Tallest Man, The Broadest Shoulders: Pt. 1: The Great Frontier/Pt. ... by Sufjan Stevens

I count the days the great frontier
Forgiving, faced the seventh year
I stand in awe of gratefulness
I can and call forgetfulness

And when I, and when I call
The patient, the patient fall
The spirit, the carpenter
Invites us to be with her

What have we become America?
Soldiers on the great frontier
Carpenter and soldier, one on one
It's the battle, volunteer

Run from yourself, from your friends, from ya
Run for your life, for your friends, for ya
America, merica, meri
Oh Illinois, Illinois, Illi

I count the days the great frontier
Forgiving, faced the seventh year
I stand and strain to make ends meet
Five spirits on the Grand Marquee

And when I, and when I call
The patient, the patient fall
The spirit, the carpenter
Invites us to be with her

There was a man at the wall
He was grateful for us all
I saw the wise woman sing

She wasn't asking anything
She wasn't asking anything
How she made the nations sing

What have we become America?
Soldiers on the great frontier

Run from yourself, from your friends, from ya
Run for your life, for your friends, for ya
America, merica, meri
Oh Illinois, Illinois, Illi

Oh great fire of great disaster
Oh great Heaven, oh great master
Oh great goat, the curse you gave us
Oh great ghost, protect and save us
Oh great river, green with envy
Oh Jane Adams, spirit send thee

Oh great trumpet and the singers
(Given what you lost are you better off?)
Oh great good man, King of Swingers
(Given what you had, has it made you mad?)
Oh great bears and bulls, Joe Jackson
(Celebrate the few, celebrate the new)
Oh great Illinois
(It can only start with you)

© NEW JERUSALEM MUSIC PUBLISHING

Lyrics provided by Gracenote