caramel was the first suzanne song i ever heard. it was kind of strange actually, i was passing through the channels on tv. trying to find something to watch and i heard her singing on "session at west 54th". and that was it i had fallen in love with her. i had never heard her on the radio and i do not know of a single person who listens to her music but i looked and finally i got her cd 'nine objects of desire' for christmas. and now i'm slowly falling in love with the entire cd. headshots is a great song and my favorite plumb. i will move to other albums as soon as i have memorized this one.

thank you all for being here. i'm glad i have found you. good night.

Wow. I believe I've never met someone who started out with NOoD. Or did I, people?

Grtz,
Spikey

I did, but only discovered it after hearing Tom's Diner (with DNA) on the radio. The again, we never formally met.
Hello, my name is Ryan!

Hi! I am Rutger, but Spikey is easier to pronounce. Your last name sounds Dutch.

It is! My grandparents emigrated from Belgium. Nice to meet you, Spikey!

Hi, this is a message for Suzanne.

Caramel is a track which I've often thought about - I've often wondered what you had in mind when you wrote it. I've been in and out of hospital with anorexia for the last few years, so starvation is something I'm kind of familiar with. There's something in the lyrics which... I don't know how to explain this (!!) - there's definately a familiarity with craving - and maybe the preoccupation with food is a representation of something entirely different - but it captures the feeling so well. Its the way you're mind works when you're body is craving what you will not give it. And this may sound very silly and immature, but I often used to listen to 'my favourite plumb' when I was in hospital. I'd lay there and think about it, and I genuinely believed that you'd been through what I was going through - that the plumb was a real dream - because it could have been.(But my mind was a bit hazy then) - and I can see it as something else now.

Anyway, your music has helped me a lot, and is important to me. So thankyou -

Lara xxx

Hello Lara,

I've never heard that link before, between Caramel, My Favorite Plum and eating disorders. It's always nice when songs fit your own interpretations.

However, what Suzanne herself had in mind when writing Caramel;

'"Caramel" was intended to be one of those old fashioned songs, like "Girl From Ipanema," or what Astrud Gilberto would sing. I used to really love that kind of music when I was a teenager, and so it's a song about longing for something and wishing for something you know you really shouldn't have. Caramel is the metaphor for the thing you long for, but you shouldn't really touch."'

The object of desire here was a man, so the caramel is not a metaphor for food, but for an erotic or romantic desire.

[spam]
If you are interested in knowing more about what motivated Suzanne to write her songs, visit http://rustedpipe.vega.net
[/spam]

Sincerely yours,
Spikey

Caramel had for me 3 moments
First moment was when i listened to Caramel for the first time, and i actually didnt like it. Precisely because of what Spikey said, of resembling old fashioned songs.

The second moment was when i listened to it live,(London, 2001) and listened to Suzanne's expressive interpretation of it, the entonation and semblant while performing the song. Then the feeling of the song started to embrace me, especially Suzanne's voice in the song, more than the sound and lyrics itself.

The third moment was at Starbucks. They got this caramel with milk and tea which was a promotion for...its a joke! The real third moment was after watching "Closer".
Then, Caramel became personal.And it brings me memories everytime i listen to it, and of how much we learn, and how many times we hit the wall until we understand it's time to move on even if we are scared.
And then, we have two choices: do what we know we should do (we always know inside, but we keep asking around), or give in to our lust, fear and insecurity.
The song "caramel" is just..wonderful.
(and no, i didnt do anything wrong, just look at me!)

Peace and love
Paulo

---

- Are you serious?
- Yes, i am. I'm your guardian angel.
- Amazing!I've never believed in that.Am i dead?
- No. You're just hallucinating.

Hi,
I discovered the song here, in the El Rey video, some days ago. AT first, it wasn't either my favorite song but the more I listen to it, the more I find it not only a clever and sensible tribute to 'latino' jazz but also a perfect tune for Suzanne Vega voice. There's also in this video something difficult to say (at least for me and in my poor English): SV seems more 'involved' in that kind of song, more fragile maybe than she was in former songs and all the more moving.
Maybe it is a false feeling, but it sounds to me as something more personal and thus more universal.

I love this song, even though I heard it for the first time today. Interesting to hear Suzanne's comment about Astrud Gilberto; it doesn't exactly sound like bossa, but it does have a nice jazzy feel. I love bossa nova myself; I'm a sucker for Tom Jobim in particular. I wonder how 'Caramel' would sound with a bossa nova beat and a nylon-strung guitar ..

I've been into Suzanne's music ever since the first album. Somehow Nine Objects was the one CD I never got around to buying. I recently bought the Live at Montreaux CD and was blown away by Caramel. I thought it was a cover because I'd never heard it before. Now I must go back and get Nine Objects to see what other gems I may have overlooked. This is a great website. I look forward to interacting with all of you!!!

Hi Suzanne,

I am in the process of compiling a CD featuring several upcoming groups performing at an offbeat Jazz-series, and the central piece happens to be a cover of Caramel. I just _love_ your original harmonic twist, which that group couldn't quite duplicate. Still, without this piece the CD falls apart and I currently can't think of a substitute. Is there anything I can do to get your approval to include your composition? I eMailed Michael Hausman already, just in case.

Regards from Hamburg,

Andrew Levine

Hi there again,

I meanwhile applied for a license at Warner Chappell's, but have no idea as to a timeframe for such a thing, nor as to the costs. Well, if this comes to nothing I'll have to find some other song to fill in, difficult as it may be. BTW, if anyone is interested, this is the cover of the CD: http://edition.blumlein.net/Jazzmeile/jm10v2.jpg.

I just got this flash about Suzanne singing at the Kulturladen (http://kulturladen.com/) ... ;-)

Regards from Hamburg,

Andrew Levine

> Hi Andrew, > > this compilation sounds interesting, > > Will you tell us when you will have released it? (fighting with > english grammar: will you tell us when the release date is clear?) > > Thanks and nothing much (not much) > Moni. >

Hi Moni, I am sad to say that we could not include Caramel on the sampler (http://muse.blumlein.net/006_gb.html). Regards, Andrew