"night vision" is a recurrent song in my life. every now and then our interior compasses go haywire and we lose the ability to see clearly. i've been in the dark often, struggling to find my path in the world, and this song has always helped me to see a way through it, whispering to me not to "give in too quickly". it gives me courage and hope every time i even think about it.
it is a song, like so many in suzanne's rich songbook, that can stay with you always, in the most secret and inner place, and then, by just the will of a thought or the power of a feeling, it surfaces and warms you up, right there, just beneath the skin. it's a 'tactile' song, so to speak, because, among other things, it deals with how things touch, blend and connect. it's about opposites - day (give thanks) and night (beware), sweetness and fear, light and dark - really touching each other, by the help of something that lives in between, and that can turn everything into an effortless and endless continuum, the circle of life.
to me this song is primarily about the struggle of finding and fulfilling one's vision, one's path. it's the central song in "solitude standing" since it embodies the struggle of every character and suzanne's as well, as an artist, seeking a truthful expression to her vision.
my path and the expression of my vision have eluded me so far. a sense of guilt and yes, of failure, for which i seek redemption, linger in my mouth like a bitter taste. but i keep searching and cutting "through the grain" and this song continues to give me strength and solace. i believe there will be light for me, just as i believe light is what is at the center of every suzanne vega song, especially and paradoxically, in this one.
the second paragraph of this post was taken from a text i've written which tries to underline the significance of "night vision" in suzanne's work. you can read it here, if you're interested:
http://watermarks.vega.net/threading/step11.htm with affection,
fatima