Gypsy
Vega Suzanne Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With pictures in your eyes
Of coffeeshops and morning streets
In the blue and silent sunrise
But night is the cathedral
Where we recognized the sign
We strangers know each other now
As part of the whole design
Oh, hold me like a baby
That will not fall asleep
Curl me up inside you
And let me hear you through the heat
You are the jester of this courtyard
With a smile like a girl's
Distracted by the women
With the dimples and the curls
By the pretty and the mischievous
By the timid and the blessed
By the blowing skirts of ladies
Who promise to gather you to their breast
Oh, hold me like a baby
You have hands of raining water
And that earring in your ear
The wisdom on your face
Denies the number of your years
With the fingers of the potter
And the laughing tale of the fool
The arranger of disorder
With your strange and simple rules
Yes now I've met me another spinner
Of strange and gauzy threads
With a long and slender body
And a bump upon the head
Oh, hold me like a baby
With a long and slender body
And the sweetest softest hands
And we'll blow away forever soon
And go on to different lands
And please do not ever look for me
But with me you will stay
And you will hear yourself in song
Blowing by one day
Oh, hold me like a baby
The song "Gypsy" by Vega Suzanne is a beautiful portrayal of two strangers who meet and share an intimate moment. The lyrics describe a sense of familiarity between the two, almost as if they had known each other for lifetimes. The opening lines suggest that the singer has an idea of the stranger's homeland, through the pictures in their eyes of "coffeeshops and morning streets" in a blue sunrise. The singer perceives the stranger to be a gypsy, someone who travels and understands the ways of the world.
However, the real connection between them happens in the cathedral of the night, where they recognize each other as part of the "whole design". The stranger is the "jester of this courtyard" with a charming smile, but the singer is not distracted by the women present. Instead, they both share a quiet moment, where the stranger's "hands of raining water" and wisdom on their face create a sense of comfort and familiarity for the singer. The two are like spinners of "strange and gauzy threads", united in their quest for adventure and freedom.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "hold me like a baby", evoking a sense of vulnerability and trust in the stranger's arms. The singer wants to be "curled up" inside the stranger, "blowing away forever" together to different lands. However, the singer's final plea is that the stranger must not ever look for them, but hold onto the memory of this night and themselves in song.
Line by Line Meaning
You come from far away
You have traveled long distances to get here
With pictures in your eyes
Your memories of past travels are still vivid
Of coffeeshops and morning streets
You hold mental images of places you've visited before
In the blue and silent sunrise
You've seen sunrises that are peaceful and serene
But night is the cathedral
The darkness of night is comforting to you
Where we recognized the sign
We've found a connection together in this environment
We strangers know each other now
Although we just met, we have a deep understanding of one another
As part of the whole design
Our meeting was meant to happen and fits a larger plan
Oh, hold me like a baby
Embrace me tightly and comfort me
That will not fall asleep
Keep me from drifting off into dreams
Curl me up inside you
Let me feel safe and protected within your arms
And let me hear you through the heat
Speak to me with your warmth and passion
You are the jester of this courtyard
You bring joy and entertainment to those around you
With a smile like a girl's
Your grin is infectious and youthful
Distracted by the women
You're easily drawn in by the ladies around you
With the dimples and the curls
These ladies have playful and fun personalities
By the pretty and the mischievous
You find beauty in those who like to stir up trouble
By the timid and the blessed
You see worth in those who are shy and fortunate
By the blowing skirts of ladies
You're drawn in by the movement of women's clothing
Who promise to gather you to their breast
These women make you feel welcome and invited
You have hands of raining water
Your hands are gentle yet powerful, like a calm yet intense rain shower
And that earring in your ear
The accessories you wear showcase your unique style
The wisdom on your face
You possess knowledge and experience beyond your years
Denies the number of your years
Your youthful spirit makes you appear younger than your age
With the fingers of the potter
Your hands have a skilled and creative touch like that of a potter
And the laughing tale of the fool
Your sense of humor is playful and light-hearted
The arranger of disorder
You have a unique talent for bringing order to chaos
With your strange and simple rules
Your guidelines for life may seem odd, but they're easy to follow
Yes now I've met me another spinner
I have encountered another individual who weaves together the fabric of life
Of strange and gauzy threads
This person creates a unique and delicate narrative of existence
With a long and slender body
This individual has a tall and graceful physique
And a bump upon the head
There is a unique feature on their head that distinguishes them
With the sweetest softest hands
This individual has hands that are delicate and gentle
And we'll blow away forever soon
We will leave this place behind and embark on a journey together
And go on to different lands
Our journey will lead us to new and foreign places
And please do not ever look for me
I wish to remain anonymous and drift in and out of your life
But with me you will stay
Even if we grow apart, we will always have a connection
And you will hear yourself in song
You will recognize yourself in the music and stories we share
Blowing by one day
Passing by quickly, like the wind
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SUZANNE VEGA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Broken Typewriter
You come from far away
With pictures in your eyes
Of coffeeshops and morning streets
In the blue and silent sunrise
But night is the cathedral
Where we recognized the sign
We strangers know each other now
As part of the whole design
Oh, hold me like a baby
That will not fall asleep
Curl me up inside you
And let me hear you through the heat
You are the jester of this courtyard
With a smile like a girl's
Distracted by the women
With the dimples and the curls
By the pretty and the mischievous
By the timid and the blessed
By the blowing skirts of ladies
Who promise to gather you to their breast
Oh, hold me like a baby...
You have hands of raining water
And that earring in your ear
The wisdom on your face
Denies the number of your years
With the fingers of the potter
And the laughing tale of the fool
The arranger of disorder
With your strange and simple rules
Yes now I've met me another spinner
Of strange and gauzy threads
With a long and slender body
And a bump upon the head
Oh, hold me like a baby...
With a long and slender body
And the sweetest softest hands
And we'll blow away forever soon
And go on to different lands
And please do not ever look for me
But with me you will stay
And you will hear yourself in song
Blowing by one day
Oh, hold me like a baby...
YJ Music
I've been a Suzanne Vega fan from the start (yes, I'm that old ; ). One of the most talented singer songwriters of the last 30 years. She's written and performed so many beautiful songs and this is one of my favorites!
Julian Daniel Jimenez Krause
i'm that old, too. :-)))
also fan of her. also one of my fav songs.
John Holmes
lol , you're young; i still consider her a newcomer
Angela Gak
Yes, her voice is magical. Very unique. One of my faves.
zanzabird
@trsidn yes, this is my favorite : )
zanzabird
@trsidn same. Wow.
Broken Typewriter
You come from far away
With pictures in your eyes
Of coffeeshops and morning streets
In the blue and silent sunrise
But night is the cathedral
Where we recognized the sign
We strangers know each other now
As part of the whole design
Oh, hold me like a baby
That will not fall asleep
Curl me up inside you
And let me hear you through the heat
You are the jester of this courtyard
With a smile like a girl's
Distracted by the women
With the dimples and the curls
By the pretty and the mischievous
By the timid and the blessed
By the blowing skirts of ladies
Who promise to gather you to their breast
Oh, hold me like a baby...
You have hands of raining water
And that earring in your ear
The wisdom on your face
Denies the number of your years
With the fingers of the potter
And the laughing tale of the fool
The arranger of disorder
With your strange and simple rules
Yes now I've met me another spinner
Of strange and gauzy threads
With a long and slender body
And a bump upon the head
Oh, hold me like a baby...
With a long and slender body
And the sweetest softest hands
And we'll blow away forever soon
And go on to different lands
And please do not ever look for me
But with me you will stay
And you will hear yourself in song
Blowing by one day
Oh, hold me like a baby...
Foxtrot Alpha
This song is a true lullaby 👌👌
D. Elaine
Thank you!😊
Simon Cheesemonkey
She's a true poet, which is rare in the world of music, especially these days, unfortunately.