I Walked

Album: The Age Of Adz (2010)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This lament about a cold romance that has led to drastic measures is the first single from The Age of Adz, the ninth release by American singer-songwriter and musician Sufjan Stevens. The album's title (pronounced "Age of Odds") is a reference to the apocalyptic art of schizophrenic artist Royal Robertson (1936-1997).
  • Robertson married Adele Brent in 1955 and they had eleven children. Their marriage ended after 19 years when Adele left him for another man, taking their children with her. The schism in his married life prompted Robertson to return to the art he had loved as a child. Robertson created signs, calendars, drawings and portraits filled with misogynistic messages denouncing "bad" women, and ex-wife Adele in particular. He believed that he was a victim of a global female conspiracy, that his ex-wife's betrayal would be the cause of the cataclysmic destruction of humanity, and that his art was divinely sanctioned. This song seems to describe Robertson, however Stevens could also be drawing a parallel to his own experience.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Graduation Songs

Graduation SongsFact or Fiction

Have you got the smarts to know which of these graduation song stories are real?

Emmylou Harris

Emmylou HarrisSongwriter Interviews

She thinks of herself as a "song interpreter," but back in the '80s another country star convinced Emmylou to take a crack at songwriting.

Actors With Hit Songs

Actors With Hit SongsMusic Quiz

Many actors have attempted music, but only a few have managed a hit. Do you know which of these thespians charted?

Wherefore Art Thou Romeo Lyric

Wherefore Art Thou Romeo LyricMusic Quiz

In this quiz, spot the artist who put Romeo into a song lyric.

Ben Kowalewicz of Billy Talent

Ben Kowalewicz of Billy TalentSongwriter Interviews

The frontman for one of Canada's most well-known punk rock bands talks about his Eddie Vedder encounter, Billy Talent's new album, and the importance of rock and roll.

Al Kooper

Al KooperSongwriter Interviews

Kooper produced Lynyrd Skynyrd, played with Dylan and the Stones, and formed BS&T.