Sturgill Simpson’s “Jupiter’s Faerie” Is His Saddest Track Yet

“Johnny Blue Skies’ new album, Passage Du Desir, has really resonated with me. Has anyone else felt the same? Ever since its release last Friday, it’s been on repeat through my speakers. Although the entire album is an absolute gem – and a brilliant return for Sturgill Simpson under a new name – there’s one song that stands out in both its immense sadness and hopeful beauty. That song is “Jupiter’s Faerie.”

If you’ve listened to the album, you likely know exactly what I’m talking about. While I try not to overhype Passage Du Desir (my first listen was while mowing the lawn, which might have skewed my perception positively), I keep returning to tracks like “Scooter Blues” and “Swamp of Sadness.”

It’s not purely a country album, nor is it strictly rock. Sturgill’s cosmic take on music shines through once again. However, the track “Jupiter’s Faerie”, a soul-crushing anthem, stands out as a personification of melancholy.

Like many songs on Johnny Blue Skies’ debut album, “Jupiter’s Faerie” walks a fine line between hopelessness and hope. The song portrays a person who waited too long to reconnect with an old friend or a past love, only to find they no longer had the chance to say goodbye, seemingly due to suicide.

The verses, carried by soft piano, set the somber tone of the story. When the chorus bursts in, it replaces the sadness with hopeful energy, offering a comforting deflection: “I hear there’s faeries out on Jupiter, and there was a time that I knew one. But today I’m feeling way down here on Earth, crying tears of love in the light of mourning dawn.”

It’s a heartbreaking set of lyrics, especially for those who have lost someone and long for one more chance to say goodbye. And if you think the repeated, anthemic chorus is heart-wrenching, brace yourself for the bridge: “One more glass of wine for a love so true. Then another and another, for today one just won’t do. There’s no happy endings, only stories that stop before they’re through.”

In sum, “Jupiter’s Faerie” is one of the saddest, most intricate, and alluring songs that Sturgill/Johnny has ever written. Despite its dark themes, painting a picture of the illusion and distraction of procrastinating the grieving process, the seven-minute ballad may just be one of my favorite songs Simpson has ever released. It’s undoubtedly my favorite Johnny Blue Skies track.

“Jupiter’s Faerie” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKjxrlC-teA

Did you make it through without crying? Didn’t think so. It’s been comforting to see that many on social media are also captivated by this song. Numerous Sturgill Simpson/Johnny Blue Skies fans have shared that “Jupiter’s Faerie” has climbed to the top of their personal sad song lists.