Sufjan Stevens - John Wayne Gacy, Jr Lyrics






His father was a drinker
And his mother cried in bed
Folding John Wayne's T-shirts
When the swingset hit his head
The neighbors they adored him
For his humor and his conversation
Look underneath the house there
Find the few living things
Rotting fast in their sleep of the dead
Twenty-seven people, even more
They were boys with their cars, summer jobs
Oh my God

Are you one of them?

He dressed up like a clown for them
With his face paint white and red
And on his best behavior
In a dark room on the bed he kissed them all
He'd kill ten thousand people
With a sleight of his hand
Running far, running fast to the dead
He took off all their clothes for them
He put a cloth on their lips
Quiet hands, quiet kiss
On the mouth

And in my best behavior
I am really just like him
Look beneath the floorboards
For the secrets I have hid





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Sufjan Stevens John Wayne Gacy, Jr Comments
  1. k.... ....

    Remember worth not a lack of mercy.

  2. y.... c....

    This is the most spiritually significant song in pop music. Hands down. Rock music has never valued content over style. Dylan is an outlier in pop music. The Beatles of course. So is Suf.

  3. W.... �....

    This song helped me realize my purpose in life. To make sure no child has to be miserable.

  4. I.... W....

    AwAaa thE sHeEr aMMOuNt oF eMoTiOn iN tHiS mAnS vOiCe iM—
    SuF, yOu’Re A bLeSsiNg

  5. A.... B....

    Having done time with an entire group of criminals,myself included,I had the misfortune to here from the other side.People are a spectrum of depravity.Dont be surprised, we are all one horrible moment away from oblivion. Don't ever forget that.

  6. D.... W....

    27 people

  7. S.... ....

    “To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.”
    Oscar Wilde.

  8. S.... B....

    Sufjan is the ultimate infp

  9. A.... C....

    The first time I heard this song it evoked memories I was not prepared to remember and now it's the first thing I go to in order to grasp at my identity in times of despair.

  10. B.... B....

    I'm conflicted. I love the songs feel, it makes me sleepy, but I later realized...oh...this is a real person....ive been chilling to the life of a killer,

  11. S.... ....

    “I don't know what's worse: to not know what you are and be happy, or to become what you've always wanted to be,and feel alone.”

  12. T.... M....

    why do people like this shit

  13. E.... W....

    Sounds like Simon and Garfunkel!!!

    In my opinion!!!!!! Some might disagree but thats alright!!!!

  14. F.... B....

    Never heard this before. Didnt know I needed it. Ok. Ty youtube algorithm

  15. E.... D....

    Who was John Wayne

    E.... D....

    a serial killer named John Wayne Gacy. he has killed 33 boys.

  16. l.... b....

    All the profound comments below and the whole time i replay the scene with him on a leash as a child. Thinking, yeah it makes sense.

  17. A.... A....

    If this song doesn’t make you feel something, you aren’t human

  18. s.... s....

    ill always listen to music while im reading. but whenever this song plays ill always stop reading and close my eyes trying to deeply appreciate the lyrics and his amazing voice. Then ill continue to read after it stops playing.

  19. A.... K....

    Is the narrator also a killer? I heard:


    in my best behavior,
    I am really just like him.
    Look beneath the floorboards,
    before the secrets I had hid.

    A.... K....

    Alvin Kim i don’t think it’s meant to be taken literally - in the context of sufjan himself i always interpreted those lines specifically to be about internalized homophobia

    A.... K....

    @olivia e .... uh I think you're totally missing the point. How is it possible to compare serial killing to homosexuality?


    I think it's more an indictment of human nature in general. We're all sinners, so to speak. Everyone is capable of doing terrible things.

  20. c.... ....

    Just so original and brilliant.

  21. M.... H....

    -at the end of the song-
    How he inhales like if he had something on his mind he wanted to say and then exhales, too scared to deliver the truth about him... what would we be without artists?

  22. J.... N....

    the end of the song points towards sufjan stefens having killed some people

  23. R.... R....

    I just don’t get it when he says “ on my best behavior i’m just (like him)??

    R.... R....

    From Genius:
    "Sufjan refuses to see himself as morally better than anyone, even a serial killer. This belief may stem from his Christian faith. As the Bible teaches, 'There is no one righteous, not even one…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.' "
    This line relates to being a closeted gay kid and hearing about the murders- and wondering if, by being gay, you too are just as bad."

