Google says there was an actual UFO sighting in Highland five years before this song was released. Whether you believe that or not, “Concerning the UFO” is probably Sufjan Stevens at the height of his state project. One of the most imaginative vignettes on the Illinois album, there’s a quiet wonder to every musical layer—vocals, piano, flute, recorder. If you play the song outside at night, the music might be enough to help you imagine what the sighting could’ve looked like if it actually happened.

“Then to Lebanon, oh, God! The flashing at night, the sirens grow and grow (Oh history involved itself). Mysterious shade that took its form (or what it was!). Incarnation, three stars. Delivering signs and dusting from their eyes.”