Language
Vega Suzanne Lyrics
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It would be rushing in
Instead here we are
In a silence more eloquent
Than any word could ever be
These words are too solid
They don't move fast enough
That flies by and is gone
Gone
Gone
Gone
I'd like to meet you
In a timeless, placeless place
Somewhere out of context
And beyond all consequences
Let's go back to the building
(Words are too solid)
On Little West Twelfth
It is not far away
(They don't move fast enough)
And the river is there
And the sun and the spaces
Are all laying low
(To catch the blur in the brain)
And we'll sit in the silence
(That flies by and is)
That comes rushing in and is
Gone (Gone)
I won't use words again
They don't mean what I meant
They don't say what I said
They're just the crust of the meaning
With realms underneath
Never touched
Never stirred
Never even moved through
If language were liquid
It would be rushing in
Instead here we are
In a silence more eloquent
Than any word could ever be
And is gone
Gone
Gone
And is gone
The song "Language" by Suzanne Vega captures the essence of communication and the limitations of language. The lyrics suggest that if language were fluid, it would allow us to express our thoughts and feelings more easily, but language is instead solid, and words don't move fast enough, leading to missed opportunities for connection. The singer longs for a "timeless, placeless place" where communication transcends words and their limitations, a place "beyond all consequences." The building on Little West Twelfth serves as a metaphor for the constraints of language, where the river and the sun and the spaces are all "laying low" waiting for a moment to be heard.
The silence in the song is more eloquent than any word could ever be. The singer acknowledges that words are too solid and that they fail to capture the meaning she wants to express, merely the "crust of the meaning" with realms underneath that are "never touched, never stirred, never even moved through." The lyrics describe communication as a fluid process, but the limitations of language prevent us from reaching our desired destination. The repeated phrase "and is gone" emphasizes the fleeting nature of communication, how easily opportunities for connection can be missed when words fail to express what we're thinking and feeling.
Line by Line Meaning
If language were liquid
If words could flow and move effortlessly
It would be rushing in
Words would come and go quickly
Instead here we are
But we're stuck in a world of silence
In a silence more eloquent
This silence says more than words ever could
Than any word could ever be
Words often fall short of true expression
These words are too solid
Words are too fixed and inflexible
They don't move fast enough
Words can't keep up with fleeting thoughts
To catch the blur in the brain
The flow of thoughts is too quick for language
That flies by and is gone
Ideas come quickly and disappear just as fast
I'd like to meet you
Let's connect on a deeper level
In a timeless, placeless place
Somewhere that is eternal and free of physical location
Somewhere out of context
A place where societal expectations and rules don't apply
And beyond all consequences
Where we can be free without fear of repercussions
Let's go back to the building
Let's go back to where we started
On Little West Twelfth
To a specific place that holds significance
It is not far away
It's within reach
And the river is there
The natural world is present
And the sun and the spaces
The world is expansive and full of possibility
Are all laying low
There is a sense of stillness and calm
And we'll sit in the silence
We can find peace in the absence of words
That comes rushing in and is
The silence can be powerful
Gone (Gone)
Just as words come and go, so does silence
I won't use words again
Words are limiting and inadequate
They don't mean what I meant
Words often fail to capture true feelings or ideas
They don't say what I said
Words can't fully express the depth of what is meant
They're just the crust of the meaning
Words are only the surface of a larger concept
With realms underneath
There is more to be explored beyond just words
Never touched
These deeper realms are often ignored or unrecognized
Never stirred
They remain stagnant without exploration
Never even moved through
There is much left unexplored within ourselves and the world
And is gone
Silence, like words, is fleeting and impermanent
Gone
But it can hold great meaning and depth
Gone
And we can find peace and connection in it
And is gone
Just like the ebb and flow of life, silence will come and go
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MICHAEL VISCEGLIA, SUZANNE VEGA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind