If you follow this link, you can find a transcription of an interview that deals with Luka.

http://www.geocities.com/unc_willy/vega/ownwords.h tml

The "Solitude Standing" CD was playing a little while ago. As i heard "Luka", i was thinking that if Suzanne were to re-work this song by playing a very slow acoustic solo, with Mike Visceglia on subtle background bass, Suzanne's voice could bring this song to a whole new level.

Now i realize that lately, to the dismay of many listeners, recording artists are re-working their songs, either to make more money or out of boredom of having to play the same songs the same way night after night. But in Suzanne's case, i think she could take the song to a whole new level.

So would I suggest this to Suzanne?

No. I have an even better idea:

What i would suggest to Suzanne would be to write a sequel to "Luka", based on the real teenage Luka picking up chicks, thanks
to the song. Perhaps drop the name "Luka" in the sequel song. Either A) Write about the real Luka, like "After the soundwaves came through the floor, he brought a flower down to her door", or B) Write about the abused "Luka" getting passed his abused childhood days and finding happiness via finding a special woman, thanks to a "special" circumstance.

Since i'm already 3 unfinished songs in the hole (sorry to keep you waiting, Annika), i have to start delegating my ideas. So Suzanne, if you're reading this, pick up the ball, honey.

I don't know if this is the best place to post this, but today I used 'Luka' in a lesson at school. My year 9 pupils (aged 13-14) were doing presentations on issues that they felt strongly about. One group did a presentation on child abuse, and I suggested that they use the song. Despite the fact that the class is quite a rowdy one, you could have heard a pin drop while the song was playing. It was amazing: they were clearly very moved by it. Seeing them hear it for the first time also made me hear it with 'new ears' if you know what I mean; and I was almost moved to tears myself. Amazing song. But then you guys all know that already ...!

Stella :o)

Your students are so lucky! I wish my teachers would play Suzanne songs in class.
I did however use a few instrumental Fleetwood Mac songs (Albatross, Sunny Side of Heaven and Oh Well part 2)as background music on the presentation of a project about a book.

Ana, .

Sounds like an excellent idea, Ana: I love using music in lessons. I think it stimulates the senses!

Stella

I used 'Luka' in a class at high school in Japan. After listening to the song, my students wrote some messages to Luka. The depth of the feelings expressed in their writings invited some follow-up, which was an answer song titled 'Dear Luka'. And they sang the song together in a music room. I was much impressed by their beautiful voice. Lastly I hope that students will question themselves about the problems such as child abuse, poverty etc. and put their ideas into action.

I am the chairman of the service project at my church (St. Michael's in Wayne, NJ). This service project is part of the church-wide program we have been planning for this fall, which is called "Better Together". This program is part 2 (we did part 1 a year ago) of "The Purpose Driven Life" program, which is based on the book by Rick Warren. This service project will involve the entire membership of our church (we hope), which is about 140 people. The project will be to help, in every way we can, a shelter for battered women and their children.
A few of us on the committee had a long meeting with the shelter director a month ago. She told us some heart-wrenching details of what these women and children have suffered and their many needs at the shelter. The director said the shelter survives solely on donations (which are never enough) and desperately needs whatever help we can provide. These women, and sometimes their children, have been physically abused by their husbands, some of them so badly that they ran away from their own home in the middle of the night and never returned, because if they stayed they didn't know whether they would live another day. If one assumes (as I did until today when I read postings on this message board) that Luka was a battered woman, then these women were living the kind of life that the song Luka hints at.
Since most of our membership is not familiar with shelters, especially this kind, we are currently constructing a video to explain the project and motivate our members to volunteer to help. It occurred to me last night that the song Luka might be perfect for this video (until now no one on the project committee had considered putting a song on the video; the video is strictly non-professional, and is being created by a few of our church members who have video cameras). This video would be shown only to our church membership, and only for the purpose of motivating our members to volunteer to help the shelter (in many different ways -- we are amateurs but this effort is highly organized).
The purpose of this post is to ask Suzanne Vega for permission to use the song Luka in this video. This message seems out of place on this board, but the web site instructions seemed to indicate this is where it should be. I pray that Suzanne Vega will actually read this message and react favorably to it. Thank you for providing a forum for me to send this message to you.

