absolutely brilliant. just saw her at Largo in LA. such a talent. it makes me yearn for the days when this kind of sophistication could be heard on mainstream radio.
This song was burned in my memory. Back in 1994 I was clearing out my flat in Perth to do a "geographical" to Sydney, and all I had to listen to was the first Suzanne Vega tape and one from Blondie. I listened to them on an answering machine, and they gave me inspiration to carry on. Lots of things changed in my life after that. :)
I remember having a big crush on her. Yes, I was young, but who could blame me ;-) Love it, great post and a great song, I'll need to get out that old CD and give it a spin tonight. Cheers!
I remember this on my local radio station in... 1996? I thought it was a 90's song all this time! I guess they were just replaying an old favourite, but it still forms one of my early and beloved memories. Glad I found it again.
What a fantastic, fantastic song, and so original. It's the first Suzanne Vega song I ever heard: I was eighteen and in Dorothy Perkins, and I recognised her distinctive voice from the DNA remix of Tom's Diner a few years before. She's a great musician, also really good live.
This song brings back memories of my college years. I really disliked most 80s pop music. I liked rock and I liked folk. The first time I heard this song I just loved it. Never stopped. Mysterious and profound lyrics, beautiful acoustic playing and unusual melody and chord structure with what would become Suzanne's simple but not simplistic vocal style.
This song is probably Suzanne's first song to make her mark here in the UK. I really love her first two albums. This was from her first, simply entitled "Suzanne Vega" Then followed her successful second album "Solitude Standing" from which Luka and Tom's Diner are taken. If anyone out there is interested in Suzanne and her music, and to catch up on what she is doing now. Check out her interview on You-tube at the Montalvo Arts Center. She talks openly to a college audience about her career.
With all respect to ponchsanta, I feel this soulful song really needs a less tinny sounding upload. Thanks anyway to ponchsanto for providing this one, and to mum for adding it to my playlists. Love some good folk songs.
a timeless classic - so emotive and meaningfull for me personally it allways evokes strong feelings even goosebumps when I hear it and she sings it so beautifully, one of my favorite songs of all time and I am a battle rap/Hip-Hop kind of guy. Peace MC Mitch Isle of Man
@ponchsanta ..she is awesome...and when i said it was a low quality video i meant comparatively in the context of the explanation...i've watched this particular video loads of times....nice upload!!. : )
< It's the same version, the single version. I've managed to adjust the settings on my computer audio player. so it sounds more like the sound in this video now. But still this video has much richer and yet also mellow sonic qualities. It's just a matter of how the sound is produced. Maybe the CD, LP and VHS recordings are better than the MP3 also (I usually prefer CD sound to MP3 sound). There's a lovely rich and mellow bell-like sound in this video. (Thanks for sharing)
< I know the digital "quality" of sound is low in this video. Still what's there is from a rich source - I'd love to hear that very source in its highest quality output. It's a lovely recording. Very good graphic equalizer recommended for playing back this MP3.
i love suzanne vega and this song which is resonant of all females and our lonely suffering to be listened to as persons, by the way I AM speaking as a very very heterosexual female who suffers as a female, a tribute to brilliant Suzanne Vega from grateful Noreen, been married to Tony Faruga for 30 years!
