Mystery of Love Lyrics
Oh, to see without my eyes
The first time that you kissed me
Boundless by the time I cried
I built your walls around me
White noise, what an awful sound
Fumbling by Rogue River
Feel my feet above the ground
Hand of God, deliver me
[Chorus]
Oh, oh woe-oh-woah is me
The first time that you touched me
Oh, will wonders ever cease?
Blessed be the mystery of love
[Verse 2]
Lord, I no longer believe
Drowned in living waters
Cursed by the love that I received
From my brother's daughter
Like Hephaestion, who died
Alexander's lover
Now my riverbed has dried
Shall I find no other?
Oh, oh woe-oh-woah is me
I'm running like a plover
Now I'm prone to misery
The birthmark on your shoulder reminds me
[Verse 3]
How much sorrow can I take?
Blackbird on my shoulder
And what difference does it make
When this love is over?
Shall I sleep within your bed?
River of unhappiness
Hold your hands upon my head
Till I breathe my last breath
[Chorus]
Oh, oh woe-oh-woah is me
The last time that you touched me
Oh, will wonders ever cease?
Blessed be the mystery of love
About
“Mystery of Love” is one of two songs written by Sufjan Stevens for the soundtrack of the 2017 film ‘Call Me By Your Name’. The film’s director, Luca Guadagnino, originally commissioned Stevens to write only one song, whereas Stevens wrote two (and remixed piano version of his previously released song, “Futile Devices.”)
On January 23, 2018, “Mystery of Love” was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song. Stevens also performed the song at the awards ceremony with St. Vincent, Moses Sumney, Chris Thile, and frequent collaborators Casey Foubert and James McAlister.
Guadagnino in an interview with 4:3 Film said:
I approached Sufjan and told him about the film and navigated him through the ideas that I had. It was quite a long process that ended up with him saying that he was happy to do not one song but two. But he also made us an arrangement of “Futile Devices” for piano, which was beautiful.
“Mystery of Love” was also featured in the trailer for the film.
It is probable that an earlier version of the song was intended for release either on Stevens' 2015 album, Carrie & Lowell, or his 2017 mixtape, The Greatest Gift. This is due to the abundant lyrical references to the state of Oregon, the state which became the dramatic backdrop and focus for Carrie & Lowell.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
In a December 2017 interview with Deadline, Stevens explained the symbolism behind the song’s references to birds and why he often uses them for inspiration for his work:
Maybe they’re a symbol of freedom; absolute freedom. Sometimes I feel so trapped by gravity [laughs]. I’ve always been obsessed with the sacred and with the profound, and I think birds are these divine creatures, because they can escalate to the heavens. In these physical bodies, trapped to the ground, I just feel like we have to reckon with the reality of the world and our mortality. For me, birds feel like symbols of absolute freedom and transcendence.
- 1.Mystery of Love