“Death with Dignity” (Live) by Sufjan Stevens, Tuesday, October 17, 2023 (updated repost)
Sufjan Stevens ' 2015 album Carrie & Lowell is a heartbreaking album in which the singer-songwriter deals with the death of his mother. The opening track, " Death with Dignity ," is the beginning of an album that chronicles Stevens' grieving process and the real and imaginary conversations between Stevens and his estranged mother. Carrie & Lowell was a rare peak into the personal life of the elusive singer, and unfortunately, grief was necessary to make a personal project. WHAT IS THAT SONG YOU SING FOR THE DEAD ? Earlier this month, Sufjan Stevens revealed an album borne out of another tragedy. And while I have yet to dig into Javelin and grieve anew with Sufjan, this time for his late partner who died in April of this year, I feel that "Death with Dignity" would get me ready to digest this incredibly sad album. The song with its wispy plucked guitar in five chorus-less verses introduces folklore and Biblical imagery to memorialize his mother. W