  24. F.... ....

    I just posted a cover of this magnificent song here :
    https://youtu.be/v_RCg289rnc
    Maybe you'll like it ?

  25. M.... O....

    Ok I love this song but half of the footage in this is from a very old PSA about the “dangerous homosexuals” and I really don’t see how this has a place in this vid.

    M.... O....

    Meremoth Oleander probably because john wayne gacy was gay, and at the time there was already a stigma against gay people. obviously his being convicted of the murders didn’t make the lgbt community look any better, as we were already deemed as pedophiles and rapists.

  26. A.... J....

    The editing on this piece is masterful. The song always makes me cry, but this ~ wow.

    A.... J....

    Anthony Johnson thank you!

  27. G.... R....

    A creepy, scary song about a creepy, scary individual.

  28. J.... P....

    I feel like I’m the only one watching in 2019....

    J.... P....

    Jisung Park nope. I’m here too. Can’t stop listening to this. His voice is stuck inside my head.

    J.... P....

    Biotomy
    It’s very weird to listen to the lyrics too....

    J.... P....

    You're not. I'm watching for at least the second time.

  29. a.... ....

    Probably already been said somewhere but some of those black and white clips are from the crazy anti-homosexual film "Boys Beware".

  30. C.... M....

    This is the saddest song I’ve ever heard.

  31. K.... K....

    This is probably the best song I’ve ever heard. It’s not my favorite or anything there’s just so much depth to it and understanding but condemnation. I love it so much, you could have a million conversations about this song yet you wouldn’t even need to- it speaks for itself. Only Sufjan ❤️

  32. T.... c....

    I remember going past stateville around 10 PM going home
    from work on the night/morning Gacy was to be executed. The police were at the entrance on route 53 watching over the partygoers that were celebrating this event. I found this out when i stopped to see what was going on. Even though Gacy got what was coming to him,celebrating this just didnt feel right.

  33. R.... B....

    Every time I hear this song I cry a lot thinking of his victims the song is really good though

  34. Y.... V....

    U people are fkn mental

  35. j.... r....

    Makes me cry am so hurt listening to this song can’t believe someone like him ever existed

  36. B.... B....

    I must’ve listened to this song a million times it becomes melded with my mind. Such hauntingly beautiful harmonies with blended volume and pitch shifts, the way you can hear Sufjan inhaling at the end... I love this song.

  37. K.... O....

    He’s like off beat and doesn’t rhyme or even sing with any rythm and is just like talking. This song is trash. Y’all need to stop pretending this shit is a good song like “oh it’s so deep.” Nah this is trash lol

    K.... O....

    Okay. We all have opinions. Agree to disagree.

    K.... O....

    You're trash Connor you're garbage.

  38. r.... g....

    caro sufjan hai degli estimatori anche in italia ...io sicuramente sono fra questi...

    r.... g....

    Roberto,
    È bello vedere che Sufjan ha fan in tutto il mondo!

  39. �.... �....

    Sep 2019

  40. J.... G....

    How painful. Beautiful at the same time. His voice is great.

    Serial criminals are real. People have to believe this once and for all.

  41. G.... ....

    How this song manages to put it so well is what amazes me. Its so dark, the subject. And its because, you and I, we do other things in our free time. And while life is going on all around us, THIS is what this guy is doing with HIS free time. Thats why its so fucking dark.

    The movie IT, with the scary clown. It portrays what people would look like, if their physical form is like what you are on the inside.

    Monsters are real. But we all have to "blend in" to society.

    And nobody wants to talk about it. So they get away with it.

  42. G.... ....

    "On my best behaviour, I am really just like him"

    You could have crossed paths with a pedo and never known. We are all on our best behaviour when we are "normal" in society.

  43. d.... P....

    No singer/songwriter can fuck with Sufjan.

  44. S.... M....

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ARCpXp9Kqk&t=44s

  45. M.... M....

    Beautiful yet haunting song. It's a bit random, but the clip where teenage boys come into the strangers' cars in this video are from a 1950's anti- homosexual PSA. I can't remember where I saw them, but I am 100% sure lol

  46. t.... ....

    This song makes me cry everytime I listen to it. So powerful!

  47. p.... ....

    Well done Claire! A beautiful song powerfully portrayed.

  48. R.... F....

    What the fuck is this shit?

    R.... F....

    Something you will never understand, apparently.

  49. R.... F....

    So this whole video talks about him but all the clips are from his whole life? Right?

