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)
cain is rising
Oh Susanna Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You say that it is time to fight this holy war
But I don't need no television
To see one is raging out my back door
When I saw those towers tumble
You know I got down on my knees and prayed
But when you're living this jungle
Cain is rising on that horizon
Cain is rising on that horizon
You know the men they took my husband
And left him bleeding in a cold, stone cell
And from a fifteen story window
My little sister's baby daughter fell
And then you have the nerve to tell me
Just how and when my tears should fall
Hey mister, it's a wonder
It's a wonder, I can shed them, tears at all
Cain is rising on that horizon
Cain is rising on that horizon
They say this land has got its freedom
Say this land has got its liberty
But for the few to have their kingdom
All the rest must live in poverty
Some say we had it coming
Say its chickens coming home to roost
And though I don't believe in fighting
I know some people just got nothing left to lose
Cain is rising on that horizon
Cain is rising on that horizon
"Oh Susanna's" song "Cain is Rising" is a powerful commentary on the state of America following the 9/11 attacks. The song addresses the way in which politicians were using the tragedy to justify going to war in the Middle East, while ignoring the violence and injustice happening within the country itself. The use of the Biblical figure Cain, who committed the first murder out of jealousy, creates an ominous tone, suggesting that violence begets violence, and history is doomed to repeat itself if we don't learn from our mistakes.
The song also touches on themes of personal loss and grief. The singer has lost loved ones to prison, police brutality, and even suicide, and is struggling to find a way to express her sorrow in a world that seems indifferent to her pain. Her anger towards the politicians who claim to speak for her but only worsen the situation is palpable, as is her sense of despair at the state of the country she calls home.
The lyrics are founded on the use of irony and metaphors to tell a story. On one hand, she draws a correlation between the biblical story of Cain and the destructive force that is rising in the country. On the other hand, she uses the story to draw attention to how people in the country are suffering, while the politicians focus on wars outside the country. The tears that fall are shed for the victims of the war and the unborn generations who have to live with it.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey, Mr. Politician
Addressing the politician in charge of the war effort
You say that it is time to fight this holy war
The politician claims that the war is justified by religion
But I don't need no television
The singer does not need the media to see the effects of war
To see one is raging out my back door
The war is taking place right in the artist's community
When I saw those towers tumble
The artist saw the 9/11 attacks
You know I got down on my knees and prayed
The singer prays for the victims of the attacks
But when you're living this jungle
The singer's community is a dangerous place to live
You see sons and daughters dying every day
Violence is a daily occurrence in the artist's community
Cain is rising on that horizon
Violence is increasing and becoming more prevalent
You know the men they took my husband
The artist's husband was taken by military forces
And left him bleeding in a cold, stone cell
The singer's husband was mistreated in captivity
And from a fifteen story window
The artist's young relative fell to her death
My little sister's baby daughter fell
The death of a young child in the singer's family
And then you have the nerve to tell me
The politician has the audacity to dictate how the singer should feel
Just how and when my tears should fall
The politician tries to control the singer's emotional response
Hey mister, it's a wonder
The artist finds it surprising that she can still cry
It's a wonder, I can shed them, tears at all
The emotional toll of living in a violent community
They say this land has got its freedom
The government claims that the country is free
Say this land has got its liberty
The government claims that the people have freedom and equality
But for the few to have their kingdom
The wealthy have power and influence over the rest of society
All the rest must live in poverty
The majority of people are impoverished or struggling to make ends meet
Some say we had it coming
Some people believe that the community has caused its own problems
Say its chickens coming home to roost
The singer believes that past actions are causing current problems
And though I don't believe in fighting
The artist is against violence and warfare
I know some people just got nothing left to lose
Some people are so desperate that they are willing to engage in violence
Cain is rising on that horizon
The violent and dangerous situation is getting worse
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Suzanne Elizabeth Ungerleider
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind