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.
World Before Columbus
Suzanne Vega Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Every color would be black and white
It would be as flat as the world before Columbus
That's the day that I lose half my sight
If your life were taken from me
All the trees would freeze in this cold ground
It would be as cruel as the world before Columbus
Those men who lust for land
And for riches strange and new
Who love those trinkets of desire
Oh they never will have you
And they'll never know the gold
Or the copper in your hair
How could they weigh the worth
Of you so rare
If your love were taken from me
Every light that's bright would soon go dim
It would be as dark as the world before Columbus
Down the waterfall and I'd swim over the brim
Those men who lust for land
And for riches strange and new
Who love those trinkets of desire
Oh they will never have you
And they'll never know the gold
Or the copper in your hair
How could they weigh the worth
Of you so rare
The lyrics of Suzanne Vega's song "World Before Columbus" convey the intense love of a person for their partner. The lyrics speak to how the loss of the person they love would have a profound effect on their entire perception of the world. The use of vivid imagery helps to convey the depth of the sorrow the singer would feel if their love and life were taken away. The lyrics, "If your love were taken from me / Every color would be black and white / It would be as flat as the world before Columbus / That's the day that I lose half my sight," create an image where the color and vibrancy of the world is directly tied to the person they love. Without them, everything they see and experience would be diminished and empty.
Vega's depiction of the world before Columbus refers to a time when the world was unknown, uncharted, and flat. The suggestion is that the loss of the person they love would make the world feel just as cold and unfamiliar. The line, "It would be as cruel as the world before Columbus / Sail to the edge and I'd be there looking down," further emphasizes the feeling of isolation and despair, as the singer imagines being alone at the edge of an unknown and unfeeling world.
Overall, the song conveys a sense of unbreakable love, and how the loss of that love would fundamentally change the way one would view the world. It is a poignant and beautifully written ballad.
Line by Line Meaning
If your love were taken from me
The singer says that if their beloved leaves them, it would be devastating.
Every color would be black and white
If their love leaves, the world would be dull, lifeless, and without any vibrance.
It would be as flat as the world before Columbus
The world would be like it was before Christopher Columbus discovered America - without any new experiences or discoveries.
That's the day that I lose half my sight
The artist says that losing their lover would make them feel like they are half-blind and cannot see everything clearly anymore.
If your life were taken from me
The artist talks about losing their partner's life, which would be equally devastating.
All the trees would freeze in this cold ground
If their lover's life is gone, it would be bleak, barren, and cold just like winter season when everything is frozen.
It would be as cruel as the world before Columbus
The world would become harsh, cruel, and unforgiving like it was before Columbus discovered America, and hope and dreams would vanish.
Sail to the edge and I'd be there looking down
The artist would be helpless, lost, and searching for answers in a world where life without their beloved does not make much sense.
Those men who lust for land
The artist talks about men who are greedy and obsessed with acquiring things - land, power, and wealth.
And for riches strange and new
These men desire things that are unusual, rare, and exclusive to them.
Who love those trinkets of desire
These men value material possessions and status symbols over what really matters, such as love and relationships.
Oh they never will have you
The artist believes that these men will never truly have the treasure - a loving relationship - that the artist has with their partner.
And they'll never know the gold
These men will not understand the true value of their partner's love and all the qualities that make them special and unique.
Or the copper in your hair
The singer points to their lover's physical features like their hair, which means their unique personality traits too, to say that these men cannot appreciate what makes their partner exceptional.
How could they weigh the worth
These greedy men cannot measure the worth of their partner's love and sincerity in any tangible way, and that is why they will never have what the singer has.
Of you so rare
The artist ends that stanza by stressing how unique, distinct and uncommon their partner's qualities are and no one else can measure that.
Every light that's bright would soon go dim
The loss of their lover would bring darkness, sorrow, and pain, as if every bright light that exists is extinguished forever.
It would be as dark as the world before Columbus
The world would be dark, bleak, and without any hope, as it was before America was discovered.
Down the waterfall and I'd swim over the brim
The singer talks about feeling as if they are falling deeper into a bottomless pit that they cannot escape, no matter how hard they try, as if they would have to swim over Niagara's waterfall - an impossible task.
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: SUZANNE VEGA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
MAAT RE
If your love were taken from me
Every color would be black and white
It would be as flat as the world before Columbus
That's the day that I lose half my sight
If your life were taken from me
All the trees would freeze in this cold ground
It would be as cruel as the world before Columbus
Sail to the edge and I'd be there looking down
Those men who lust for land
And for riches strange and new
Who love those trinkets of desire
Oh they never will have you
And they'll never know the gold
Or the copper in your hair
How could they weigh the worth
Of you so rare
If your love were taken from me
Every light that's bright would soon go dim
It would be as dark as the world before Columbus
Down the waterfall and I'd swim over the brim
Those men who lust for land
And for riches strange and new
Who love those trinkets of desire
Oh they will never have you
And they'll never know the gold
Or the copper in your hair
How could they weigh the worth
Of you so rare
Rob Field
In my opinion probably one of the most beautiful songs ever written or performed.
Lidia Giulia P
I totally agree
Dian Cohen
try the queen and the soldier...
blachubear
"Nine Objects Of Desire" is a great album. So many memories of playing this CD around the Fall of 1996.
Beverly Trice
This song always made me think of my late husband. A couple of months before his sudden death, I played it for him so he would understand how much I loved him. I am so glad he knew....he’s been gone since 2013 and I will never be the same without him.
andreschneider156
Bless your heart.
MrSpartacus1970
Beautiful words.
piperfawn1
Suzanne can drown us all with that honey voice. great woman, great artist.
Gary Dunn
This song was released in the mid 1990's and was a song Suzanne wrote about
her then young daughter Ruby. The song relates how Suzanne would feel if she lost
her. Its a very touching, and moving song. Suzanne made another song about
her daughter on her 2007 "Beauty & Crime" album, entitled "As You are Now",
which is a kind of follow up to that first song, revealing the close bond between them
Daniel Lewis-carter
+Gary Dunn It's great love song, you can adopt it or just listen to the sentiment as it was written.