Oh Susanna was the recording name of Canadian-American alt-country musician… Read Full Bio ↴Oh Susanna was the recording name of Canadian-American alt-country musician Suzie Ungerleider (born in Northampton, MA, and raised in Vancouver) from 1995 to 2021. Performing under the name Oh Susanna, alluding to the classic American folk song "Oh! Susanna" to protect her privacy, Ungerleider announced in 2021 that she was retiring the Oh Susanna stage name after learning more about the complicated racial history of the song "Oh! Susanna".

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)

unknown land
Oh Susanna Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Lay down sleepy head
Rest your weary head
Tomorrow you give yourself away

You know, now what will be
Stop trying so hard to see
Something you find along the way

In an unknown land
Upon which you shall stand
Forge a path that is your own

Don't be afraid to fail
To be we could, to be fail
And though your heart is always home

Girl, my girl
Rest before the dawn begins to break
Girl, my girl
You will be the one to find your way

Across the rocky shield
To the wind the branches yield
Their arms waving to the sun

Dance of the old Jack Pine
Roots and rock and twine
So strong it will not be undone

Now when do you use your wings
To be carried by the winds
I know your hooks are deep as dawn

Girl, my girl
Rest before the dawn begins to break
Girl, my girl
You will be the one to find your way

Girl, my girl
Rest before the dawn begins to break
Girl, my girl
You will be the one to find your way

You will be the one to find your way
You will be the one, you will be the one
You will be the one to find your way

Lay down sleepy head

Rest your weary head
Tomorrow you give yourself away

Overall Meaning

The song "Unknown Land" by Oh Susanna is a comforting and encouraging ballad about the journey of life. The singer advises her listener to rest and not worry about what's to come, as they already know what they need to know. She tells them not to try too hard to see what is ahead or find something specific, but instead, to forge their path and not be afraid to fail. The unknown land upon which they stand is a metaphor for the future, and the singer urges the listener to be strong like the old Jack Pine in the dance of life with roots that will not be undone.

The singer also urges the listener to use their wings and be carried by the winds, a metaphor for taking risks and going with the flow. Although it may be daunting to step into the unknown land, the singer promises that the listener will find their way. The song's chorus reassures the listener that they will find their way, and they should rest before the dawn begins to break, signifying that they must prepare and rest before starting their journey.

Line by Line Meaning

Lay down sleepy head
Take a rest and stop overthinking

Rest your weary head
Relax and free your mind of worries

Tomorrow you give yourself away
Be your true self and don't hold back

You know, now what will be
You have a good sense of what will happen

Stop trying so hard to see
Don't overanalyze and just let things happen

Something you find along the way
Discover something unexpectedly good

In an unknown land
In a place unfamiliar and challenging

Upon which you shall stand
Where you will face obstacles and take a stand

Forge a path that is your own
Create a unique way for yourself

Don't be afraid to fail
Don't fear making mistakes

To be we could, to be fail
It's possible to succeed or not, but it's worth the risk