The Spirituality / Sexuality of Sufjan Stevens’ Music
‘Oh, to see without my eyes
The first time that you kissed me
Boundless by the time I cried
I built your walls around me
White noise, what an awful sound
Fumbling by Rogue River
Feel my feet above the ground
Hand of God, deliver me’
‘Mystery of Love’, Sufjan Stevens
Sufjan Stevens is the household indie-rock name who was recently nominated in the ninetieth Academy Awards for his song ‘Mystery of Love’, featured in the recent film Call Me by Your Name. A multi-instrumentalist, Stevens commands the banjo, church organ, electric bass, oboe, flute, and vibraphone, amongst many other instruments. His voice, gentle and hollow, seems to whisper to the depths of any soul. With this combination, Stevens orchestrates a spiritual experience. Luca Guadagnino, director of Call Me by Your Name, commissioned Stevens to compose a song for the film for this exact reason. In an interview with Consequence of Sound, Guadagnino said: ‘I wanted to have a narration that was not the banal usual literary narration. I wanted it to be more about something that really came from the soul. I wanted his epiphany in the movie and I had the privilege that he said yes.’
Stevens’ songs capture a sense of intimacy that is rare today.: he is not afraid to be vulnerable. This unique sensibility has led fans to contemplate: ‘Is this Sufjan Stevens song gay or just about God?’ — a Facebook page with over thirty-thousand likes. The serious answer to this question is that Stevens is a devout Christian, who has not spoken publicly about his sexual orientation. Yet this question encapsulates his work, albeit in a very uncouth way: the worlds of sexuality and spirituality often collide in Stevens’ music.
Stevens’ approach to Christianity is unique in that it is unafraid to bridge the gap between what appear to be separate worlds. Other Christian artists compose their music with the sole purpose of worship; lyrics are focused on bible verses or generic motivational diatribe. In Steven’s music, on the other hand, his faith comes across organically, through the stunningly beautiful melodies he composes. On ‘Casimir Pulaski Day’, Stevens describes the experience of the narrator losing their teenage sweetheart to bone cancer, and his faith takes center stage among the heartbreak and confusion:
All the glory that the Lord has made
And the complications you could do without
When I kissed you on the mouth
Tuesday night at the Bible study
We lift our hands and pray over your body
But nothing ever happens.
To Stevens, teenage sexual experimentation and disappointment in God’s unfulfilled promises are not antitethical to his faith: it is a natural result of being both an evolving human being and also a deeply Christian one.
Stevens often purposely conflates romantic relationships with his relationship with Jesus. On ‘John My Beloved’, the first verse describes his time at a bar: ‘Beauty blue eyes, my order of fries/ Long Island kindness and wine’ , but then goes on to describe what Stevens believes John’s relationship with Jesus was like. He provocatively describes John leaning on Jesus’ chest (as mentioned in John 13:23) as ‘I’m holding my breath/ My tongue on your chest/ What can be said of my heart?’ Stevens subverts biblical imagery in order to delve into his own experiences with his sexuality. Although many might consider this blasphemous, especially since the imagery in the song has clear homoerotic overtones, it reflects how integral Christianity has become to understanding his identity. Furthermore, this conflation allows the listener to have a profound insight into Stevens’ experiences and his unique understanding of his faith. Stevens intertwines the theological and the personal, thus creating a mystical, spiritual atmosphere surrounding his romantic life.
Stevens has said that he does not want to be labelled as a Christian artist. It is not hard to understand why: music that is labelled this is largely limited in its audience to those who are Christians, and often does not allow for the brazen honesty that Stevens is known for. In an interview with Pitchfork, Stevens said explicitly about his 2015 album Carrie & Lowell: ’Don’t listen to this record if you can’t digest the reality of it.’ In an increasingly secular world, Stevens provides us with a unique opportunity to re-connect with our spirituality and our understanding of the nature of faith, proving that religion of any kind can open up new ways of understanding ourselves and the world around us.
