Afternoon Aural: Suzanne Vega
Can someone please tell us the point of Suzanne Vega’s 1987 hit, “Tom’s Diner”? Sure, we love it and all, but why? It’s not really about anything and the vaguely danceable beat doesn’t match Vega’s melancholic lyrics. Could it be the song became so popular simply because people were stunned into aural confusion?
At least “Luka” makes a bit more sense. Give it a look-a, after the jump…
The original “Tom’s Diner” track was completely a cappella, off the Solitude Standing album. IIRC, the remix was done by DNA without Vega’s knowledge or permission.
Also, Wikipedia says the original was released in 1981, and the remix in 1990. Neither of those is 1987. Not saying they’re right and you’re wrong, but something’s wrong somewhere.
Also accorpding to Wikipedia, the song is about looking at life through a pane of glass and never actually getting involved in it directly. Yes, putting that on a dance beat doesn’t make a lot of sense, but since when has that stopped people from making dance remixes?
for example: “Gypsy Woman (She’s Homeless)”
Oh Jesus, that was a hideous song.
“Left of Center” is the Suzanne Vega track to remember…
http://youtube.com/watch?v=iZNCnfS5SeY
All I know, The dancer in the black shorts has got a pair of thighs on him. Lawd !! What I would do to have my face between those legs !!! Yum !!!!
EdWoody,
the song is from the album ‘Solitude Standing’ which was released in 1987 (like it is said in the second sentence at the Wikipedia page you’re referring to). On the album there are two versions of the song: first the a cappella which opens the album, and then the instrumental, which closes it. This was one of my favourite albums in 1987-88 and I listened to it a lot. It’s still a beautiful album although like many albums from my past I rarely listen to it anymore.
Also it is said in the song’s Wikipedia page that Vega’s record company bought the DNA remix after it had made rounds in the clubs, and this was done because Vega liked the remix and didn’t want go to court with copyright infringement. The DNA remix was pretty huge here in Europe when it was released, I remember hearing it everywhere.
And then the question asked by Queerty: what is the point of this song? (Apparently you are talking about the remix.) The original a cappella has got a nice poem-like moment-in-time quality to it, and of course Suzanne’s voice brings its own charisma to it. The dance version… well, it sort of mixes two quite different elements in it: Suzanne Vega’s bard-like traditional singer quality with modern electronic beats. One example of a bit of a same kind of contradicting was this huge hit ‘Sadeness (Part 1)’ by Enigma in 1990:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ie-lihykN3k