“In the Words of the Governor”
from the compilation Cue the Bugle Turbulent: The 2007 Believer Music Issue
2007
MP3 – “In the Words of the Governor” [right-click/save-as]
First premiered by Stereogum yesterday, Sufjan Stevens has recorded a rock song for the Believer’s upcoming music issue. The compilation also includes tracks from Grizzly Bear, the Blow, I’m from Barcelona, the Twilight Sad, and more. Look for the issue on newsstands soon.
Stereogum’s report:
Since Illinois, winged maestro Sufjan Stevens has given us various avian outtakes and covers (Lefty Frizzell w/ David Byrne, Joni Mitchell, etc.), but far as we can figure, this track is the first proper studio shot of original Soof we’ve heard in awhile — and it’s a complete mind explosion.
For their forthcoming music-comp bearing issue, the Believer coaxed Sufjan from his orchestral-folk chamber and lured him into what sounds like a rusty-hinged garage down the street from Jack and Meg’s place, asking him to record “a rock song.”
The shocker is that Soof slings the slack speak and high-fretted guitar chatter of “In the Words of the Governor” with such dead on (in)accuracy — but now we know never to be surprised. The cut skids out with a barrage of frenzied “I’ll put it back!”s, but really Sufjan … don’t. Sounds like he’s got another genre to rock and unfold up his embroidered sleeves. Ya know, after he finishes up on those other 48 states-based bits of historical fiction.
Get ready…
Yeah, you should listen again.
That is strange and wonderful all at once.
Thanks for the mp3. I’d heard it at Stereogum, but not I can listen with that confused look on my face whenever I want. Heh.
I listened to this and then Borderline from the That Dress Looks Nice On You single came on afterwards and left me even more confused. Words I never thought would run through my head in the same sentence: “Sufjan”, “Stevens” and “rocks”