McCorkle was born in Berkeley, California. She studied modern languages at the University of California, Berkeley. McCorkle began singing professionally after hearing recordings of Billie Holiday in Paris in the late 1960s. She nearly became an interpreter at the European Commission in Brussels, but moved instead to London in 1972 to pursue a career in singing. While in the UK, she made two albums which, although well received, enjoyed only limited circulation.
In the late 1970s, McCorkle returned to the United States and settled in New York City, where a five-month engagement at the Cookery in Greenwich Village brought her to wider public attention and elicited rave reviews from critics.
During the 1980s, McCorkle continued to record; her maturing style and the darkening timbre of her voice greatly enhanced her performances. In the early 1990s, two of the albums McCorkle made for Concord Records, No More Blues and Sábia, were enormously successful and made her name known to the wider world. She was recorded by the Smithsonian Institution which at the time made her the youngest singer ever to have been included in its popular music series. McCorkle played Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher and Alice Tully Halls five times and Carnegie Hall three times, and was featured soloist with Skitch Henderson and the 80-piece New York Pops in a concert of Brazilian music.
Thanks to her linguistic skills, McCorkle translated lyrics of Brazilian, French, and Italian songs, notably those for her Brazilian album Sabia. McCorkle also had several short stories published and, in 1991, began work on her first novel. She published fiction in Mademoiselle, Cosmopolitan Magazine, and non-fiction in the New York Times Magazine and in American Heritage, including lengthy articles on Ethel Waters, Bessie Smith, Irving Berlin and Mae West.
McCorkle suffered for many years from depression and cancer, and took her own life at age 55 by leaping off the balcony of her highrise Manhattan apartment. She was alone in her home at the time. The police immediately entered her home after identifying her body and found no foul play. Suicide was ruled the cause of death.
Do You Miss New York
Susannah McCorkle Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
From time to time I find myself engrossed
With other erstwhile denizens of the apple
While we sit around and take L.A. to task
There's a question someone's bound to ask
And with this complex matter we must grapple
Does your laid back lifestyle
Lack a certain satisfaction?
Do you ever burn to pack up and return
To the thick of it, or are you really sick of it?
As you always say
Do you miss the pace? The rat race, a racket
If you had to face it now
Do you still think you could hack it?
When you're back in town for a quick look around
How is it? Does it seem like home
Or just another nice place to visit?
Were those halcyon days just a youthful phase you outgrew?
Tell me, do you miss New York?
Do you miss New York?
Do you miss the strain? The traffic, the tension
Do you view your new terrain
With a touch of condescension on this quiet street?
Is it really as sweet as it seems out here?
Do you dream your dreams out here or is that passe?
Do you miss the scene? The frenzy, the faces
Did you trade the whole parade
For a pair of parking places?
If you had the choice would you still choose to do it all again?
Do you find yourself standing in line to see Annie Hall again?
Do you ever run into that someone who used to be you?
Do you miss New York? Me too, me too, me too, me too
In Susannah McCorkle's song "Do You Miss New York," the singer reflects on their decision to leave New York City and move to the West Coast. The opening lines suggest that since the move, the singer occasionally becomes engrossed in thoughts about their old life in New York and the people they left behind.
As the song continues, the singer addresses the question that often arises when they gather with other former New Yorkers: Do you miss New York? They wonder if the anger, action, and fast-paced lifestyle of New York are lacking in their current laid-back environment. The lyrics express a longing to be back in the thick of it, but they also acknowledge the possibility that they may have grown tired or disillusioned with the city.
The song continues by exploring the various aspects of New York City that the singer may or may not miss. They mention the pace, the rat race, and the racket, questioning if they could still handle it if they were to face it now. The lyrics imply a sense of nostalgia for the city's energy and the excitement that came along with it. When the singer visits New York, they wonder if it still feels like home or just another nice place to visit.
The final verse of the song delves into the deeper feelings the singer has about leaving New York. They ask about the strain, traffic, tension, and whether their new environment is as idyllic as it appears. The lyrics suggest a touch of condescension towards their current tranquil surroundings. The singer wonders if they traded the vibrant parade of New York for the practicality of having parking spaces. They even question if given a choice, they would still make the decision to leave New York and start anew. The song concludes by hinting at encounters with someone who used to be like them and a shared longing for New York City.
Overall, "Do You Miss New York" reflects upon the bittersweet feelings the singer has about leaving New York City. It captures a sense of nostalgia, longing, and questioning whether they made the right decision. It explores the excitement and frenetic energy of New York, juxtaposing it with the quieter lifestyle they now lead. The lyrics prompt listeners to contemplate the complexities and nuances of leaving a beloved city behind and adapting to a new chapter in their lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Since I took a left and moved out to the coast
Ever since I made the decision to move away from New York to the West Coast
From time to time I find myself engrossed
Occasionally, I become deeply immersed in thoughts and memories of New York
With other erstwhile denizens of the apple
Alongside former residents of New York City, who are now living elsewhere
While we sit around and take L.A. to task
While we criticize and analyze Los Angeles
There's a question someone's bound to ask
There's inevitably a question that someone will pose
And with this complex matter we must grapple
And we must wrestle with this intricate and challenging issue
Do you miss New York? The anger, the action
Are you longing for New York City? Its intensity, its liveliness
Does your laid back lifestyle
Is your relaxed way of living
Lack a certain satisfaction?
Missing a specific sense of fulfillment?
Do you ever burn to pack up and return
Do you ever have a strong desire to pack your bags and come back
To the thick of it, or are you really sick of it?
To the heart of the city, or are you truly tired of it?
As you always say
Like you often express
Do you miss the pace? The rat race, a racket
Are you yearning for the fast-paced lifestyle? The competitive and chaotic environment
If you had to face it now
If you had to confront it in the present
Do you still think you could hack it?
Do you believe you could still handle it?
When you're back in town for a quick look around
When you visit New York briefly to take a glimpse of what has changed
How is it? Does it seem like home
How does it feel? Does it give you a sense of belonging
Or just another nice place to visit?
Or is it merely a pleasant destination to stop by?
Were those halcyon days just a youthful phase you outgrew?
Were those joyful days simply a phase of youth that you have moved on from?
Tell me, do you miss New York?
Inform me, do you long for New York City?
Do you miss the strain? The traffic, the tension
Do you yearn for the stress? The congested roads, the pressure
Do you view your new terrain
Do you perceive your current surroundings
With a touch of condescension on this quiet street?
With a hint of superiority on this peaceful street?
Is it really as sweet as it seems out here?
Is it truly as pleasant as it appears in this location?
Do you dream your dreams out here or is that passe?
Do you still aspire and imagine here, or is that outdated?
Do you miss the scene? The frenzy, the faces
Do you long for the lively atmosphere? The excitement, the people
Did you trade the whole parade
Did you exchange the entire spectacle
For a pair of parking places?
For a couple of parking spots?
If you had the choice would you still choose to do it all again?
If given the option, would you still decide to go through it all once more?
Do you find yourself standing in line to see Annie Hall again?
Do you catch yourself waiting in line to watch Annie Hall once more?
Do you ever run into that someone who used to be you?
Do you ever come across that person who you used to be?
Do you miss New York? Me too, me too, me too, me too
Are you longing for New York City? I feel the same way, I can relate
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: DAVE FRISHBERG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind