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Undertow

I believe right now if I could
I would swallow you whole
I would leave only bones and teeth
We could see what was underneath
And you would be free then

Once I thought only tears could make us free
Salt wearing down to the bone
Like sand against the stone
Against the shoreline

I am friend to the undertow
I take you in, I don't let go
And now I have you

I wanted to learn all the secrets
From the edge of a knife
From the point of a needle
From a diamond
From a bullet in flight
I would be free then

I am friend to the undertow
I take you in, I don't let go
And now I have you

I wanted to see how it would feel
To be that sleek
And instead I find this hunger's
Made me weak
I believe right now if I could
I would swallow you whole
I would leave only bones and teeth
We could see what was underneath
And you would be free then

I am friend to the undertow
I take you in, I don't let go
And now I have you

I am friend to the undertow
I take you in, I don't let go
And now I have you

Lyrics : Suzanne Vega
Copyright : © 1985 Waifersongs Ltd. / AGF Music Ltd.
Album : Suzanne Vega

"Suzanne Vega" - tracklist :

Notes:

"What I was thinking of was a real undertow. What would an undertow say if it were going to sing a song? Which seems rather simplistic or childlike, but it was a fascinating idea to me. [...] The lines I like best are "I wanted to learn all the secrets from the edge of a knife, from the point of a needle, from a diamond, from a bullet," because I'm always trying to learn the secrets from the edge of a knife; I'm always trying to condense and become more economical. It holds true for the writing, and it also hold true for my characters. I intend for a lot of my songs to have many layers of meaning." The Cutting Edge of Folk from Bullet In Flight, originally published in Clockwatch Review Volume 4, No. 2, 7-14-87/8-9-87 by Ronald J. Rindo and James Plath http://www.suzannevega.com/about/1987/clockwatch.htm

"Undertow" became the name of the Official Suzanne Vega fan club, and internet mailing list, in 1994. It exists now as an internet Message Board at: http://suzannevega.com/undertow/  [Ed.]