Suzanne
Nancy Wilson 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
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 harbor
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 lyrics to Nancy Wilson's "Suzanne" tell the story of a man's encounter with a woman named Suzanne who lives near a river. Initially, the man is drawn to Suzanne's "half crazy" nature, and she serves him tea and oranges from China. However, as the man attempts to push her away, Suzanne manages to convince him that he's always been her lover, and he becomes willing to travel with her and trust her.


The song also references Jesus, who spent time watching from his "lonely wooden tower" before realizing that only drowning men could see him. He declared that all men would be sailors until the sea freed them, but ultimately he was broken well before he could save them. The references to Jesus and the sea provide a larger metaphorical context for the song, painting a picture of man's struggle against the forces of nature and his own humanity.


Overall, "Suzanne" is a poetic, metaphorical song that explores the themes of human connection, trust, and the cyclical nature of life.


Line by Line Meaning

Suzanne takes you down to Her place near the river
Suzanne leads you to her humble abode by the river


You can hear the boats go by
You can hear the sounds of boats as they pass by on the river


You can spend the night beside her
You can stay the night with her by the river


And you know that she's half crazy
You know that she behaves in a somewhat eccentric manner


But that's why you want to be there
But that is precisely why you desire to be close to her


And she feeds you tea and oranges That come all the way from China
She serves you tea and oranges that she procured from as far as China


And just when you mean to tell her That you have no love to give her
And just when you plan to convey to her that you cannot reciprocate her feelings for you


Then she gets you on her wavelength And she lets the river answer
She makes you align with her thought process and allows the river to respond


That you've always been her lover And you want to travel with her And you want to travel blind
That you've been in love with her for a long time, and you wish to accompany her on a journey together, even if it requires you to do so without using sight


And you know that she will trust you For you've touched her perfect body With your mind
And you are aware that she will put her faith in you since you have formed a deep connection with her subconsciously


And Jesus was a sailor When he walked upon the water
And Jesus was a seafarer as he walked on the water


And he spent a long time watching From his lonely wooden tower
And he gazed from his solitary wooden structure for an extended period


And when he knew for certain Only drowning men could see him
And when it became evident that only men at the point of submerging beneath the waves would be able to perceive him


He said "All men will be sailors then Until the sea shall free them"
He proclaimed, "All men shall be mariners until the ocean releases them"


But he himself was broken Long before the sky would open Forsaken, almost human He sank beneath your wisdom like a stone
But he was frail himself before the heavens revealed themselves He was deserted, nearly human, and fell like a stone under your expertise


And you want to travel with him And you want to travel blind
And you desire to journey with him, without reliance on vision


And you think maybe you'll trust him For he's touched your perfect body With his mind.
And perhaps you will have confidence in him, as he has connected with you subconsciously


Now Suzanne takes your hand And she leads you to the river She is wearing rags and feathers From Salvation Army counters
Now Suzanne guides you with her hand as you head to the river She's clad in tattered clothes and chicken feathers from the Salvation Army thrift store


And the sun pours down like honey On our lady of the harbor
And the light from the sun pours down like golden syrup on our harbor's matriarch


And she shows you where to look Among the garbage and the flowers
and she directs your gaze to the areas where discarded waste and natural beauty mix together


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
Amidst the seaweed are brave souls attempting to make a mark And in the mornings you'll see those reaching out for love and yearning for it ceaselessly


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.
As Suzanne clutches the hand mirror, you aspire to join her on her voyage without sight, being confident in her as she has made a profound impression on you unconsciously




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Leonard Cohen

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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