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)
Sleepy Little Sailor
Oh Susanna Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A sleepy little sailor
Fighting for his dreams
Out in crashing sea
She'll put you in a corner for your
Boyish little nature
And send you off to be
Under cover you wanna love her
But you won't behave
She'll make you wait for
What you crave
Now on the sea you'll search forever
Lovers that you squandered
For her you'd always leave
And leave their hearts to bleed
You hear her calling
Red skies a warning
Your ship has gone ashore
That siren's lock is on your door
Now in your room you'll yearn for all her
White and yellow roses
That you've only seen
In your wildest dreams
Your suffering can't pay for all the
Gifts she'll never offer
You'd think she'd never heard
Three magic little words
The lyrics to Oh Susanna's song Sleepy Little Sailor tell the story of a young boy who is a sailor and is dreaming of success and love. However, he is constantly reprimanded for his boyish nature and sent to be disciplined. He longs for and desires love, but is unable to behave and control his actions. He is warned of impending danger at sea, but disregards it due to his infatuation with the woman he desires. This woman is unattainable and does not reciprocate his love, instead causing him to suffer.
The woolen bloomers mentioned in the first line of the song could be a reference to a traditional sailor's uniform. The song talks about the boy being sent to a corner for his "boyish little nature" which hints at the strict discipline and training that young sailors were often subjected to at the time.
The line "You wanna love her but you won't behave" is particularly poignant as it represents the struggles that young sailors faced when navigating their budding sexuality in a strict and regimented environment. The song also talks about the dangers of being too infatuated with someone, as represented by the sirens who called sailors to their death.
All in all, Sleepy Little Sailor is a song about the struggles of young sailors and the dangers of unattainable love. It is a reflection of the strictness and discipline that was present in sailor's lives at the time.
Line by Line Meaning
All dressed in woolen bloomers you were
You were wearing warm clothes made of wool
A sleepy little sailor
You were a sailor who was tired and sleepy
Fighting for his dreams
You were struggling to achieve your goals and aspirations
Out in crashing sea
You were in the middle of a turbulent ocean
She'll put you in a corner for your
She will scold or punish you for your
Boyish little nature
Immature behavior that is typical of young boys
And send you off to be
And make you leave to
With your bottom red
With a sore or punished behind
Under cover you wanna love her
You want to express your love to her secretly
But you won't behave
But you are unable to control your actions
She'll make you wait for
She will delay giving you
What you crave
What you desperately desire
Now on the sea you'll search forever
You will endlessly look for
Lovers that you squandered
Romantic partners whom you failed to appreciate or cherish
For her you'd always leave
You would abandon any other relationship for her
And leave their hearts to bleed
And cause them emotional pain and suffering
You hear her calling
You hear her voice or beckoning
Red skies a warning
The crimson-colored clouds signal a warning sign
Your ship has gone ashore
Your boat has run aground on land
That siren's lock is on your door
You are trapped by the irresistible allure of the siren's charm
Now in your room you'll yearn for all her
You will long for her presence and attention in your empty chamber
White and yellow roses
Flowers that are often associated with love and purity
That you've only seen
That you have only witnessed
In your wildest dreams
Only in your most impossible or fanciful thoughts
Your suffering can't pay for all the
Your pain and anguish cannot compensate for
Gifts she'll never offer
Presents or kindness that she will never bestow upon you
You'd think she'd never heard
You might believe that she has never listened to you say
Three magic little words
The phrase 'I love you'
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ania Salwa
Ale dasz serduszko? ❤️
Ania Salwa
To nie ty to śpiewałeś