„You just don’t argue anymore” Plural or singular? Sudden switch of the subject?

Anna

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"like a shadow, I am and I am not"

Anna Kubiak (Anku) wrote:

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quote:

'„You just don’t argue anymore” Plural or singular? Sudden switch of the subject?'

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Not a sudden switch, since it follows "...after that you don't ask why."

Though to be truly gramatically retentive, Luka should probably have said, "One simply does not continue to argue" -- at which point Suzanne might have been tempted to hit him too. ;)

Wonder if thats a first...a female singer singing as a little boy, conveying it beautifully and yet sounding like herself!

I love the melody of this song so much that I was inspired to come up with a new lyric to it. If I'm outta line posting this, then please let me know and I'll delete it. Happy Holidays everyone!

America (based on Luka)

My name is America
I light freedom's golden door

I'm how peace fares from you
Yes, I think you've missed me before

If you see light in your darkest night
Some kind of justice in oppression's plight

Just don't ask me not to rave a buzz
Just don't ask me not to wave the fuzz
Just don't ask me not to save you cuz

I think it's cause I'm nosey
I try not to preach too proud
Maybe it's because I'm snobby
I try not to fall off my cloud

I only free you until you die
After that you don't ask why

You just don't hate me anymore
You just don't fear me anymore
You just don't trust me anymore

Yes, I'm ok, you're ok
Walked into a war again
If you pass my judgment day
It's not my business anyway

I guess I'd like to be left alone
No worm can open, no reap sewn

Just don't wall me where I am
Just don't fall me on the lam
Just don't call me Uncle Sam

My name is America
I light freedom's golden door

I'm how peace fares from you
Yes, I think you've missed me before

If you see light in your darkest night
Some kind of justice in oppression's plight

Just don't ask me not to rave a buzz
Just don't ask me not to wave the fuzz
Just don't ask me not to save you cuz

I only free you until you die
After that you don't ask why

You just don't hate me anymore
You just don't fear me anymore
You just don't trust me anymore

Suzanne is an English major???

I have always loved the song Luka but I didn't realize what a great job Suzanne had done in nailing the lyrics until yesterday's listen.

Her opening 2 lines give the abused child a name and identify that he's close at hand:

My name is Luka
I live on the second floor

Simply by doing that she brought the world of abuse into our consciousness. She didn't sing about what an awful thing child abuse is. She didn't tell us what we needed to do about it. And that's because before you can solve a problem, you've got to be able to identify it. Suzanne's song did that for us in a very big way.

The song is just as powerful today because we'd all rather hide child abuse away and never think about it. It reminds us that there are still a lot of Luka's, that they still live in our neighborhoods, that we continue to pass them in our daily lives, and that just because they don't draw attention to their problem, it isn't any less of a living hell for them.

Tim

The four first tones of this song immediately bring me back to a period in Atlanta about 20 years ago. Those were the days...
Remembered Suzanne saying this words last july in Berlin. 1 day earlier I read this lyric in a special book about a project I joined in Berlin about 22 years ago.
For we were young and sure to have our way
Oh my friend, we're older, but no wiser
For in our hearts the dreams are still te same

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mi lang fi di marvelous miracle a hurricane,
fi carry mi goh a meetin stream agen

Linton Kwesi Johnson

luka....a beautiful piece of work that takes me back to times in my life that i really don't remember a lot of due to dope. its amazing what memories a song can jog. "they" say the sense most associated with memory is smell...but i dont care what "they" say....."they" are wrong. i believe sound is much more closely associated with memory. there are virtually no smells that jog my memories of the 80's but there are sounds that do...."luka" is one of them. THANK YOU SUZANNE...for the beautiful music you have created through the years. you have enriched my life with your music and i wish you all the love in the world...when things start to suck...i reach for solitude standing and the sky starts to clear....please dont ever stop. SUZANNE WE LOVE YOU.