Carissa by Sun Kil Moon Lyrics Meaning – An Elegy for the Everyday
Lyrics
You were a lovely child
And the last time I saw you
You were 15 and pregnant and running wild
I remember wondering could there be a light at the end of your tunnel
But I left Ohio then and had pretty much forgotten all about you
I guess you were there some years ago at a family funeral
But you were one of so many relatives I didn’t know which one was you
Yesterday morning I woke up to so many 330 area code calls
I called my mom back and she was in tears and asked had I spoke to my father
Carissa burned to death last night in a freak accident fire
In her yard in Brewster her daughter came home from a party and found her
Same way as my uncle who was her grandfather
An aerosol can blew up in the trash, goddamn what were the odds?
She was just getting ready to go to her midnight shift as an RN in Wadsworth
Then she vanished up in flames like that but there had to be more to her life’s worth
Everyone’s grieving out of their minds making arrangements and taking drugs
But I’m flying out there tomorrow because I need to give and get some hugs
Cause I got questions that I’d like to get answered
I may never get them, but Carissa I gotta know how did it happen?
Carissa was 35
You don’t just raise two kids, and take out your trash and die
She was my second cousin, I didn’t know her well at all
But that doesn’t mean that I wasn’t
Meant to find some poetry to make some sense of this, to find a deeper meaning
In this senseless tragedy, oh Carissa I’ll sing your name across every sea
Were you doing someone else’s chores for them?
Were you just killing time finding things to do all by your lonesome?
Was it even you mistakenly putting flammables in the trash?
Was it your kids just being kids, if so the guilt they will carry around forever
Well I’m going out there to get a look at the landscapes
To get a look at those I’m connected by blood and see how it all may have shaped me
Well I’m going out there, though I’m not really needed
I’m just so broken up about it, how is it this sad history repeated?
I’ll return to Ohio
To the place I was spawned
Going to see where I hung with my cousins and played with them in the snow and fished in their ponds
Going to see how they’ve grown
Visit some graves and say “Hey I’ve missed you”
Going to find out as much as I can about my little second cousin Carissa
Gonna go to Ohio
Where I was born
Got a 10:45 AM flight, I’m leaving tomorrow morning
Gonna see my aunts and uncles, my parents and sisters
Mostly I’m going to pay my respects to my little second cousin Carissa
Going to Ohio where I feel I belong
Ask those who know the most about Carissa for it is her life and death that I’m helplessly drawn
Carissa was 35
Raised kids when she was 15 years old and suddenly died
Next to an old brick fire pit, oh there’s gotta be more than that to it
She was only my second cousin
But that don’t mean that I’m not here for her or that I wasn’t
Meant to give her life poetry
To make sure her name is known across every sea
In the annals of music that wrestle with loss and memory, few songs capture the raw, haunting ache of absence quite like Sun Kil Moon’s ‘Carissa’. With a tender blend of melancholy and confessional storytelling, Mark Kozelek, the man behind the name, crafts a narrative around a devastating family tragedy.
Peeling back the layers of ‘Carissa’, listeners are escorted into a universe where the personal collides with the universal, and where a tragic event leads to a profound journey of questioning and understanding. This song isn’t just music; it’s a reflection on life, death, and the unseen connections that tie us together.
The Heartrending Tale: Unpacking Carissa’s Story
At first glance, the lyrics to ‘Carissa’ unfold the tale of a woman’s sudden, senseless death due to a freak accident. But as Kozelek weaves his narrative, it becomes clear that this is more than a story—it’s an outpouring of grief and incredulity. Each verse paints another shade of the protagonist’s life, underlining how Carissa was more than her ending; she had a life filled with struggle and courage, raising two kids by the tender age of fifteen.
Kozelek’s approach to songwriting serves as a conduit to process the very real woes of mortality. He utilizes the specific—Carissa’s life and untimely death—to touch on the universal fear that one’s existence can be snuffed out thoughtlessly and to question the cruel capriciousness of fate.
The Siren’s Call: Discovering Poetry in Tragedy
One might wonder why Kozelek insists on finding ‘some poetry’ in such tragedy. His search for meaning amid the chaos of life and death taps into a human instinct to make sense of the nonsensical. The narrative isn’t just about coming to terms with Carissa’s death—it’s about searching for a connection, a lifeline that transcends the finality of the event.
This quest for understanding doesn’t conclude in simple platitudes or answers. Instead, Kozelek embraces the journey through the labyrinth of confusion and sorrow, hinting at a shared grief and the cathartic power of acknowledging our communal loss.
Hidden Depths: A Ballad of Bloodlines and Bonds
While it tells the story of a distant relative, ‘Carissa’ delves deep into the interwoven ties of family. The song’s lament is the keening of blood calling to blood, a recognition that distance and time do not sever the inherent connections we share.
Through earnest introspection, the song challenges us to look at those we often pass by without a second thought. It’s a reminder that every person has a story worth telling, every life is a poem waiting to be recited out loud—even if, like Carissa’s, it is posthumously brought into the light.
Lyrical Landmarks: The Lines that Leave a Mark
“You don’t just raise two kids, and take out your trash and die,” Kozelek sings, a sentiment that serves as a stark reminder of life’s brittle unpredictability. It’s a line that pierces the soul, questioning our daily routines and the things we often take for granted.
Yet, it’s in these mundane details that Kozelek finds the footprints of Carissa’s existence. Here lies the crux of the song’s most memorable lines—the idea that human life, no matter how seemingly trivial, is imbued with meaning and deserves to be remembered and revered.
The Melancholy Pilgrimage: Seeking Solace in Song
Kozelek announces his intention to return to Ohio, to walk the paths of his own origins and pay respects to a life lost too soon. This pilgrimage is not just about laying flowers on a grave; it’s an artist’s journey to find the beauty amidst the rubble of despair.
The song stands as a personal epitaph, a monument crafted from chords and lyrics dedicated to preserving Carissa’s name. Beyond mourning, ‘Carissa’ offers a solace that in acknowledging our pain, we may find a way to carry on.
