Photo Credit: Sharon Alagna

Sufjan Stevens has shared the demo version of “Death With Dignity,” and it is certainly powerful. Released ahead of the Carrie & Lowell 10th Anniversary Edition, this version strips the song down to just Sufjan and his voice, his guitar and the silence in between. It’s raw, tender and almost uncomfortably intimate, like walking in on someone mid-confession.

The original version dealt with grief in a way that felt universal but deeply personal. This demo somehow makes it feel even more impactful. You can hear every breath and every shift in his voice as he works through the emotions of losing his mother. There’s no production to hide behind here, just the honest ache of someone trying to understand love, loss and the impossibility of making peace with either.

It’s part of the upcoming anniversary edition of Carrie & Lowell, which includes unreleased demos, a 40-page art book and a new essay by Sufjan. Sometimes the roughest versions tell the truest stories. And with this one, Sufjan invites us back into the room with him, one more time, just to sit and listen.

In December 2023 Rufus and Martha Wainwright covered Sufjan’s track, “Justice Delivers its Death.” They performed the cover on The Tonight Show and it was described as classy and elegant. To add on, Sufjan’s album, Javelin, was produced in the aftermath of his loss of a partner. He has a way with words and truly knows how to impact his listeners. He uses pain in order to create.