My Perspective on Sufjan Stevens’ Song Vesuvius

vesuvius Sufjan illustration meaning song lyrics

To me, the song ‘Vesuvius’ by Sufjan Stevens, is almost a worship song.  Not a typical one. And others might say it has nothing to do with God at all. To me it’s a song about choosing to follow God. To prefer Him above all things. 

Vesuvius, I am here, you are all I have
Fire of fire, I’m insecure, for it has all been made to plan
Though I know I will fail I can now be made to laugh
For in life as in death I’d rather be burned than be living in death

Vesuvius, are you a ghost? Or the symbols of light or a fantasy host?
In your breast, I carry the form, the heart of the earth and the weapons of warmth

Vesuvius, the tragic oath, for you have destroyed with the elegant smoke
Oracle, I follow at last, to pay for the feast of the permanent blessed

Vesuvius, oh, be kind, it hasn’t occurred, no, it hasn’t been said
Sufjan, follow the path, it leads to an article of imminent death

Sufjan, follow your heart, follow the flame or fall on the floor
Sufjan, the panic inside, the murdering ghost that you cannot ignore

Vesuvius, fire of fire, fall on me now as I favor the ghost
Vesuvius, fire of fire, fall on me now as I favor your host

(It’s in your favor)
Follow me now or fall on your death
(It’s in your favor)
Why does it have to be so hard?

And if you enjoyed reading this, I think you might like these things as well:

Who is God? (According to St. Augustine)

A couple of years ago I started reading the book ‘Confessions’ by st. Augustine and...

What is Grass? – Walt Whitman’s Beautiful Answer to this Question.

A child said What is the grass? fetching it to me with full hands, How...

How to Always Look Lovely According to Roald Dahl

if you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and...

How to Alter the Past

This letter is one of the most interesting and thought-provoking things I’ve read so far....

Oscar Wilde’s Take on The Bible

When Oscar Wilde  ends up in prison, he starts to read the Bible and writes...

7 Questions to Ask Yourself to Become A Better You. – by A.W. Tozer

In the following passage from the book ‘That Incredible Christian’ A.W. Tozer helps us to...

“I’m so Glad I Live in a World Where There are Octobers” – From Anne of Green Gables

“October was a beautiful month at Green Gables, when the birches in the hollow turned...

The Man Who Turned Pain into Ecstatic Beauty

Dr. Who is a time traveler and in this episode he takes the painter Vincent...

You Are Not Who You Were Last November

“The human body essentially recreates itself every six months. Nearly every cell of hair and...

Don’t Turn Down This Invitation!

"There is only one invitation it would kill me to refuse, yet I’m tempted to...

Van Gogh’s Advice on Dealing With Suffering

Vincent van Gogh suffered a lot in his lifetime. He was very poor, didn’t have...

Herman Brood & Henk Binnendijk

Henk Binnendijk in gesprek met Herman Brood. Geen logische combinatie, maar het levert wel interessante...

Tell Him What You’ve Never Dared to Say Out Loud

You can end up having all you desire, yet end up lonely anyway. You can...

Oh, I Smell Spring!

“It was a bland day in early April and spring was looking at you round...

The Second Coming of the Trees – A Poem by Wendell Berry

The country where he lives is haunted by a ghost of an old forest. In...

You Are Alive

“And what is it like: to be alive in this maybe one place of all...

This Relient K Song Will Help You To Let Go Of Your Heart Aches

When life feels hard or when you don’t understand why things are happening, it is...

What Love Really Means

Love. It’s a word often used. But what does it mean? In a dictionary love...

The Undiscovered – My Favorite Worship Song

This song is one of my favorite worship songs. The lyrics and the music together...

Practice Resurrection – My Favorite Poem by Wendell Berry

Expect the end of the world. Laugh. Laughter is immeasurable. Be joyful though you have...

Light

Find my way back to the light through light

A Revolutionary Thought

"What a revolutionary thought;that God is all we hoped He’d be,closer than the air we...

What I Learned From My 90-year-old Friend

When we got to know each other we were surprised at how similar we were,...

Thoughts on Hope at the Post Office – By John Berger

“The post office at Auxonne is small and the postmistress has blue eyes. I have...

Jane Eyre Fan? Here Are 3 Paintings You Can Download

While I was in my bubble reading it for the first time I ended up...

Does It Have To Be So Hard?

Jesus wants us to stick with Him through the awkward learning parts so we can...

My Perspective on Sufjan Stevens’ Song Vesuvius

To me it is almost a worship song. Not a typical one. And others might...

5 Wonderful Ideas from Illustrator & Designer Olle Eksell

Olle could not draw people very well, still he became a very influential illustrator. Learn...

What it Means to Be Yourself – Inspired by Virginia Woolf

To be yourself is not as straightforward as it sounds. In fact, yourself has everything...

“Let’s Be More Real With Each Other.” – Interview with Thirze

I would love it if we would communicate more of what we really think and...

Learn to See New Things

even now, 50 years later, it is still an interesting show to watch. It teaches...

I’ll Show You The Sky

This song reminds me of summer. Of little things that bring joy. Give it time...

A Hopeful Song for When You Don’t Feel Strong

Sometimes songs say it better than anything else. As long as God surrounds us with...

Be Reminded of The Greatness of God

This song is simple in melody and lyrics, but it can linger in me for...

Turning Sadness into Joy – Vincent van Gogh’s Life

He was very poor, got heartbroken several times, got betrayed by friends, had a complicated...

Is God Here?

We all wonder from time to time, is God here? Is he present in our...

Practical Remedies Against Melancholy – By Sydney Smith

Sydney Smith was born in the 18th century and writes about his solutions to melancholy...

An Encounter with God by Anne Bronte

“God help me now!” I murmured, sinking on my knees among the damp weeds and...

The Snail on The Garden-Path

Dorothy L. Sayers writes in The Mind of The Maker this beautiful sentence: “God is...

Chalk Art on The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

This was maybe the first movie that really spoke to me visually. My best friend...

“God is Here When We Are Wholly Unaware of It.” – By A.W. Tozer

God is here when we are wholly unaware of it. He is manifest only when...

I Am Not Who I Am (Rembrandt And I)

God says “I am who I am.” But with human beings it should be: “We...

A Good Home

“A good home. What is it? Food and shelter? Yes. But it is something more....

Not a Dancer? Try This Instead

Follow Napoleon Dynamite's example

Lovely Song About The Joy of Beauty in Spring and Summer

I hope you enjoy this lovely song by Karen Peris, it reminds me of those...

  Show some love

What do you think?

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.