    R.... F....

    Rome Fortunato Right

    R.... F....

    Fap Monster  thanks for telling me and thank God I was right

  50. E.... A....

    How to become a Biblical Elect

    If you want to become an Elect, then you should read the KJV Bible, fast, and pray about it. It’s not difficult. Vegetarianism and veganism both count for all intents and purposes as fasting. Try to pray for thirty minutes a day, read the KJV Bible for 30 minutes a day, and be a vegan or a vegetarian. If you do this, there is a good chance that an angel will visit you or that you might automatically be put onto Elect radio. I’m telling you this as an earth angel. I only serve the Lord Jesus.

    If you want to become an Elect, it is not difficult. This is the real thing! This is how you can become one. Jesus loves you!

  51. J.... P....

    I fucking love this song!

  52. F.... A....

    Beautifully disturbing

  53. K.... L....

    The big deep breath at the end.

  54. c.... f....

    Terrifying yet beautiful

  55. A.... p....

    Sayang sufian 💞

  56. J.... J....

    Wow. This is a first. So compelling.

  57. i.... i....

    I just wanted to say this, for me this song mean a lot to me. As strange as it sounds, this song make me feel blessed for being human, it make me grounded and it shut off the monster inside of me. Reading the comment section and seeing people fighting about this song, really break my heart. yes, it's not fair for the victim of his crime and i guess sufjan doesn't mean to humanize gacy. I think, he just wanted us to realize that there is always a little bit of darkness within us. As scary as it sound, as much as you want to deny it, there is always a bit of darkness within each of us.

  58. Q.... S....

    Bu nədi ala

  59. S.... A....

    well, that was terrifying and weirdly beautiful

  60. I.... A....

    Tem brasileiro aqui?

  61. P.... G....

    And on my best behaviour , I'm really just like him 👀 go under my floorboards to see the secrets I have hid. WTF

  62. A.... H....

    The clips with the kid getting into the cars is from an old stranger danger PSA

  63. D.... F....

    How do you romanticise about such a piece of shit. There is no wonder in gayces camoflage. I think the writer of this song has many many issues

    D.... F....

    I think you have issues with reading and auditory comprehension. He’s not in any way “romanticizing” Gacy. If anything, it’s just the opposite - he’s saying that everyone has the capacity to be a monster. Very romantic, isn’t it?

  64. N.... H....

    I really thought this was the official video

  65. n.... z....

    Im shocked... this song is amazing, beautiful and at the same time sad, depressing... 😥

  66. G.... V....

    Excellent video for this excellent song.

  67. E.... T....

    The line "are you one of them" is so profoundly intriguing to me. Is he talking to JWG, asking if he's a victim of himself? Or is he saying that everybody is affected by the killing of these 27 young boys? Or is he talking directly TO the victims? Astounding song.

  68. N.... F....

    We all have the potential to be woefully horrible.

  69. M.... J....

    Oh gacy what have you done?

  70. B.... I....

    lots of people forget that the statistics are real people who's lives were just as in depth and ours. so sad when he sings about their summer jobs and that.

  71. k.... d....

    my music teacher just introduced me to this song and it’s making me feel so many emotions at once

  72. J.... T....

    I believe the video is a compilation or Gacy family videos, contemporary news footage and possibly some acting but what's strange is that Sufjan included some home footage of himself and his father in there too. I think the fulcrum of the song is the line "Are you one of them?" Which I believe he directs at Gacy himself as he tries to understand the driving force behind the killer. In the end he realizes that there is nothing unusual or unique about Gacy other than the fact that he let the monster out of the crawlspace whereas the majority of people leave it buried underneath

  73. S.... M....

    I’m crying and scared only stufjan Stevens can pull this off

  74. A.... M....

    I might cry about Kip Kinkel or Columbine daily, but wow, I didn't think that a song would make me emotional about Gacy's case

  75. J.... 0....

    How he suggests that he dressed as a clown 'for them' and that he took off all their clothes 'for them' almost as if he's doing them a favour. It beautifully portrays John's warped mortality caused by his unfortunate childhood.