Suzanne Vega - Marlene On The Wall Even if I am in love with you All this to say, what's it to you? Observe the blood, the rose tattoo Of the fingerprints on me from you Other evidence has shown That you and I are still alone We skirt around the danger zone And don't talk about it later Marlene watches from the wall Her mocking smile says it all As she records the rise and fall Of every soldier passing But the only soldier now is me I'm fighting things I cannot see I think it's called my destiny That I am changing Marlene on the wall I walk to your house in the afternoon By the butcher's shop with the sawdust strewn "Don't give away the goods too soon" Is what she might have told me And I tried so hard to resist When you held me in your handsome fist And reminded me of the night we kissed And of why I should be leaving Marlene watched from the wall Her mocking smile says it all As she records the rise and fall Of every soldier passing But the only soldier now is me I'm fighting things I cannot see I think it's called my destiny That I am changing Marlene on the wall Marlene watched from the wall Her mocking smile says it all As she records the rise and fall Of every soldier passing But the only soldier now is me I'm fighting things I cannot see I think it's called my destiny That I am changing Marlene on the wall And even if I am in love with you All this to say, what's it to you? Observe the blood, the rose tattoo Of the fingerprints on me from you Other evidence has shown That you and I are still alone We skirt around the danger zone And don't talk about it later And I tried so hard to resist When you held me in your handsome fist And reminded me of the night we kissed And of why I should be leaving Marlene watches from the wall Her mocking smile says it all As she records the rise and fall Of every man who's been here But the only one here now is me I'm fighting things I cannot see I think it's called my destiny That I am changing Changing, changing, changing, changing Marlene watched from the wall Her mocking smile says it all As she records the rise and fall Of every soldier passing But the only soldier now is me I'm fighting things I cannot see I think it's called my destiny That I am changing Marlene on the wall
A superb song from a brilliant singer songwriter who never enjoyed the fame she so thoroughly deserved. When you consider that she was up against the likes of Madonna and Stock Aitken Waterman pap it makes it all the more baffling.
@novembrine1 ...yeah as soon as you upload something obvious like a chart hit etc..then youtube recognises it and automatically gives an itunes link as seen above....you probably could upload a good quality copy, but it would have an automatic copyright notice on it from youtube and if the copyright owner claimed it and it got removed by YT then you would get a 'strike'....multiple strikes means all your channel/videos taken down and a ban on that account!!
@novembrine1 ..lol..this video will already have a copyright notice on it probably, and on the uploaders channel, the info will be there to say how this affects the video.......for example although it is allowed to stay up generally...it may be banned on YT in Germany or other specified territories....and even if this low quality video is flagged for infringement it will be removed and cause a strike on the uploaders account.. i imagine that's more likely when it's HQ audio..i.e...more piratable
Yes, I agree. but maybe there is a reason they can seem so distant. Maybe they have to be that way to protect something rare and precious....and/or maybe they actually can and do open up when they sense the other person can truly understand them.
You are very observant---the great mystique about Suzanne Vega is that in almost all her songs she is singing about more than she seems to...perhaps it is her Buddhist leanings, her androgony, or a person on a journey to discovery. In any case, she produces some of the most profound songs anybody ever has.
My girlfriend gave me this song back in 1985(we're not together anymore) when we were on the brink of breaking up, cos my ex girlfriend was still hanging around causing trouble and i did nothing to avoid it. "Malena watches from the wall, her mocking smile says it all, she predicts the rise and fall of every soldier passing" would be my ex looking down on our troubled relationship and not giving a care. "But the only soldier now is me, im fighting things i cannot see, i think its called my destiny, that i am changing" thats my girlfriend att, fed up with the situation att and walking away. I regret it to this day.
Funny... The video I recall was different: she looked much less sexy and was simply sitting on a wall singing! Is this a false memory or do 2 videos exist? This one's better, though fairly cliché 80s. (Great song, of course.)
@valebeyondtears2 It's one dollar or so (less in an album) from Amazon Mp3s. However, having bought the MP3, this sounds much more beautiful. I don't know how it was done. My high quality MP3 sounds really dry, and in fact I thought it was a completely different version - a different take or mix. This is much nicer.
@Outloudart No it's not, its about a poster of Marlene Dietrich on her wall watching her make mistakes in relationships. The video is the official one made to go with it.
Her lyrics fuled my wild imgination when I was a kid... She tell's us stories!!!
Talent never goes out of style.
Marlene never goes out of style.
absolutely brilliant. just saw her at Largo in LA. such a talent. it makes me yearn for the days when this kind of sophistication could be heard on mainstream radio.
Slightly obsessed by this song lately. Maybe reminds me of when I had feelings.
stevebritgimp I remember having feelings.
