Djohariah Lyrics

Sufjan’s bandcamp describes the sprawling song as a ’17-minute guitar jam-for-single-mothers,’ but it is really so much more than that. Sure, the actual lyrics don’t come until 12 minutes into the song, but the elegiac nature of the song is apparent almost from the first note. The bass line just screams ‘apology’ in the first few bars. As the lead guitar begins to solo, it takes on the role of a silenced, stifled creature. The western ‘twang’ of the muted electric is not common in Sufjan’s pieces, and the dynamic interplay between the choral ‘ooh/ahhs’ and the guitar suggest that it has something to say, but can’t get it out above the background noise. Most of the time, the guitar goes quiet when the chorus becomes loud – but in those intervals when it breaks free, it soars over the rest of the music, and shows off what it is capable of. Eventually the chorus takes over, mesmerizing the listener with chants of “Djohari "Djohariah".” This chant introduces the character of "Djohariah" to the music, but giving nothing more to latch on to. As the guitar reenters, it takes on a more alien sound, scratchy and electronic, more noise than raw emotion as before. Here, the chorus continues its chant of “Djohari Djohariah,” lending more power and transforming the meaning of the guitar. The weakening guitar is Djohariah, fighting a losing battle against everyone else’s voices. It yearns to be unique, but never achieves the triumphant glory it once had. At times it conforms to the swells of the chorus, at other points, it seems to completely lose control and move nowhere but in circles. Around 11 minutes, the guitar dies off completely. The tempo increases, and the chorus begins to morph how it says Djohariah’s name – instead of enunciating the last few syllables, it becomes a question, “are ya?” questioning where the guitar’s presence has gone. Finally, Sufjan’s vocals break free from the chorus, initially coming off as pessimistic: “I know you won’t get very far.” Sufjans modifies this insult after a short pause, blaming this lack of success on the “back seat driver carpetbagger” who stole Djohariah’s heart. The song gets very specific to Djohariah, rather than single mothers in general – she spends her money on a car in a twisted plot line that I still haven’t been able to unravel. Sufjan then proclaims that Djohariah doesn’t need the man who left her for dead in her life and that he is a “heart grabber back stabber double cheater wife beater.” Whether this laundry list of horrible things is actually the truth or just something lyrical is besides the point – the level of devastation is very salient and apparent. Either way, I wish to extend my apologies to Djohariah. It is at this point that Sufjan changes his tone to an encouraging one: Djohariah works hard a single mother, and shouldn’t listen to the neighbors because they don’ t know what is best for her. Sufjan tells her to not be ashamed “For the woman is, woman is the glorious victorious/ The mother of the heart of the world.” This chorus transforms, and eventually a female voice joins Sufjan in repeating “Go on! Little sister! Go on! Little sister!/ For your world is yours, world is yours.” All in all, the song seems extremely personal. It seems as though it is addressed right to Djohariah, and I’m almost tempted to think that much of this EP is an attempt at making amends with her for something. Perhaps Sufjan feels as though he didn’t help her enough in her time of need, as she raised a daughter as a single mother, or perhaps he simply wants to encourage her to make a name for herself. So much of me wants to believe that the female singing at the end is Djohariah – that she joins in with Sufjan, rising again and becoming the dominant voice as the EP comes to a close, but I really can’t do any more than hope.