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)
Sacrifice
Oh Susanna Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wanna see you in the bright lights
You step into the spotlight
With your red dress and your face white
And I wait for you to turn and see
But you don't catch your eye on me
When our eyes met for the first time
We made love then watched the sunrise
Then we kissed and said our goodbyes
And I know you never wanted to leave
But now you don't catch your eye on me
No you don't catch your eye on me
I saw it all in your face
Just before you walked away
I saw it all in your face
Do you know what you betray?
You stand alone on the platform
Crowd around you keeping you warm
I watch your face till the train comes
For the trace I knew for too long
And I know you never wanna believe
'Cause you won't sacrifice for me
No you won't sacrifice for me
No you won't sacrifice for me
The song Sacrifice by Oh Susanna is a heart-wrenching and emotional piece that explores the pain and heartache of a failed relationship. The song starts with the singer driving slowly through the cool night, longing to see their former lover in the bright spotlight. The singer describes how they wait for their ex-lover to turn and see them, but they do not catch their eye. This highlights the sense of loss and loneliness that the singer feels, as they are ignored and rejected by the person they love.
As the song progresses, the singer takes us back to the time when they first fell in love. They reminisce about the moments they shared, including their first meeting, love-making, and watching the sunrise together. However, the relationship eventually came to an end, and the singer is left with the pain of a failed relationship. They blame their former lover for betraying them and indicate that they are unwilling to sacrifice anything for them.
The song's chorus emphasizes the pain of unrequited love, with the singer watching their former lover leave on a train. The singer knows that their former lover does not want to believe that they still care for them, and they are unwilling to make any sacrifice to make the relationship work. The song's final lines, "No, you won't sacrifice for me," reinforce the singer's sense of betrayal and the realization that their love is unrequited.
Overall, Sacrifice by Oh Susanna is a poignant and emotional song that explores the pain and heartache of a failed relationship. The singer's raw emotions are conveyed through simple yet powerful lyrics and poignant melodies, making this a timeless piece that countless people can relate to.
Line by Line Meaning
Driving slow through the cool night
Oh Susanna is driving slowly through the cool night hoping to find her lover.
Wanna see you in the bright lights
She wants to see her lover in the spotlight and show her off to everyone
You step into the spotlight
Her lover steps into the spotlight, wearing a red dress and makeup
With your red dress and your face white
Describing the appearance of her lover wearing a red dress and with heavy makeup on.
And I wait for you to turn and see
She waits for her lover to notice her presence
But you don't catch your eye on me
Regrettably, her lover does not notice her presence.
I remember when you were first mine
Oh Susanna reminisces about the time when her lover was exclusively hers.
When our eyes met for the first time
She remembers how they first met and locked their eyes onto each other.
We made love then watched the sunrise
Narrating how they spent the night making love and then watching the sunrise
Then we kissed and said our goodbyes
In memory of the time spent together they kiss before parting ways.
And I know you never wanted to leave
She knows her lover never wanted to leave her
But now you don't catch your eye on me
Bemoaning the fact that her lover no longer looks towards her
I saw it all in your face
Oh Susanna saw it all in her face when her lover walked away from her
Just before you walked away
Just as her lover was walking away, Oh Susanna saw it in her face.
Do you know what you betray?
Questioning her lover about what she was betraying when walking away.
You stand alone on the platform
Narrating the scene of her lover, standing all alone on a platform
Crowd around you keeping you warm
People are around her lover, keeping her warm
I watch your face till the train comes
Oh Susanna watches her lover's face until the train arrives.
For the trace I knew for too long
Referring to the trace that Oh Susanna knew had been there for a long time.
And I know you never wanna believe
Oh Susanna understands that her lover never wants to believe what has come between them
'Cause you won't sacrifice for me
Her lover won't make any sacrifices for their relationship
No you won't sacrifice for me
Repeating that her lover won't make any sacrifices for their relationship
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Suzanne Elizabeth Ungerleider
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Cristo Andrea
Why so few views... This song is amazing!!