Song Details
- Album Release Date: 2012
- Genre: singer-songwriter
Song Meaning of “Idumea (Sacred Harp)” by Sufjan Stevens
Idumea (Sacred Harp) by Sufjan Stevens is a song that speaks of desperation and sadness in the wake of a great loss. The lyrics make allusions to the time of mourning in the Bible, when Israelites would mourn for the loss of loved ones in a place called Idumea. The song speaks of the soul’s cry for help in the midst of the grief, as well as an acceptance of the sorrow and sadness.
The song speaks of being lonely and afraid after the passing of the loved one, yearning for a kind of comfort that will never come. It paints a vivid picture of the experience of grief, and the difficulty of understanding and accepting it. The urging line of the song is, “All my mourning returns to Idumea”, which is a reference to the Biblical Mourning of Idumea. The lyrics also refer to a time of healing and restoration that will come, and a reminder that the mourning is not in vain.
The song has a mournful, sorrowful sound, but the message is one of acceptance, and of allowing one’s heart to be broken by grief, in order to move past it and to know that joy can come again. The message of the song is to acknowledge the grief and loss, and to know that even in the midst of the most difficult times, there is hope for a brighter tomorrow.