Opie's Funeral Song

Yet another beautiful song from Sufjan.

Also, a live version of this recording is prefaced with a story about Sufjan's classmate in 7th grade, Opie, who was killed. He doesn't say how he was killed, just that he felt like he didn't get to know him as well as he should've.

"Many of us had felt like we hadn't really gotten to know him as well because he was a foster kid. Because, you know how people are in middle school and junior high so, it was kind of a big revelation I think for all of us at that age."

I think the line "you put a hole in my head" refers to the feeling of loss and shock felt after someone dies. Even if you don't know them well, it's still hard to deal with, you feel terrible and have difficulty thinking straight.

A great song, essential listening for any Sufjan fan. The instrumentals are reminiscent of Casimir Pulaski Day.

Ahhhh!! The first time I heard this song I swear the whole world went Technicolor. It's so beautiful!! And I guess we all are reminded of something in our own lives because of a tune or the words in a song...And this one reminds me of a day when I flung my best friend's ashes in this park where we went. She killed herself, you know, and I had this intense feeling like I had set her free. I couldn't stop thinking of those lines, 'you make it beautiful, friend, you make it worth it to the end.' It fit so perfectly. It made me want to cry but not because I was sad. I don't really know why. It's just a feeling and that's the same as what I think this song is. In the end, it just becomes this inexplicable feeling.

I'm sorry to hear that you were color blind, Crystal, but am happy that you can now see in color.

This song reminds me of when a few kids died at our school. We were always friendly to each other, but we were never really friends. They died in a car accident one night. I really regreted not having befriended them when I had a chance.

That's beautiful, Crystal Dishes =]

As for me. I'm not exactly sure what the verses are pointing at exactly.

"Ever since dawn Ever since when You put the note in my pocket again And you said you wanted to meet me at three I was invited for once Yes, I was invited for once"

"Just like you put a fire in the tree"

and

"Ever since dawn Ever since three We made the plans at your party to be And we tied the ribbon beside your back tree Yes, we tied it upside down Yes, we tied it upside down"

What does that mean to anyone? I can't quite figure it out. =/

Seasandskies, that first bit I take to just be an example of this person's kindness. He invited the narrator (Sufjan I'm supposing) to hang out, or something of the sort, and something as simple as that made such an impression and led to friendship.

As for the fire in the tree, my first impression was a biblical reference but that really doesn't match up with the rest of the song, unless the rest of the lyrics are incredibly vague metaphors for Jesus and what he "did for us." Which I entertain almost as a fancy of sorts but honestly doubt. Perhaps it's just one of those personal experiences that a songwriter puts in that only they truly understand.

That last big I'm not sure about either. I want to say there's significance in an upside down ribbon but I have nothing to back that up with. This is just a guess but the "party to be" gave me the impression that Opie died before the party actually happened. Once again, just a guess. If even. A musing.

Why, thank you, seasandskies!

the fire in the tree reminds me of the movie pleasantville when reading books sets the trees on fire, symbolizing the way people's minds were opened--almost literally like learning to see in technicolor! maybe this person's existence or friendship initiated a reaction in the narrator's mind, setting their mind ablaze, maybe igniting passion or destroying old ideas.

This song!!!!!! I am so happy that I have heard it. It's phenomenally (I don't think thats a word) beautiful and tragic. Tragically beautiful. I almost feel sort of bad about how much I enjoy this sad song every time I hear it. But it's a different kind of enjoy. It's really just a realization that this song is so pure and truthful - quite possibly just a sample of something more real than we can understand.