04/17/2026
This song has become quite a fan favorite over the last few years at William's shows and on social media. Go give it a listen!
Sufjan Stevens, to me, is the greatest living songwriter. Always refusing to be pinned down to genre or style, he's composed a massive catalog of wildly varied and fascinating music. “Chicago" wasn't the first song of his I heard, but it stood out immediately as a lifetime achievement. Its bombastic arrangement belies the simple message of owning the mistakes of the past and the often unsaid sadness of resignation to constant change. I stripped down the arrangement to its core. Shakers replace drums, guitar and piano reduce orchestral strings. But the message remains. Time takes things away. Listen to my version of the song here: https://williamfitzsimmons.ffm.to/chicago