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)
Tangled & Wild
Oh Susanna Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Run away with me, won't you?
Run away with me, won't you?
It don't matter where we go
Well, I have lived in this city nearly all of my life
But in my heart there's a country tangled and wild
And when I look in your eyes, love, I can see it there too
Run away with me, won't you?
Run away with me, won't you?
Run away with me, won't you?
It don't matter where we go
We could live in the mountains
Or we could live on the plains
Or in a place far too beautiful
Too beautiful to name
Run away with me, won't you?
Run away with me, won't you?
Run away with me, won't you?
It don't matter where we go
Oh Susanna's "Tangled & Wild" is a song about escape and finding a place where one can be free. The song speaks of the city life being monotonous, chaotic and suffocating, and highlights a desire for a simpler yet more fulfilling life where one can feel alive. The first stanza starts with the plea to "run away" with the singer into a brighter and more hopeful future. It emphasizes the importance of the journey rather than the destination, as "it don't matter where we go."
The second stanza describes the singer's longing for a free and wild life. She speaks of her heart being tangled and wild, a metaphor for her feeling trapped and silenced. The lyrics then shift to the mood of hope and joy, as the singer sees the same bright and alive spirit in her lover's eyes. The third and final stanza explores the different possibilities of their escape, where they could live in the mountains or plains or in a place too beautiful to name. The singer once again invites her lover to run away with her, bringing the song to a hopeful and fulfilling end.
Line by Line Meaning
Run away with me, won't you?
The singer is suggesting to the listener to run away with her.
Run away with me, won't you?
The singer is repeating her request for the listener to run away with her.
Run away with me, won't you?
The singer is urging the listener to run away with her.
It don't matter where we go
The singer doesn't care where they go as long as they run away together.
Well, I have lived in this city nearly all of my life
The singer has spent most of her life in the city.
But in my heart there's a country tangled and wild
Despite living in the city, the singer feels a deep connection to the countryside.
And when I look in your eyes, love, I can see it there too
The singer sees the same love for the countryside in the listener.
All that's bright and alive, love lives deep in you
The singer sees a lively and passionate spirit in the listener.
We could live in the mountains
The singer suggests they could live in the mountains.
Or we could live on the plains
The singer suggests they could live on the plains.
Or in a place far too beautiful
The singer suggests they could live in a beautiful place.
Too beautiful to name
The singer is unable to describe how beautiful the place is.
Run away with me, won't you?
The singer repeats her initial request for the listener to run away with her.
Run away with me, won't you?
The singer reiterates her desire for the listener to run away with her.
Run away with me, won't you?
The singer repeats her urging for the listener to run away with her.
Contributed by Amelia C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
MrMajoco
Powerful and poignant, just beautiful. And forever attached to the credits run on the film "Tully", from 2000, one the most singularly appropriate tracks for running credits ever. Beautiful song to wrap a beautiful film. Thank you Oh Susanna, and Hilary Birmingham!
Emily Hetherington
My mum and dad stumbled across this band live and they signed their autograph cd to them and I have been listening to them since 1999 when they met them I forgot all about them until my dad passed yesterday this brings such happiness to how happy my parents were listening to this cd on every weekend journey we made it brings tears to my eyes
Brad Stroud
Brilliance. A brilliant album front to back.
Mike Robinson
You are very talented. I had your CD a long time ago and lost it somewhere along the road.... glad to hear this favourite song again! Thank you.
Derek Chin
I discovered Suzie back in 2000 and have been a fan ever since. Johnstown and Sleepy Little Sailor are favorites.
lee Magaret1004
Beautiful.. very nice..
Jon Highsmith
Hi Suzie, heard this song for the first time at the end of the movie Tully and absolutely fell in love with it and dreamed of singing it to a woman someday.
That day never came and it kind of got lost in the attic for a while, then appeared again out of the blue driving down the road but couldn't remember the name of it until 10 minutes ago and not only did I find the song but I found the young lady who wrote it- what a bonus! Looking forward to hearing more from you and just congratulations on such an awesome song! I cannot believe I have never heard it on the radio so sad
Suzie Ungerleider
John, thank you for writing and telling me how you connected with my song! Seeing as this video is over 20 years old, I am no longer a young lady! haha
akashaman
love ya suzie ~!!
Gavin Maitland
This is official? Shame the transfer looks so bad! STill, i've loved this album for 20 years. Hard classic.