Be glad we are still here boys, many have not made it this far. Don't be beaten by life, feel that ❤
That's a thoughtful comment, sums up why I searched this song, I miss having feelings too; gone but not forgotten
@@ptfield1
Why don't you have feelings anymore....
@@daddymalony thank you. I found your comment at a much needed time in my life. It is extremely encouraging.
I’m instantly 16 again when I hear anything from her first album. I’ve never seen this video before. Thx for posting it. ❤️
This song was burned in my memory. Back in 1994 I was clearing out my flat in Perth to do a "geographical" to Sydney, and all I had to listen to was the first Suzanne Vega tape and one from Blondie. I listened to them on an answering machine, and they gave me inspiration to carry on.
Lots of things changed in my life after that. :)
My Mum made me grow up to Suzanne Vega. It was a proud moment seeing her at Glastonbury Festival in 2008, shes a legend! Great days.
Your mum got good taste in music ✌🕊🙏
God I'm getting old! I have this album that I bought 31 years ago when I was 21.😿
Still love it though!
Still love it though!
Same here, I remember this song and her music, nice & folky.... I summoned this page cause I saw a Twitter about her touring.
R u still alive??
I remember having a big crush on her. Yes, I was young, but who could blame me ;-)
Love it, great post and a great song, I'll need to get out that old CD and give it a spin tonight. Cheers!
Suzanne vega
Very underrated ❤
by whom?
The critics
@@glennphillips843 what absolute dross. please explain
I love her, cheers from germany 😀🍷🎉❤️🍀
Great music even in 2020
I remember this on my local radio station in... 1996? I thought it was a 90's song all this time! I guess they were just replaying an old favourite, but it still forms one of my early and beloved memories. Glad I found it again.
1985 it was released.
What a beautiful song, and an equally impressive clip to go with it.
One of the best albums I ever bought (twice because of technology)
Suzanne is a total legend smooth relaxing music luka is a classic, marlene is still brill on that wall n it's no cheap thrill!
Beautiful song ❤
Suzanne Vega just rules! amazing songs! Love u!
最高🎉
Reminds me of my teens/twenties thank-you xx
This song touches me also, on my favorites...
I was listening to alternative radio with my parents and this came on. I thought it was an absolutely great song and I can't stop listening to it.
good 80's tune hasn't dated at all could come out now, loved it as a kid stayed in top 40 for just over 2 months
I don't need to say anything the music speaks for itself.
Vega the best.
👍🏾🙏🏾😄
NMRK Your welcome my
what a perfect song.
What a fantastic, fantastic song, and so original. It's the first Suzanne Vega song I ever heard: I was eighteen and in Dorothy Perkins, and I recognised her distinctive voice from the DNA remix of Tom's Diner a few years before. She's a great musician, also really good live.
Suzanne Vega = one of the 5 women who rock the most my world.
This song brings back memories of my college years. I really disliked most 80s pop music. I liked rock and I liked folk. The first time I heard this song I just loved it. Never stopped. Mysterious and profound lyrics, beautiful acoustic playing and unusual melody and chord structure with what would become Suzanne's simple but not simplistic vocal style.
Great song. The best New Age lyrical song ever!
i actually have a picture of marlene deitrche on my wall!!! lol i love this song it describes my teenage years ha ha ;P
I heard this first while eating roasted cashews in a beach restaurant in Tamil Nadu, India in 1985.
I always loved Suzanne Vega and this is no exception.
bought the album in 1985 on vinyl LP been years since heard this 8-)
This song is probably Suzanne's first song to make her mark here in the UK.
I really love her first two albums. This was from her first, simply entitled "Suzanne Vega" Then followed her successful second album "Solitude Standing" from which
Luka and Tom's Diner are taken. If anyone out there is interested in Suzanne and
her music, and to catch up on what she is doing now. Check out her interview on
You-tube at the Montalvo Arts Center. She talks openly to a college audience about
her career.
With all respect to ponchsanta, I feel this soulful song really needs a less tinny sounding upload. Thanks anyway to ponchsanto for providing this one, and to mum for adding it to my playlists. Love some good folk songs.