  76. G.... G....

    Really great song, but I admit I don't appreciate the lyrics and themes as much as I used to once I learned the wider context. Gacy was a pretty abominable creature with few redeeming qualities. I can definitely understand empathizing with someone like Jeffrey Dahmer, but Gacy was a small business tyrant known for treating his subordinates like shit. Everything was about power with him. I think Sufjan is clever by saying everyone is capable of being corrupted by something, like power or whatever else, but Gacy and most serial killers are such extreme and special cases, and I think 99.9% of humans are absolutely incapable of what they did. Likewise, given Sufjan's protestant christian beliefs, it's no surprise that he thinks we are all capable of this. Many protestant denominations view human nature an inherent evil that can only be corrected by God's grace. I don't know, I'm probably nitpicking lol, but it just doesn't resonate with me as much as it used to. Still a beautiful song tho

    G.... G....

    How can someone feel bad for Jeffery tell me please I would like you to change my mind

  77. B.... I....

    This song still guts me.

  78. T.... H....

    I’m not crying, you’re crying!!

  79. S.... K....

    I really like this song and i can't get off the feeling that Elliott Smith is a huge inspiration to sufjan this one reminds me of son of sam by Elliott anyone too?

    Both really talented songwriters love themm and their thoughtful writing

  80. T.... J....

    This is not on my playlist

    T.... J....

    that's a shame, Tyler

  81. M.... L....

    Picture this: let's say hypothetically you're born addicted to drugs because of your mom. dad abuses you sexually throughout your childhood. then leaves for good when you're ten years old. then you turn out to be "a piece of shit." would this be surprising? no. this type of thing is not that abnormal in the united states...it's just "hidden" from most people. if you're born into a decent, loving family, the odds are highly against you becoming some type of 'monster.' therefore, it's not as simple as "this person is good, this person is bad" without even considering any context. it's great if you're a good person. now imagine being born into a broken and abusive home. can you say with certainty you'd turn out to be the same person? come on now...

  82. H.... J....

    What's incredible is how much this impacted me 10 years ago and how much it still impacts me now

  83. J.... G....

    Haunting but at the same time, I feel this song is meant to teach us that we are not born as monsters and to lament his victims

  84. T.... W....

    ☨ Lord Jesus Christ ☨
    ~ ☨ Son of God ☨ ~
    ☨ have mercy on us ☨
    and on the whole world
    ~~~~~~~☦~~~~~~~
    youtube. com/watch?v=eVxkQIiwkhY

  85. D.... ....

    A hauntingly beautiful song by Sufjan.
    Another song in a similar vein which is also beautiful and very haunting is 'Suffer The Children' by The Smiths ... a narrative about the moors murders that took place near Manchester, England in the mid 1960s.

  86. A.... R....

    I wonder if a swing set to the head could effect the part of the brain that feels empathy.

    A.... R....

    People who get major head trauma often damage the part of the brain that regulates emotion. That's why so many boxers and footballers commit domestic violence, really sad. People do think his injury is why he started his murders.

    A.... R....

    Dale Chalfont that was the fucking stupidity of the earth

  87. R.... S....

    In his best behavior he is really just like him? Perhaps he is referring to a spectrum of psychopathy that he belongs to. Even if his misdeeds were very bad they pale in comparison to even just one of Gacy's many atrocities. The bold, stunningly and brutally honest depiction of Gacy he lays out here shows just how courageous Sufjan is, to stand at the mercy of the listener and say something so brash as to compare himself to Gacy just shows how much depth of understanding he has about human nature and the ultimate lack of free will we all share. The recognition that the swing hitting Gacy's head at 11, causing a blood clot to form, may have even been the direct cause for what this man did.

    If I had an idol, Sufjan would be mine, what a human being, and such a brilliant composer who magically depicts the truth of reality intertwined with the emotional impact of such truths, in the most gracious, beautiful way.

  88. G.... B....

    Beware the clown of Illinois

  89. H.... ....

    Woah this was posted in 2006...on my birthday too. And today is my birthday. 2018...coincidences..

  90. G.... C....

    Fuck I just learnt the meaning of this song, after years of listening to it. I've never really focused on the lyrics that much before but it's so obvious now.

  91. e.... e....

    the lyrics of his crimes composed against the images of him as a child is very sobering

  92. j.... a....

    Вырос на этой замечательной песне

  93. F.... S....

    Lyrics in portuguese please !!

    F.... S....

    Use Google Translate

  94. c.... h....

    We all have a little gacy in us we just deny it within ourselves and to everyone else.. What he did was wrong, yes.. But we all have intentions, desires, fantasies, and lies buried deep inside ourselves. We just don't embrace them, doesn't mean we dont all have the potential to become a monster.