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.
Undertow
Suzanne Vega Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I would swallow you whole
I would leave only bones and teeth
We could see what was underneath
And you would be free then
Once I thought only tears could make us free
Salt wearing down to the bone
Against the shoreline
I am friend to the undertow
I take you in, I don't let go
And now I have you
I wanted to learn all the secrets
From the edge of a knife
From the point of a needle
From a diamond
From a bullet in flight
I would be free then
I am friend to the undertow
I take you in, I don't let go
And now I have you
I wanted to see how it would feel
To be that sleek
And instead I find this hunger's
Made me weak
I believe right now if I could
I would swallow you whole
I would leave only bones and teeth
We could see what was underneath
And you would be free then
I am friend to the undertow
I take you in, I don't let go
And now I have you
I am friend to the undertow
I take you in, I don't let go
And now I have you
The lyrics to Suzanne Vega's "Undertow" carry a sense of yearning for freedom and control, no matter the cost. In the first verse, Vega sings of her desire to "swallow" someone whole, leaving only bones and teeth behind. She wants to strip away this person's facade, revealing their true essence. She believes that this would set them free. In the second verse, Vega expresses her previous belief that only tears could bring about liberation. Like salt wearing down to the bone, she believed that pain and adversity were necessary for true freedom.
The chorus contains the most significant lyrics of the song, "I am friend to the undertow, I take you in, I don't let go, and now I have you." The undertow can be interpreted as a metaphor for the force that pulls us away from safety and comfort, the force that takes us towards danger and uncertainty. Vega believes that she has this power over someone, taking them in and not letting go. In the third verse, she expresses a desire to learn secrets, to feel the sleekness of a knife or diamond. However, this hunger for control and knowledge has left her feeling weak.
Overall, "Undertow" is a song about the desire for control and freedom, even if it comes at a cost. Some interpret the song as being about abusive relationships, others as a commentary on the music industry. Whatever the interpretation, the lyrics remain poignant and insightful.
Line by Line Meaning
I believe right now if I could
The singer desires to completely consume their lover.
I would swallow you whole
The singer wants to possess their lover without leaving any trace behind.
I would leave only bones and teeth
The singer wants to devour their lover, leaving only the most basic components of their physical form.
We could see what was underneath
The artist wants to uncover the deeper, hidden truth about their lover.
And you would be free then
The artist believes that consuming their lover would liberate them in some way.
Once I thought only tears could make us free
The singer used to believe that emotional release was the key to freedom.
Salt wearing down to the bone
The singer sees tears as a corrosive force that can erode one's emotional walls and defenses.
Like sand against the stone
The artist visualizes tears as grains of sand that can wear down a solid surface over time.
Against the shoreline
The artist uses the metaphor of the shoreline to represent the meeting point between water and land, which can be a site of constant change and erosion.
I am friend to the undertow
The artist sees themselves as a force of nature that pulls others under and holds them there.
I take you in, I don't let go
The singer wants to keep their lover trapped in their grasp forever.
And now I have you
The artist has successfully captured and possesses their lover.
I wanted to learn all the secrets
The singer desires to uncover every aspect of their lover's being.
From the edge of a knife
The singer is willing to use violence or force to extract information from their lover.
From the point of a needle
The singer is searching for the most precise and detailed information about their lover, even if it requires pain or suffering.
From a diamond
The artist wants to discover the most valuable and precious aspects of their lover.
From a bullet in flight
The artist is willing to go to extreme lengths to uncover their lover's secrets, even if it involves potentially lethal force.
I would be free then
The singer believes that uncovering their lover's secrets would grant them a sense of liberation.
I wanted to see how it would feel
The singer wants to experience a sense of power and control over their lover.
To be that sleek
The artist desires to possess a superhuman level of control and domination over their lover.
And instead I find this hunger's
The artist discovers that their desire to control and possess their lover has left them feeling empty and unfulfilled.
Made me weak
The artist's desire for power has actually diminished their sense of strength and autonomy.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SUZANNE VEGA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind