We Are the Same, Suzanne

THE place for your Sisters-related comments, questions and snippets of Sisters information. For those who do not know, The Sisters of Mercy are a rock'n'roll band. And a pop band. And an industrial groove machine. Or so they say. They make records. Lots of records, apparently. But not in your galaxy. They play concerts. Lots of concerts, actually. But you still cannot see them. So what's it all about, Alfie? This is one of the few tightly-moderated forums on Heartland, so please keep on-topic. All off-topic posts will either be moved or deleted. Chairman Bux is the editor and the editor's decision is final. Danke.
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MrChris
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Here's something that occurred to me the other day, whilst I was examining the second from left small upper vein on the inside of my left eyelid, like this - :wink:

Is this the first proper Sisters of Mercy LOVESONG??? :eek:

I mean, we've had some beautiful songs mourning love past (the Claire songs - Nine While Nine and Driven Like the Snow), and dark tales of the loss of love (Marian, Bury Me Deep). :cry:

We've also had a twisted anti-love-pro-casual-sex-song from Von (Some Kind of Stranger), and then, we've had a twisted anti-casual-sex song (Romeo Down). :twisted:

But have we really had a straightforward I-love-you-come-and-be-with-me song like Suzanne before? As it happens, I think it's a wonderful, touching song, and a very welcome new trend, if I'm reading it right, which I think I am...


"been counting the days in the haze around you
Suzanne let the ether fall
out of phase I am all around you
Suzanne on the wall

no pain, summer rain
I'm lost for stupid again
we are the same
give it a name Suzanne

we are the same Suzanne
we are the same Suzanne
give it a name Suzanne
we are the same Suzanne"
Chris

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khepri II
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well i think it's Suzanne Vega - and it's alluding to Marlene on the Wall,

Ah the times are a changing. so there :D

edit

to elucidate

Marelene on the wall is "supposedly" about a poster of Marlene Dietrich. It looks back from the wall as countless lover's cum through the narrator's life.

My take is that Von is playing on this joke in a more druggy way. So there :roll:

/edit
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kafka
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Very interesting - thanks for the reference! A whole new world of possibilities opens up. And this is why I love the Sisters.
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mayhem
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I think this is not a love song (hmm, that would make a good song title) but a song about a degree of fame. I think Susanne is the German TV personality whose surname escapes me but who Andrew has a great fondness for. She was a weathergirl which helps make sense of the lyrics. (I'm sure I've said this all before!)

I think this song is saying Susanne is on his wall, & he's on some other people's walls, so he is at once subject & object of this unreal type of affection.

In my opinion there are two Sisters love songs- nine while nine & driven like the snow- and they are lyrically the same song twice.

(I can feel myself being dragged kicking and screaming to the lyric folder...arrrgh...)

M
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MrChris
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Yes, I agree about DLTS and NWN, but they're love lost, in the past tense, being mourned.

I think the tv personality angle is probably true, and i suspected it referred to someone like this on the tv (on the wall, as you say). the suzanne vega angle is interesting. hmmm. still sounds like a love song to me, though, however indirect and distorted... come on, let's think about this some more, people
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mayhem
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Sorry, I just have to send another post to get myself off 111 (or Nelson as we cricket fans call it) as otherwise I have to keep my feet off the floor all afternoon.

How I've picked up this daft English superstition I just don't know.


I would add that I'm sure the fact that someone called Suzanne ( with a z) had a hit with a song about another woman on the wall must have added to the wordplay opportunities.

Ta

M
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mh
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Summer is more of an explicit love song than any of the others mentioned.
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MrChris
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Please explain?
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khepri II
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Re : Summer

Sorry, i don't see that at all

At best, i think it's the way i see it, someone trapped in a relationship but he/she is too much of a coward to breakout, and at worst as Kafka :notworthy: :notworthy: wrote,
it's about a shiner from domestic abuse. But no way a love song

Re : Suzanne

Well each to their own, but people who believe will i dream? is about faith and Suzanne is about a weather girl,
can you please tell me why he's dumbed down his lyrical content so much in recent times :?
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mh
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I've never seen Summer as being about a shiner meself, but maybe I've been too innocent and naive here. Rereading the lyrics, I can definitely accept now that such an interpretation is perfectly valid, and probably correct too.

Suzanne deffo seems to be about fancying "her off the telly" though.
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Loki
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I go with the german weather girl as his first idea. Unable to write a song entitled 'I love the hot german totty on the telly' he simply uses it as a starting point and builds the framework of the lyric. Throw in a few literary references (sometimes), mention the elements (sometimes), indulge in wordplay (sometimes), make obscure/topical references (sometimes) and simply fill in the gaps with words and/or phrases that fit the sound of the lyric.

I gave up analysing his lyrics many moons ago. I tend to have a general feel and understanding of the song and it's content. Also what it means to me and how it makes me feel. I can look at each line or coupling and break it down. Add it all together and do I get the definative story/meaning/answer to the song? I don't think so. Round and round the mulberry bush whilst a diminutive figure sits in his spanish villa counting his piles of euros.

He was once asked how it felt when a fan misunderstood his lyrics and came up with a totally opposite meaning to that intended. I believe his reponse was 'frightening'. :von:
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mugabe
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Johnny Boy wrote:I tend to have a general feel and understanding of the song and it's content.
http://www.angryflower.com/itsits.gif
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khepri II
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mugabe wrote:
Johnny Boy wrote:I tend to have a general feel and understanding of the song and it's content.
http://www.angryflower.com/itsits.gif

Mugabe

checkout

Eats Shoots and Leaves :innocent: :innocent:
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mugabe
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khepri II wrote:Eats Shoots and Leaves :innocent: :innocent:
Veggie, are you? ;)
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khepri II
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mugabe wrote:
khepri II wrote:Eats Shoots and Leaves :innocent: :innocent:
Veggie, are you? ;)
that was a joke right?

must've been funny coz Quiffy hasn't stamped all over it :roll: or maybe he just hadn't seen it yet :roll:

i'm tired, here you go

http://www.best-book-price.co.uk/compar ... 76127.html

New, out and striaight too top off the pile :wink:
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mugabe
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khepri II wrote: that was a joke right?
Ah. "checkout" confused me.
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The Green Lantern
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[quote="khepri II"]
Well each to their own, but people who believe will i dream? is about faith and Suzanne is about a weather girl,
[quote]

Since I'm the only one that mentioned the word faith, among others, in the Will I Dream-thread I take it you're taking a stab at me. Well, what can I say? I will lose many hours of sleep contemplating how I have wronged you.
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khepri II
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The Green Lantern wrote:
khepri II wrote: Well each to their own, but people who believe will i dream? is about faith and Suzanne is about a weather girl,

Since I'm the only one that mentioned the word faith, among others, in the Will I Dream-thread I take it you're taking a stab at me. Well, what can I say? I will lose many hours of sleep contemplating how I have wronged you.

:oops: :oops:

Well you tell me that you care
But now you're gone, you've got me cryin'
No use denyin' you done me wrong :lol: :lol:


A personal dig was not my intention. I can assure you of that. Many people have documented that they think Will I dream? is about belief, faith et al.

My question was, more why should it be when for example Train, clearly isn't about a train? The most likely form of travel being to the other side.

Re Suzanne,

We have the clever weather references - haze, ether, summer rain etc, so it could well be about the weather girl? I was trying to say, though obviously not clearly enough, that the song could be aimed at the weather girl, but actually referencing Suzanne Vega's Marlene on the wall as the same type of person referred to in the song. I'm gonna stop now, because no doubt I'm digging a bigger hole for myself

Sorry for any offence felt :cry:
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Quiff Boy
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open mouth, insert foot ;)
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Loki
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khepri II wrote: Re Suzanne,

We have the clever weather references - haze, ether, summer rain etc, so it could well be about the weather girl? I was trying to say, though obviously not clearly enough, that the song could be aimed at the weather girl, but actually referencing Suzanne Vega's Marlene on the wall as the same type of person referred to in the song.
I totally agree. The weather girl is the initial inspiration and he builds the jigsaw around it. He gets the edges all together and then fills in the middle. When he's got bits missing, he simply uses metaphors and word play to delight and frustrate us all. :von:
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MrChris
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So, it's a twisted skit on a love song, sung to an imaginary person, who represents the unreality of modern existence? I'm glad we sorted that out, then...
Chris

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Loki
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MrChris wrote:So, it's a twisted skit on a love song, sung to an imaginary person, who represents the unreality of modern existence? I'm glad we sorted that out, then...
:D

As close as we're ever gonna get ...
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MrChris
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It's not this complicated listening to Craig David, is it?
Chris

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Loki
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MrChris wrote:It's not this complicated listening to Craig David, is it?
Or Liberty X

:oops:
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The Green Lantern
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khepri II wrote:Sorry for any offence felt :cry:
None taken. I wrote that before I had my morning coffee :wink:
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