Suzanne Vega (born Suzanne Nadine Vega on 11 July 1959 in Santa Monica, Cal… Read Full Bio ↴Suzanne Vega (born Suzanne Nadine Vega on 11 July 1959 in Santa Monica, California) is an American singer-songwriter noted for her eclectic folk-inspired music. Two of Vega's songs (both from her second album Solitude Standing, 1987) reached the top 10 of various international chart listings: " Luka" and "Tom's Diner".

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.

Tombstone
Suzanne Vega Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I like a tombstone cause it
Weathers well
And if it stands or if it crumbles
Only time will tell

If you carve my name in marble
You must cut it deep
There'll be no dancing on the gravestone

You must let me sleep
And time is burning burning burning
It burns away

I don't need to see the gates of
Famous men
But I do try to see the kingdom
Every now and then

If you ask me where it is it's on a
Humble map
And I know that to enter in the doorway
Show your handicap

And time is burning burning burning
It burns away

Overall Meaning

The song "Tombstone" by Suzanne Vega is a contemplative yet thought-provoking piece. The lyrics revolve around the theme of time and death, and how the legacy one leaves behind can be symbolized by a tombstone. The singer believes that a tombstone weathers well and stands the test of time, while our human lives are fleeting and transitory.

The singer talks about her preference for a tombstone, as it will stand for a long time, and whether it stands or crumbles, only time will tell. She further remarks that if her name is carved in marble, it should be done deeply, suggesting her desire to be etched in people's memories. However, she adds that there should be no dancing on her gravesite, implying that her death should be a solemn event to be respected.

The singer also talks about her belief in the afterlife, and how she does not need to see the gates of famous men but tries to see the kingdom every now and then on a humble map. She believes that to enter that door, one must show their handicap, perhaps suggesting that humility and vulnerability are prerequisites for accessing the kingdom. The song ends with the repetition of the phrase that time is burning, burning, burning and it burns away, which serves as a reminder of the fleeting nature of life.

Line by Line Meaning

I like a tombstone cause it
I prefer to have a tombstone because

Weathers well
it can withstand the effects of weather over time

And if it stands or if it crumbles
Regardless of whether it remains standing or falls apart

Only time will tell
can determine its fate through the passage of time

If you carve my name in marble
If you choose to etch my name in marble

You must cut it deep
ensure that it is deeply engraved

There'll be no dancing on the gravestone
Do not celebrate or dance on my grave

You must let me sleep
Allow me to rest in peace

And time is burning burning burning
Time relentlessly continues to pass

It burns away
slowly fades away all traces of what was once present

I don't need to see the gates of
I have no interest in viewing the entrance to