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Suzanne
Christel Alsos Lyrics


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Suzanne takes you down to her place near the river
You can hear the boats go by
You can spend the night beside her
And you know that she's half crazy
But that's why you want to be there
And she feeds you tea and oranges
That come all the way from China
And just when you mean to tell her
That you have no love to give her
Then she gets you on her wavelength
And she lets the river answer
That you've always been her lover

And you want to travel with her
And you want to travel blind
And you know that she will trust you
For you've touched her perfect body with your mind.

And Jesus was a sailor
When he walked upon the water
And he spent a long time watching
From his lonely wooden tower
And when he knew for certain
Only drowning men could see him
He said "All men will be sailors then
Until the sea shall free them"
But he himself was broken
Long before the sky would open
Forsaken, almost human
He sank beneath your wisdom like a stone

And you want to travel with him
And you want to travel blind
And you think maybe you'll trust him
For he's touched your perfect body with his mind.

Now Suzanne takes your hand
And she leads you to the river
She is wearing rags and feathers
From Salvation Army counters
And the sun pours down like honey
On our lady of the harbour
And she shows you where to look
Among the garbage and the flowers

There are heroes in the seaweed
There are children in the morning
They are leaning out for love
And they will lean that way forever
While Suzanne holds the mirror
And you want to travel with her
And you want to travel blind

And you know that you can trust her
For she's touched your perfect body with her mind.

Overall Meaning

The song "Suzanne" by Christel Alsos is a cover of the iconic song by Leonard Cohen. The lyrics describe a woman named Suzanne who lives near the river and is half-crazy, but the singer still wants to be with her. She offers tea and oranges that come from China, and when the singer tries to tell her that he has no love to give her, she somehow gets him on her wavelength and he becomes her lover. The second verse brings in Jesus, who was a sailor and spent a long time watching from his wooden tower. He tells the drowning men that all men will be sailors until the sea frees them. However, Jesus himself was broken and sank beneath the singer's wisdom. The final verse has Suzanne leading the singer to the river wearing rags and feathers from the Salvation Army, and the sun pours down like honey on them. She shows him where to look among the garbage and the flowers, where there are heroes in the seaweed and children leaning out for love.


The lyrics of "Suzanne" are open to interpretation and have been subject to much analysis over the years. One reading is that Suzanne represents the muse or the creative spirit that inspires the singer, while Jesus represents the spiritual aspect of life. The river can be seen as a metaphor for the passage of time or the journey of life, and the garbage and flowers symbolize the transience and beauty of existence. The song is ultimately about the power of love and faith to transform and transcend the limitations of the worldly realm.


Line by Line Meaning

Suzanne takes you down to her place near the river
Suzanne invites you to her home near the river


You can hear the boats go by
You can hear the sounds of boats passing by on the river


You can spend the night beside her
You can stay with Suzanne overnight


And you know that she's half crazy
You understand that Suzanne is a bit eccentric


But that's why you want to be there
But that's also what draws you to her


And she feeds you tea and oranges
Suzanne offers you tea and oranges


That come all the way from China
Those tea and oranges are imported from China


And just when you mean to tell her
And just when you're about to reveal to her


That you have no love to give her
That you cannot offer her love


Then she gets you on her wavelength
Then she connects with you on a deep level


And she lets the river answer
And she allows the river to provide an answer


That you've always been her lover
That you've always been connected to her in a romantic way


And you want to travel with her
And you desire to go on a journey with her


And you want to travel blind
And you're willing to do so without knowing the destination


And you know that she will trust you
And you're aware that she has faith in you


For you've touched her perfect body with your mind.
Because you've connected with her on a spiritual, intellectual level


And Jesus was a sailor
Jesus was a seafarer


When he walked upon the water
When he performed the miracle of walking on water


And he spent a long time watching
And he observed for a considerable amount of time


From his lonely wooden tower
From his solitary lookout point


And when he knew for certain
And when he was absolutely convinced


Only drowning men could see him
That only those in dire need or distress could perceive him


He said "All men will be sailors then
He proclaimed "All men will become seafarers then


Until the sea shall free them"
Until they are freed from the burden of worldly existence


But he himself was broken
But he, himself, was shattered


Long before the sky would open
Much earlier than he would ascend to heaven


Forsaken, almost human
Abandoned, nearly mortal


He sank beneath your wisdom like a stone
He descended beneath the weight of humanity's knowledge


And you want to travel with him
And you desire to accompany him on his journey


And you want to travel blind
And you're willing to do so without knowing the destination


And you think maybe you'll trust him
And you believe that you may trust him


For he's touched your perfect body with his mind.
Because he's made a spiritual connection with you


Now Suzanne takes your hand
Now Suzanne leads you by the hand


And she leads you to the river
And she guides you to the water


She is wearing rags and feathers
She is dressed in a hodgepodge of clothing and accessories


From Salvation Army counters
From second-hand stores run by the Salvation Army


And the sun pours down like honey
And the sun's rays flow down like liquid gold


On our lady of the harbour
Onto the woman who watches over the harbor


And she shows you where to look
And she points out where you should direct your gaze


Among the garbage and the flowers
Amid the refuse and the blossoms


There are heroes in the seaweed
There are brave souls amidst the seaweed


There are children in the morning
There are young ones alive and well in the dawn


They are leaning out for love
They are reaching out for affection


And they will lean that way forever
And they will forever carry the same desire


While Suzanne holds the mirror
While Suzanne acts as a metaphorical reflection


And you want to travel with her
And you desire to journey alongside her


And you want to travel blind
And you're willing to do so without knowing the destination


And you know that you can trust her
And you're aware that you can have faith in her


For she's touched your perfect body with her mind.
Because she's made a spiritual connection with you




Contributed by Julian B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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