Early life
Hoffs was born in Newport Beach, California to a Jewish family. Her mother was a fan of The Beatles and played their records for Hoffs when she was a child. She began playing the guitar in her teens and hooked up with Vicki Peterson and Debbi Peterson, who needed a singer for their band, which would later become The Bangles. Susanna attended Palisades High School in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles. In 1980, she graduated from University of California, Berkeley with a BA in Art.
The Bangles years
The Bangles released their first album All Over The Place in 1984, but their major breakthrough album was Different Light in 1986, with the hit singles "Manic Monday" and "Walk Like an Egyptian." Her fame rising, Susanna starred in the movie The Allnighter in 1987. It was directed by her mother Tamar Simon Hoffs and also featured Joan Cusack and Pam Grier. She also made the covers of many magazines, and the Rickenbacker guitar company issued a Susanna Hoffs model, which she still plays during gigs. Although the Bangles did not have a set lead vocalist, and the girls alternated on singing, Susanna was perceived by many casual fans to be the main vocalist. She also received by far the most media attention, which led to tensions within the band. The Bangles released their very successful third album Everything in 1988, with their biggest selling single "Eternal Flame." But the breakup was inevitable, and they disbanded in 1989.
Solo career and personal life
Susanna released a solo album When You're a Boy in 1991, which didn't sell very well (although it did spawn a US Top 40 hit with "My Side of the Bed"). In 1993, she married Jay Roach, later the director of the Austin Powers movies and Meet the Parents and producer of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. They have two sons, born in 1995 and 1998.
In 1996, Susanna released her second solo album Susanna Hoffs, this time with more personal lyrics and a more mature sound. Although it received some praise in the press (and yielded a minor US hit with the single "All I Want"), it didn't sell well either. Susanna also recorded another album during 1993/1994, prior to leaving Columbia records. So far it remains unreleased, though substandard bootleg copies have been circulating for years. Susanna also records demos prolifically, and these also sometimes surface on the internet. The best known of these is probably the song "Pride," which can be legally downloaded at Bill Bonk's website.
Hoffs appears in the first Austin Powers movie as a member of the fictitious 1960s rock group Ming Tea, fronted by the title character. In real-life, Ming Tea consisted of actor Mike Myers, Hoffs, Canadian musician/producer Christopher Ward, and singer Matthew Sweet. This group made a number of TV performances (with Myers in character as Powers) and had a minor hit with the song "BBC." Hoffs returned with the group in the second and third Austin Powers films.
Bangles reunion
In the late 1990s, Susanna started to contact the other members of the Bangles again. They recorded the single "Get the Girl" for the second Austin Powers movie in 1999. Playing together and enjoying themselves, they announced their decision to reunite in 2000. Their fourth album, called Doll Revolution, was released in 2003, followed by a tour.
Cover of Under the Covers, Vol. 1
Sid 'n' Susie
In 2006, Susanna teamed up with fellow Ming Tea rocker, Matthew Sweet, under the name Sid 'n' Susie to record 15 covers on an album appropriately called Under the Covers, Vol. 1. The Album was released in April of 2006 and they appeared on July 18th on Late Night with Conan O'Brien to promote the album and tour.
This Is the Place
Susanna Hoffs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I think I like it right here
Float on down, you’ll be light as a feather
You’ll like it right here
Though I’ve lost and gained
I don’t need the meaning
And if you feel estranged
Kids are swimming in the sun
I think they like it right here
Every day I wake is day one
I like it right here
Though I’ve lost and gained
I don’t need a reason
And if you feel the same
This is the place
Feeling displaced, low down or erased
Never a better time to escape
So come on, it’s plain as day to see
Oh come on
I want you here, I want you near to me
Everything is coming together
Float on down, you’ll be light as a feather
You’ll like it right here
Though we’ve lost and gained
We don’t need the meaning
We will grow and change
Through every season
And if you feel the same
This is the place
This is the place
This is the place
We’ve found our place
In Susanna Hoffs's song "This is the Place," the lyrics convey a sense of belonging and contentment with one's surroundings. The singer expresses that everything is coming together and they like it right where they are. The song invites the listener to feel the same sense of tranquility and belonging as they float down, light as a feather. The lyrics suggest that even if the listener has undergone personal losses or gains, the place where they are is enough and doesn't require a meaning or a reason. It is simply the place where they are meant to be. The song suggests that even those who feel displaced or low can find solace in the place they are.
The lyrics mention children swimming in the sun and enjoying where they are. The singer wakes up every day feeling like it's the first day and likes it right where they are. The song suggests that there is no need to escape from one's surroundings because the place where they are is perfect. The song seeks to invite the listener to find their own place and rejoice in it. The lyrics mention the fact that the singer has lost and gained, but it doesn't matter because they have found their place. The song conveys a sense of hope, contentment, and belonging.
Line by Line Meaning
Everything is coming together
Things are starting to make sense and fall into place
I think I like it right here
I am happy and content with my current situation
Float on down, you’ll be light as a feather
Let go and relax, everything will be effortless
You’ll like it right here
You'll feel comfortable and at ease in this place
Though I’ve lost and gained
I've experienced ups and downs
I don’t need the meaning
I'm at a point where I'm okay with uncertainty and not having all the answers
And if you feel estranged
If you're feeling disconnected or lost
This is the place
This moment or situation is where you're meant to be right now
Kids are swimming in the sun
Children are enjoying the outdoors and having fun in the water on a sunny day
Every day I wake is day one
Each new day presents a fresh start and new opportunities
Though I’ve lost and gained
I've experienced both success and failure
I don’t need a reason
I don't require an explanation or justification for things that happen
And if you feel the same
If you're in a similar mindset or situation
Feeling displaced, low down or erased
Feeling lost or like you don't belong
Never a better time to escape
There is no better opportunity than now to get away or make a change
So come on, it’s plain as day to see
It's obvious that this is the right choice or path
Oh come on
Encouraging someone to join or follow along
I want you here, I want you near to me
I want you to be close to me and share in this experience
We will grow and change
We will develop and adapt as we go through different experiences
Through every season
Through all the ups and downs or changes that may come
This is the place
This place or moment is where we belong or are meant to be
We’ve found our place
We've found where we fit in or feel comfortable
Contributed by Ryan P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.