or one more disaster? Don't do to me what you...
Sufjan Stevens - My Rajneesh Lyrics
Lyrics for My Rajneesh by Sufjan Stevens. After the storm, we shaved our legs to the skin Into the snow, our footprints showed where...
Genius Q&A
Q:Who produced “America” by Sufjan Stevens?
“America” by Sufjan Stevens was produced by Sufjan Stevens.
Genius Artists
Asthmatic Kitty Records
Asthmatic Kitty Records is a record label founded in 1999 by Sufjan Stevens and Lowell Brams. The companies name is inspired by a cat named Sara, which was adopted by Lowell Brams