Susheela Raman (b. 1973) is a singer of Indian descent.

Raman was bo… Read Full Bio ↴Susheela Raman (b. 1973) is a singer of Indian descent.

Raman was born in London, later emigrating to Australia with her family. In Australia she studied classical South Indian song and began giving performances. She then began working with Western forms including rock and soul, while continuing to study classical Indian music with Shruti Sadolikar. Her desire to mix Indian with Western music resulted in her first album, Salt Rain, in 2001, followed by Love Trap in 2003.

In 2005, she released Music for Crocodiles. The basis of the album was recorded in Britain (Wiltshire in September 2004); the work was continued the next month with Indian musicians and mixed in Los Angeles.

In 2006 Susheela was again nominated for BBC World Music Award and was the subject of a one hour documentary by French-German TV Channel ARTE, called 'Indian Journey' directed by Mark Kidel. In the same year she independently recorded 33 1/3, which is a set of re-imaginings of music from the sixties and seventies. Artists covered include Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Velvet Underground, Captain Beefheart, Can, Joy Division and Throbbing Gristle. The album features long term collaborators Sam Mills on guitar, VIncent Segal on Cello, and tabla player and percussionist Aref Durvesh. The album was released in April 2007 in France.

In 2011 she released the album Vel.

Susheela continues to research and discover music from South India, studying in 2007 with the Bhakti singer Kovai Kamla.

Song to the Siren
Susheela Raman Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

On the floating, shapeless oceans
I did all my best to smile
Til your singing eyes and fingers
Drew me loving into your eyes

And you sang "Sail to me, sail to me
Let me enfold you"

Here I am, here I am waiting to hold you
Did I dream you dreamed about me?
Were you here when I was false?

Now my foolish boat is leaning
Broken love lost on your rocks
For you sang, "Touch me not
Touch me not, come back tomorrow"
Oh my heart, oh my heart shies from the sorrow

I'm as puzzled as a newborn child
I'm as riddled as the tide
Should I stand amid the breakers?
Or should I lie with death my bride?

Hear me sing "Swim to me

Swim to me, let me enfold you
Here I am, here I am, waiting to hold you"

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Susheela Raman’s Song to the Siren depict the complicated emotions of someone who is in love, but the relationship seems to be destined for failure. The lines, “On the floating, shapeless oceans I did all my best to smile. Till your singing eyes and fingers drew me loving into your eyes,” paint a picture of the singer struggling to maintain happiness until they are entranced by the person they love. The phrase “your singing eyes and fingers” likely represent the way the person communicates and interacts with the singer, drawing them in.

The chorus, “Sail to me, sail to me, let me enfold you. Here I am, here I am waiting to hold you,” further emphasizes the singer’s desire to be with the person they love. However, the relationship is more complicated than just a simple desire to be together. The lines “Were you here when I was false? Now my foolish boat is leaning, broken love lost on your rocks,” suggest that there may have been betrayal or dishonesty in the relationship, which has left the singer feeling lost and broken-hearted.

The final lines of the song, “Should I stand amid the breakers? Or should I lie with death my bride? Hear me sing, swim to me, swim to me, let me enfold you, here I am, here I am, waiting to hold you,” illustrate the singer’s confusion and desperation. The breakers symbolize the turbulence and risk that come with being in a love that may not end well, while “death my bride” represents the possibility of giving up on the relationship altogether. Overall, the song is a haunting depiction of the complicated nature of love, and the desire to be with someone even when it may not be possible.

Line by Line Meaning

On the floating, shapeless oceans
I feel lost and directionless, like I’m endlessly wandering on a sea of uncertainty.

I did all my best to smile
I tried to stay positive and optimistic, despite feeling lost and uncertain.

Til your singing eyes and fingers
But when I saw you and heard you play, I was drawn to you by the beauty of your voice and the skill of your fingers.

Drew me loving into your eyes
You drew me in with a combination of your musical talent and your captivating gaze.

And you sang 'Sail to me, sail to me Let me enfold you'
You called out to me, asking me to take a leap of faith and trust in you, to let you hold me in your perfect embrace.

Here I am, here I am waiting to hold you
I’m ready and willing to hold you close, to embrace you fully and completely.

Did I dream you dreamed about me?
I wonder if you ever thought of me the way I thought of you, if we were ever on the same wavelength.

Were you here when I was false?
I question whether you were present during a time when I was being insincere or untrue to myself.

Now my foolish boat is leaning
My life, like a boat on choppy waters, has been thrown off course and I’m struggling to stay afloat.

Broken love lost on your rocks
Our failed relationship is now lying shattered at your feet, a victim of the rocky terrain of our emotions.

For you sang, 'Touch me not Touch me not, come back tomorrow'
You’ve pulled away from me, refusing to let me touch you or get too close, asking me to come back at another time when the timing might be better.

Oh my heart, oh my heart shies from the sorrow
My heart is tender and full of pain, recoiling from the sadness of our situation.

I'm as puzzled as a newborn child
I’m confused and uncertain, like a helpless, innocent baby.

I'm as riddled as the tide
I’m as full of questions and uncertainties as the waves of the ocean, moving back and forth without any clear direction.

Should I stand amid the breakers?
Should I try to move forward, even though it feels dangerous and turbulent, like standing in the midst of waves that are breaking violently?

Or should I lie with death my bride?
Or should I just give up completely, accepting a fate that feels like death, in a sad, lonely marriage to despair?

Hear me sing 'Swim to me Swim to me, let me enfold you Here I am, here I am, waiting to hold you'
Despite my confusion and pain, I still long for you, calling out for you to swim to me and let me take you in my arms once again.

Contributed by Isabelle B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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