Suzanne
Pearls Before Swine Lyrics


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Suzanne takes you down to her place by the river
You can hear the boats go by, you can spend the night forever
And you know that she's half crazy but that's why you want to be there
And she feeds you tea and oranges that come all the way from China
And just when you want to tell her that you have no love to give her
She gets you on her wavelength and she lets the river answer
That you've always been her lover.
And you want to travel with her, and you want to travel blind
And you think she'll really trust you for you've touched her perfect body with your mind.

And Jesus was a sailor when he walked upon the water
And he spent a long time watching from a lonely wooden tower
And when he knew for certain only drowning men could see him
He said : 'All men shall be sailors then until the sea shall free them'
But he himself was broken long before the sky would open
And he sank beneath your wisdom like a stone

And you want to travel with him, and you want to travel blind
And you think you'll maybe trust him for he's touched your perfect body with his mind.

Suzanne takes you down to her place by the river
You can hear the boats go by, you can spend the night forever
And the sun pours down like honey on our lady of the harbour
And she shows you where to look among the garbage and the flowers
There are heroes in the seaweed, there are children in the morning
They are leaning out for love and they will lean that way forever
While Suzanne holds the mirror.





And you want to travel with her, and you want to travel blind
And you think you'll maybe trust her for she's touched your perfect body with her mind.

Overall Meaning

The song "Suzanne" by Pearls Before Swine begins by describing a woman who takes the singer down to her place by the river. The woman, Suzanne, is described as "half-crazy" and serves tea and oranges from China. When the singer feels like he has nothing to offer her, she brings him onto her wavelength and lets the river answer. The song then shifts to a reference to Jesus as a sailor on the water who ultimately sinks beneath "your" wisdom like a stone. The singer then returns to describing Suzanne and the place by the river, where they watch the boats go by and the sun pours down like honey. Suzanne shows the singer where to look among the garbage and flowers, where there are heroes in the seaweed and children reaching for love.


Line by Line Meaning

Suzanne takes you down to her place by the river
Suzanne invites you to her sanctuary by the peaceful river


You can hear the boats go by, you can spend the night forever
The soothing sound of boats passing by presents a serene atmosphere, where you can reside in peace for eternity


And you know that she's half crazy but that's why you want to be there
You are intrigued by Suzanne's eccentricity, and that's why you want to be by her side


And she feeds you tea and oranges that come all the way from China
Suzanne offers you exotic delicacies, such as Chinese tea and oranges, to indulge in


And just when you want to tell her that you have no love to give her
You feel you have nothing left to offer Suzanne, but you hesitate to express your thoughts to her


She gets you on her wavelength and she lets the river answer
Suzanne understands you better than you do, and the river provides the answer to your unsaid feelings


That you've always been her lover.
Despite your uncertainties, you realize that you have always been devoted to Suzanne


And you want to travel with her, and you want to travel blind
You yearn to accompany Suzanne on her journeys, even if it means not knowing where you are headed


And you think she'll really trust you for you've touched her perfect body with your mind.
You believe that your deep connection with Suzanne, on a mental level, is enough for her to trust you completely


And Jesus was a sailor when he walked upon the water
Sailing on water was a feat even for Jesus, a religious icon


And he spent a long time watching from a lonely wooden tower
Jesus would religiously observe the world from his isolated, wooden balcony


And when he knew for certain only drowning men could see him
Jesus identified that only people at their lowest point could truly see him for who he was


He said : 'All men shall be sailors then until the sea shall free them'
Jesus believed that everyone was a sailor on an endless journey, until they found peace and freedom from their journey


But he himself was broken long before the sky would open
However, Jesus was broken long before he could achieve the liberation he preached about


And he sank beneath your wisdom like a stone
Jesus could not find a way out of his troubles and eventually succumbed to the burden of knowledge


And you want to travel with him, and you want to travel blind
You also aspire to journey with Jesus, even if it means leaving all your preconceptions behind


And you think you'll maybe trust him for he's touched your perfect body with his mind.
The profound concepts that Jesus has shared about the human condition have made a lasting impact on you, and you are willing to trust him with your beliefs


And the sun pours down like honey on our lady of the harbour
The sun's warmth and light showers on Suzanne, who seems to be the embodiment of a peaceful harbor


And she shows you where to look among the garbage and the flowers
Suzanne helps you discern between the beautiful and ugly things in life, hidden among the mundane


There are heroes in the seaweed, there are children in the morning
Amidst the dark and murky depths of life, there are people who embody the goodness of heroes and the innocence of children


They are leaning out for love and they will lean that way forever
These beautiful souls will always yearn for love and support, and they will always lean towards people like Suzanne and Jesus for hope and direction


While Suzanne holds the mirror.
Suzanne is a reflection of your feelings and interpretation of life, and you can see a part of yourself in her


And you want to travel with her, and you want to travel blind
As before, you are excited to explore new experiences with Suzanne, and you don't mind where this adventure takes you


And you think you'll maybe trust her for she's touched your perfect body with her mind.
You have unwavering trust in Suzanne, for she has touched your soul and heart in profound ways




Contributed by Riley E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

YeshuaKingsKid

The album cover is taken from "The Triumph of Death" an oil painting on panel, painted c. 1562 by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, it depicts the grotesque horrors of war. Tom Rapp wanted to produce a themed anti-war album, and chose the Charge of the Light Brigade at Balaklava in 1854 as an example of the futility of war. The album was dedicated to Private Edward Slovik, the only US soldier executed for desertion in the Second World War. {Wikipedia}

littlebritain64

Probably Pieter Bruegel the Elder wanted to refer to uman vices in extent. Death triumphs on everything, war is death. On the back of the cover there is written: "Only deads have seen the end of the war" Erodotus, if I am not wrong.

John Turner

just discovered(for me) this insanely great group can't believe that I missed it in my youth.

zoviet france

better late than never

merzhin

This is one of my list of "covers better than the original". Thanks for share!

navroful

I always feel he truly made this song his own.

marcin asd

this is masterpiece

Marco Venosta

I love the Pearls' music. Tom Rapp wrote marvelous songs. peace!

serferten

How unique and beautiful this barely known jewel of a group was.

joan kearns

Been listening to the since the sixties. Tom rapp was an incredible writer. He did beautifully on Leonard Cohen's Suzanne.

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