Witmer has released a number of albums (including Recovered), some EPs, and an LP with his side project, The River Bends, in which Witmer plays guitar and sings along with a backup band including members of Philly-based alt-country band One Star Hotel. His 2005 album, Are You A Dreamer?, was produced by mentor Don Peris of The Innocence Mission and featured Asthmatic Kitty artist Sufjan Stevens. It gained rave reviews by such opposite ends of the spectrum as Pitchfork Media and Entertainment Weekly.
Subsequent albums have included "Carry the Weight" (2008), "The Ones Who Wait" (2012), and "Denison Witmer" (2013).
His official website is located at http://www.denisonwitmer.com.
Suzanne
Denison Witmer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
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
The song "Suzanne" by Denison Witmer is a cover of the original song by Leonard Cohen. The song revolves around the singer's experiences with a woman named Suzanne. The first verse talks about Suzanne's place near the river, where the singer can hear boats passing by. Despite knowing that Suzanne is "half-crazy," the singer likes being around her. She feeds him tea and oranges from China, and when he means to tell her that he cannot love her, she gets him on her wavelength and lets the river answer that he has always been her lover. The second verse changes the focus to Jesus, who is described as a sailor watching from his lonely wooden tower. He realizes that only drowning men can see him and says that all men will be sailors until the sea shall free them, indicating that he sees himself as a guide for those in need. However, he himself is broken and sinks beneath the singer's wisdom like a stone. The last verse brings the focus back to Suzanne, who takes the singer's hand and leads him to the river. She is wearing rags and feathers from the Salvation Army counters, and the sun pours down on her like honey. She shows him where to look among the garbage and the flowers, revealing that there are heroes in the seaweed and children in the morning who are leaning out for love and will lean that way forever, while Suzanne holds the mirror.
Line by Line Meaning
Suzanne takes you down to her place near the river
Suzanne invites and shows the way to the river from her place
You can hear the boats go by
There's a constant sound of boats passing by the river and near Suzanne's place
You can spend the night beside her
Suzanne allows you to stay the night with her
And you know that she's half crazy
You're aware of Suzanne's eccentricity
But that's why you want to be there
That's the appeal of being with someone like Suzanne
And she feeds you tea and oranges that come all the way from China
Suzanne offers foreign delicacies (tea and oranges from China) to her guests
And just when you mean to tell her that you have no love to give her
You are about to confess that you don't have romantic feelings for Suzanne
Then she gets you on her wavelength
Suzanne connects with you on a deeper level and changes your mind
And she lets the river answer that you've always been her lover
Suzanne lets the river speak for her and reveals her true feelings towards you
And you want to travel with her
You have the desire to go on adventures with Suzanne
And you want to travel blind
You're willing to follow Suzanne without any specific destination or plan
And you know that she will trust you
Suzanne has faith in your trustworthiness
For you've touched her perfect body with your mind
You have a deep emotional connection with Suzanne without any physical intimacy
And Jesus was a sailor
A reference to the idea that Jesus was a wanderer exploring the world
When he walked upon the water
A reference to the biblical story of Jesus walking on water
And he spent a long time watching from his lonely wooden tower
Jesus observed the world from a distance but didn't fully engage with it
And when he knew for certain that only drowning men could see him
Jesus realized that only those in need of saving could see him and his message
He said "All men will be sailors then, until the sea shall free them"
Jesus declared that all humans are like wandering sailors until they break free
But he himself was broken, long before the sky would open
Jesus was already damaged and suffering way before his death
Forsaken, almost human, he sank beneath your wisdom like a stone
Jesus felt abandoned and human much like everyone else and felt the weight of people's expectations
And you want to travel with him
You have the desire to go on a spiritual journey with Jesus
And you want to travel blind
You're willing to follow Jesus without knowing the destination
And you think maybe you'll trust him
You're contemplating whether to trust Jesus or not
For he's touched your perfect body with his mind
You have a spiritual and emotional connection with Jesus without any physical intimacy
Now Suzanne takes your hand
Suzanne leads you by the hand
And she leads you to the river
Suzanne takes you to the river she loves
She is wearing rags and feathers from Salvation Army counters
Suzanne wears a mix of random clothing items donated by Salvation Army
And the sun pours down like honey on our lady of the harbour
The sunlight illuminates Suzanne and makes her look beautiful
And she shows you where to look among the garbage and the flowers
Suzanne points out the beauty that can be found in unexpected places
There are heroes in the seaweed
People who are unappreciated or undervalued are like heroes hidden in plain sight
There are children in the morning
There is innocence and potential in every new day
They are leaning out for love
People are seeking love and connection
And they will lean that way forever
People will always seek love and connection
While Suzanne holds the mirror
Suzanne reflects the beauty and love that people are looking for
And you want to travel with her
You want to continue on adventures with Suzanne
And you want to travel blind
You're willing to follow Suzanne without knowing the destination or plan
And you know that you can trust her
You have complete trust in Suzanne
For she's touched your perfect body with her mind
You have a deep emotional and spiritual connection with Suzanne without any physical intimacy
Contributed by Dylan P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.