Though born in California, Vega has lived most of her life in New York City. There, she attended the High School of the Performing Arts (the school seen in the feature film musical Fame), where she studied modern dance. Vega realized that her talent in dance was not sufficient to make her living. While pursuing a degree in English at Columbia University, she penned many songs, and performed in college and community coffeehouses inside and outside the New York City area.
She was discovered in 1984, releasing her eponymous debut the following year. However, it was not until her 1987 sophomore effort, Solitude Standing, that Vega entered the U.S. mainstream with the lyrically unlikely hit Luka. Three years later, a remix of the album's opening track "Tom's Diner" became an American and European hit for "DNA Featuring Suzanne Vega."
Having continuously built and maintained a loyal fanbase since her fame's peak, Vega has a prolific catalogue, and in 2003 she released a retrospective collection. Beauty & Crime, her seventh album, was released in 2007. Inspired by the city where Vega grew up and still currently resides, Beauty & Crime revolves around her experiences in New York.
Vega has a daughter, Ruby Froom, with her ex-husband Mitchell Froom. In early 2006, Vega remarried to a man named Paul Mills.
For additional information, including photographs, visit Suzanne Vega's official website, www.SuzanneVega.com.
As A Child
Suzanne Vega Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You have a doll
You see this doll
Sitting in her chair
You watch her face
Her knees apart
Her eyes of glass
She seems to
She seems to
She seems to
Have a life
Pick up a stick
Dig up a crack
Dirt in the street
Becomes a town
All of the people
Depend on you
Not to hurt them
Or bang the stick comes down
And they seem to
They seem to
They seem to
Have a life
As a child
You see yourself
And wonder why
You can't seem to move
Hand on the doorknob
Feel like a thing
One foot on the sidewalk
Too much to prove
And you learn to
You learn to
You learn to
Have a life
The song "As A Child" by Suzanne Vega brings back memories of childhood and the struggles of growing up. The first verse talks about a doll that the singer had when she was a child. She would watch the doll and see its eyes made of glass and a secretive stare. The doll appeared to have a life and was almost human-like. The second verse talks about the singer's childhood games where she would use a stick to make a town out of dirt. In her imagination, all the people in the town depended on her not to destroy them with the stick. The people in her imagination also seemed to have a life of their own.
The third verse takes a turn to be more personal. It talks about the singer seeing herself and wondering why she can't seem to move. The feeling of being stuck and unable to move forward is common during childhood. The feeling of being a thing and not truly alive is also relatable. The singer touches on the intense need to prove oneself, but the fear of failure can cause one to hesitate. The last line says "And you learn to have a life", which implies that the struggle to move forward is a process of learning and growing.
Line by Line Meaning
As a child
As a young person
You have a doll
You possess a toy
You see this doll
You observe the toy
Sitting in her chair
In a seated position
You watch her face
You observe the doll's facial features
Her knees apart
Her legs are spread apart
Her eyes of glass
The doll's eyes made of glass material
In a secretive stare
A subtle or cautious gaze
She seems to
She seems to
She seems to
Have a life
The doll appears to have a living nature
Pick up a stick
Lift a wooden object
Dig up a crack
Explore a crevice
Dirt in the street
Soil on the road
Becomes a town
Transforms into a community
All of the people
The entire populace
Depend on you
Rely on your actions
Not to hurt them
Avoid injuring them
Or bang the stick comes down
Or cause the stick to strike the ground
And they seem to
They seem to
They seem to
Have a life
They appear to possess a living quality
As a child
When you were younger
You see yourself
You observe yourself
And wonder why
And question the reason
You can't seem to move
You are unable to shift your position
Hand on the doorknob
Hand grips the door handle
Feel like a thing
Sensation of being an object
One foot on the sidewalk
One foot placed on the pavement
Too much to prove
Too much to establish
And you learn to
You learn to
You learn to
Have a life
Then you develop an existence
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SUZANNE VEGA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind