Fourth of July

"Fourth of July" is a profoundly personal and heartbreaking exploration of grief, mortality, and the complex relationship between Sufjan Stevens and his estranged mother, Carrie, at the end of her life. The song is structured as a conversation between them on her deathbed, a final, intimate exchange that attempts to bridge a lifetime of distance and unresolved emotions. The central theme is the confrontation with death, not as a terrifying void, but as a natural and universal conclusion. His mother's repeated line, "We're all gonna die," serves as a stark but strangely comforting reminder of this shared fate, stripping away the non-essential and focusing on the present moment of connection. It's a song about the regret of things left unsaid and the desperate, loving attempt to make amends in the final moments. The title itself is a poignant contrast, juxtaposing a holiday of loud celebration and vibrant life with the quiet, intimate moment of a life ending. This contrast highlights the song's exploration of fleeting beauty and the inevitability of loss.

The song unfolds as a poignant and intimate dialogue between a son and his dying mother. It begins with the son reflecting on the moment of her passing, describing the encroaching illness as a spreading evil and calling her his 'firefly,' a fleeting light in the darkness. He is filled with a sense of helplessness, wondering what he could have possibly said to save her, wishing he could have been a spectacular sky on the Fourth of July for her, a grand and beautiful distraction from the inevitable. The mother, in her response, gently chides him for his sorrow, calling him her 'little hawk' and asking why he cries. She poses a profound question, asking what he has learned from significant, destructive, and beautiful events like the 'Tillamook burn' or the Fourth of July, before tenderly reminding him of the universal truth: 'We're all gonna die.'

The son's perspective shifts to the sterile environment of the hospital room, observing the halo-like image around his mother's head and questioning the authenticity of their past, comparing it to the performative nature of junior high. He feels lost and depleted, his 'fading supply.' His mother’s voice returns, filled with love and a touch of regret. She asks if he received enough love, calling him her 'little dove,' and apologizes for leaving, explaining it was for the best even though it never felt right. She refers to him as 'my little Versailles,' a nickname that suggests a complicated mix of grandeur and ruin. The son then grapples with the practical and surreal details of death, like the hospital's questions about casting the body. He finds a dark humor in the thought of wrapping her in cloth, a reversal of a parent swaddling a child. He continues to address her with affectionate, nature-based nicknames like 'dragonfly' and 'little loon,' asking if they should look at the moon together, a shared, simple moment in the face of the profound. His mother’s final words are a gentle encouragement to 'make the most of your life, while it is rife, while it is light.' The song concludes with the son repeating his mother’s stark but comforting refrain, 'We're all gonna die,' fading out into a quiet acceptance of mortality.

"Fourth of July" is a song from Sufjan Stevens' seventh studio album, Carrie & Lowell, released on March 31, 2015. The album is an intensely personal and autobiographical work that grapples with the life and death of his mother, Carrie, who passed away from stomach cancer in December 2012. Carrie suffered from depression, schizophrenia, and alcoholism, and she abandoned Stevens when he was just a year old. Their relationship was distant and complicated throughout his life. The song, like the rest of the album, was born out of Stevens' need to process his grief and come to terms with his mother's death. He has described the experience of being with her in the ICU as terrifying but also a moment of 'reciprocal deep love and care.' The song was recorded around 2014, and in 2022, Stevens released two alternate versions of the track, the "April Base" version and the "DUMBO" version, which were found on old hard drives. The album was produced by Stevens and his friend Thomas Bartlett.

The song's structure is more akin to a free verse poem set to music than a traditionally rhyming song. While there are instances of rhyme, such as 'ahead' and 'dead,' or 'cry' and 'July,' the focus is not on a strict rhyme scheme. Instead, the lyrical power comes from its conversational flow and emotional directness. The rhythm of the lyrics is gentle and follows the cadence of speech, enhancing the feeling of an intimate, whispered conversation. The song maintains a slow, deliberate tempo throughout, creating a somber and meditative mood. The interplay between the lyrical rhythm and the simple, repetitive piano motif is crucial to the song's emotional weight. The piano provides a steady, almost heartbeat-like pulse against which Stevens' and his mother's words unfold. The song's power lies in this gentle, persistent rhythm, which makes the final, stark declaration, 'We're all gonna die,' all the more impactful when it is repeated, building in intensity before fading away.

