Ungerleider played her first show under the name Oh Susanna at the Railway Club in Vancouver in July 1995, and released her first independent recording, a seven-song EP, in 1997. Around this time, she decided to relocate to Toronto after attending Blue Rodeo's Stardust Picnic festival. In 1999, she released her full-length debut, Johnstown, and toured Canada and the United States with fellow musicians Veda Hille and Kinnie Starr, in what they dubbed the "Scrappy Bitch Tour".
At the 19th Genie Awards in 1999, she won the Genie Award for Best Original Song, for her song "River Blue" from the film The Fishing Trip. She subsequently released eight more recordings, Sleepy Little Sailor (2001), Oh Susanna (2003), Short Stories (2007), Soon the Birds (2011), Namedropper (2014), A Girl in Teen City (2017), and Decemberly (2018) a holiday EP with Michael Johnston.
In 2021, she announced that she was retiring the Oh Susanna stage name after learning more about the complicated racial history of the song "Oh! Susanna". She is now releasing under her own name.
Discography:
Oh Susanna EP (1997)
Johnstown (1999)
Sleepy Little Sailor (2001)
Oh Susanna (2003)
Short Stories (2007)
Soon The Birds (2011)
Namedropper (2014)
A Girl in Teen City (2017)
Decemberly (2018) (with Michael Johnston)
Old Kate
Oh Susanna Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A golden voice in the night unearths dreams safe underground
Up in your corner room we let our mouths run free
But I fear too much to say just how much you mean to me
But maybe old Kate can tell me now how to find you
But maybe old Kate can tell me now how to find you
We cut our fingers clean and in blood we write our names
'cause blood is a thicker thing - thicker than the water gray
Thick as the sea they say, but I watched you wash away...
But maybe old Kate can tell me now how to find you
Yeah maybe old Kate can tell me now how to find you
Yeah maybe old Kate can, tell me now, how to find you... how to find you oh ohhh
Maybe old Kate, can tell me now, how to find you
Your tires went screaming through the mud
Black dirt highway, soaked in red
My life, my love was, gone for good
oh baby... but I'll find you
yeah I'll find you
I'll find you, I'll find you oh ohh
Coal dust on paper thin is a picture drawn so real
Dark eyes and supple skin that my heart can almost feel
Put it behind the glass, preserve it in a frame
Well, I'll make your picture last 'cause I could not make you stay.
But maybe old Kate, can tell me now, how to find you
Yeah maybe old Kate, can tell me now, how to find you
Yeah maybe old Katen can tell me now, how to find you ...how to find you
Maybe old Kate, can tell me now...
The lyrics to Oh Susanna's song "Old Kate" tell the story of a person who is searching for someone they once loved. The song is filled with vivid imagery that paints a picture of the emotions felt by the singer. The first verse describes the person they are looking for with the line "laughter of firelight on your hair so long and brown". This line illustrates a memory of shared laughter and warmth. The second line, "a golden voice in the night unearths dreams safe underground" symbolizes the power of their loved one's voice to awaken their deepest desires. The next two lines describe the intimate relationship between the two, but the singer is afraid to tell the loved one how important they are.
The chorus of the song is a plea for help from "old Kate", who is likely a wise elder who has lived long enough to have knowledge of the singer's lost love. The second verse of the song details a pact that was made between them to never change, as they cut their fingers clean and in blood wrote their names. But despite the promise to never change, time passed and the love was not enough to hold them together. The line "thick as the sea they say, but I watched you wash away" is a tragic metaphor for the dissolution of a love that was once seen as unbreakable.
The final verse of the song depicts the singer's despair as they recount their lost love's departure. They mention making a picture of their loved one to preserve the memory. The chorus of the song is repeated, and the last line implies that the singer will continue their search, never giving up hope of finding their loved one.
Line by Line Meaning
Laughter of firelight on your hair so long and brown
I remember the warmth of the firelight on your hair - how the brown locks wove through each other, tickled my nose when they moved. It was a beautiful moment, and I thought it was a dream come true.
A golden voice in the night unearths dreams safe underground
Among the sounds of night, I heard your voice - it was like a dream come true. It felt as though you could unearth all of the buried and hidden desires that others were afraid to touch.
Up in your corner room we let our mouths run free
In the corner room, we had a space to let go of our fears and speak freely. We shared our deepest thoughts and passions, letting our tongues and hearts run free.
But I fear too much to say just how much you mean to me
I'm afraid to tell you how much you truly mean to me. I'm worried that I'll open myself up too much, and that I'll be crushed when you inevitably leave.
But maybe old Kate can tell me now how to find you
Maybe Kate, who knows the secrets of the town and its inhabitants better than anyone else, can help me locate where you are right now.
Together we made a pact that our love would never change
We made a vow that our love would remain unchanged no matter what. We swore eternal loyalty and commitment to each other.
We cut our fingers clean and in blood we write our names
We sealed our bond with a blood pact, cutting our fingers to draw blood to write our names. We sacrificed a small part of ourselves to signify our devotion.
'cause blood is a thicker thing - thicker than the water gray
Blood, which binds us like family, is a stronger bond than mere water. We are closer than mere acquaintances, but joined together for eternity.
Thick as the sea they say, but I watched you wash away...
We were as close as the sea is deep, but I watched you slip away despite our tight bond.
Your tires went screaming through the mud
Your departure was abrupt, the noise of your car wheels screeching in the mud adding to the heartbreak.
Black dirt highway, soaked in red
The path you took was now dark and barren, soaked in the depth of the pain caused by our sudden separation.
My life, my love was, gone for good
The love that was once the core of my life left me forever; the pain was real, and the loss was a weight that I may never truly shake off.
Coal dust on paper thin is a picture drawn so real
The drawing, with coal dust on thin paper, captures every detail so vividly; it feels like a real, palpable memory.
Dark eyes and supple skin that my heart can almost feel
I still remember your eyes and your skin- they are as clear now as they were then. I feel them so acutely in my heart; the pain is almost too much to bear.
Put it behind the glass, preserve it in a frame
I'll keep the drawing, the moment of our love, behind a glass, so that it is safe and preserved in a frame.
Well, I'll make your picture last 'cause I could not make you stay
I may have lost you, but your memory will last. I cannot make you stay with me, but I can hold onto the moments we had in my heart and in this drawing.
Contributed by Blake J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Brad Stroud
121 views can't be wrong! Seriously, this is a dynamite song on a dynamite album. I saw her play at the Winnipeg Folk Festival probably back on the release year - 1999 - She blew me away. I fell in love (alas I did not confess this to my date). This album has endured for me over the years. I happened to blast it this week and sure enough made a convert of a friend. Thank you for posting. I have three others from this album posted as well.