Song Details
- Album Release Date: 2012
- Genre: singer-songwriter
Song Meaning of “How Shall I Fitly Meet Thee?” by Sufjan Stevens
This song by Sufjan Stevens is a musing on faith and love – a ponderous contemplation of how best to completely express one’s adoration of God that is untethered by any perceived human boundaries. The speaker in the song is torn between two opposing viewpoints: the blissful adoration of a perfect love, versus the desire to hold that love closer at any cost. In the lines “How shall I fitly meet thee / Lest I drop down trembling at thy feet? / How shall I fitly greet thee / Lest my love for thee be indiscreet?”, the speaker is questioning how they can best express their love for the divine while still keeping a measure of control. The dichotomy of wanting to possess a higher power but fully understanding that it is out of one’s control is a common human struggle.
The chorus of the song reiterates this longing to fully show one’s devotion to the divine, but the speaker is still tethered to their human limitations. The power of love and faith can only be expressed so much before it reaches a pinnacle, as the lines “How shall I praise thee? / How can the heart reach out so far? / How shall I raise thee / When mortal affection is a scant star?” show. The speaker is further frustrated by their inability to communicate their thoughts, feelings, and love fully and adequately.