Musically, "Fourth of July" employs a minimalist and atmospheric approach. It is built around a simple, repetitive piano melody and Stevens' hushed, almost whispered vocals, creating an intimate, lullaby-like quality that draws the listener into the private conversation. The song's structure is deceptively simple, with a gauzy atmosphere and blurred beginnings and endings, contributing to its dreamlike and poignant feel. The instrumentation is sparse, a characteristic of the Carrie & Lowell album, which marked a return to his indie-folk roots after the more electronic The Age of Adz. Lyrically, the song functions as a dialogue, with Stevens' verses being answered by his mother's perspective in the choruses. This call-and-response structure heightens the sense of a personal, intimate exchange. Stevens uses a series of poignant and evocative metaphors and similes, such as 'The evil, it spread like a fever ahead' and referring to his mother with various affectionate, nature-based nicknames. The repetition of the line 'We're all gonna die' at the end of the song becomes a mantra, its meaning shifting from shocking to meditative as it fades out.

While not a commercial chart-topper, "Fourth of July" has had a significant cultural impact due to its raw emotional honesty and its place on the critically acclaimed album Carrie & Lowell. The song is often cited by critics and listeners as one of the most powerful and heartbreaking songs ever written, resonating deeply with anyone who has experienced grief and loss. Its use of the line "We're all gonna die" has become iconic, often quoted and referenced in discussions about the song and the album. The song's popularity has seen a resurgence at various times, which some have attributed to a collective sense of national grief and loss. It has been praised for its vulnerability and for turning a deeply personal struggle into a work of art that offers solace to others. The album Carrie & Lowell was widely regarded as one of the best albums of 2015 and the decade, with "Fourth of July" being a standout track that cemented Stevens' reputation as a songwriter of profound depth and sensitivity.

"Fourth of July" is rich with symbolism and metaphors that deepen its emotional impact.

• Firefly/Dragonfly/Star in the Sky: Stevens uses these images of fleeting, delicate light to represent his mother, capturing both her fragile beauty and the transient nature of her life.
• Fourth of July: The holiday serves as a central metaphor, contrasting the vibrant, explosive celebration of life with the quiet finality of death. The fireworks symbolize moments of dazzling beauty that are ultimately temporary, much like life itself. Stevens' wish to be 'the sky on the Fourth of July' reflects his desire to have been a vast, stable presence for his mother to shine against.
• Tillamook Burn: This refers to a series of devastating forest fires in Oregon. It serves as a powerful symbol of destruction and loss, mirroring the cancer that consumed his mother's body. By asking what he learned from it, his mother connects personal tragedy to a larger, natural cycle of destruction and renewal.
• Animal Nicknames (little hawk, little dove, little loon): These terms of endearment from his mother are tender and childlike, suggesting a return to a fundamental, innocent love in her final moments. Each bird carries its own symbolism—the hawk's vision, the dove's peace, the loon's tranquility—reflecting the lessons she imparts.
• Versailles: Calling him 'my little Versailles' is a complex metaphor, possibly alluding to something of great beauty and value, yet also associated with excess, decline, and a treaty that ended a great war, perhaps symbolizing the end of her own struggles.

The most significant recurring phrase in "Fourth of July" is the line, "We're all gonna die." This phrase, delivered from the perspective of Stevens' mother, appears at the end of each chorus and is repeated extensively in the song's outro. Its repetition serves as the song's central thesis, transforming a grim reality into a point of connection and shared humanity. Initially, it may sound bleak, but through its gentle repetition, it becomes a form of acceptance and a call to appreciate the present. Another recurring element is the mother's question, "Why do you cry?", which she asks after calling him 'my little hawk' and 'my little dove.' This repeated question emphasizes her gentle attempt to comfort him and shift his perspective from grief to understanding. Additionally, the use of various affectionate, often animal-themed nicknames for both Stevens ('my little hawk,' 'my little dove,' 'my little loon') and his mother ('my firefly,' 'my dragonfly') is a recurring motif that establishes a deep, albeit complicated, intimacy between them.