I had 3rd row seats in a small room about a month after this album was released. Great show!
Grew up listening to this. 2018 any one listening??
With you keep safe my dear peace be with you always ✌🕊🙏
1985.. great times!
I never knew this had a video. Nice.
a timeless classic - so emotive and meaningfull for me personally it allways evokes strong feelings even goosebumps when I hear it and she sings it so beautifully, one of my favorite songs of all time and I am a battle rap/Hip-Hop kind of guy. Peace MC Mitch Isle of Man
OMG I am listening this song 5 hours in one day,hahaha,ITS A AWESOME,COOL,AMAZING song by a AMAZING SINGER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Love her!!!!!!
@ponchsanta ..she is awesome...and when i said it was a low quality video i meant comparatively in the context of the explanation...i've watched this particular video loads of times....nice upload!!. : )
extremely talented
Super
Happy birthday to You Suzanne Vega!
i seen her in glasgow in 1987
I can't get it out of my head
<
It's the same version, the single version. I've managed to adjust the settings on my computer audio player. so it sounds more like the sound in this video now. But still this video has much richer and yet also mellow sonic qualities. It's just a matter of how the sound is produced. Maybe the CD, LP and VHS recordings are better than the MP3 also (I usually prefer CD sound to MP3 sound). There's a lovely rich and mellow bell-like sound in this video.
(Thanks for sharing)
@consolidaregal Yes the Marlene on the wall is a reference to a poster of Marlene Dietrich on a bedroom wall.
Still watching in 2021. It's my breakup song for people I haven't even met yet.
My girl has a beautiful voice and a great pair of legs...oh yeah!!!
This is the song that introduced me to Suzanne, in fact, a live version which was slower and better. So many fucking awesome.
Love her
Very well thé song
All the more reason to support her and PURCHASE her Close-Up series...
containing this jewel and myriad others.
wow, goosebumps!!!
Her first two LP's were wonderful. Calypso...
<
I know the digital "quality" of sound is low in this video. Still what's there is from a rich source - I'd love to hear that very source in its highest quality output.
It's a lovely recording. Very good graphic equalizer recommended for playing back this MP3.
i love suzanne vega and this song which is resonant of all females and our lonely suffering to be listened to as persons, by the way I AM speaking as a very very heterosexual female who suffers as a female, a tribute to brilliant Suzanne Vega from grateful Noreen, been married to Tony Faruga for 30 years!
good song from 85.
Suzanne Vega - Marlene On The Wall
Even if I am in love with you
All this to say, what's it to you?
Observe the blood, the rose tattoo
Of the fingerprints on me from you
Other evidence has shown
That you and I are still alone
We skirt around the danger zone
And don't talk about it later
Marlene watches from the wall
Her mocking smile says it all
As she records the rise and fall
Of every soldier passing
But the only soldier now is me
I'm fighting things I cannot see
I think it's called my destiny
That I am changing
Marlene on the wall
I walk to your house in the afternoon
By the butcher's shop with the sawdust strewn
"Don't give away the goods too soon"
Is what she might have told me
And I tried so hard to resist
When you held me in your handsome fist
And reminded me of the night we kissed
And of why I should be leaving
Marlene watched from the wall
Her mocking smile says it all
As she records the rise and fall
Of every soldier passing
But the only soldier now is me
I'm fighting things I cannot see
I think it's called my destiny
That I am changing
Marlene on the wall
Marlene watched from the wall
Her mocking smile says it all
As she records the rise and fall
Of every soldier passing
But the only soldier now is me
I'm fighting things I cannot see
I think it's called my destiny
That I am changing
Marlene on the wall
And even if I am in love with you
All this to say, what's it to you?
Observe the blood, the rose tattoo
Of the fingerprints on me from you
Other evidence has shown
That you and I are still alone
We skirt around the danger zone
And don't talk about it later
And I tried so hard to resist
When you held me in your handsome fist
And reminded me of the night we kissed
And of why I should be leaving
Marlene watches from the wall
Her mocking smile says it all
As she records the rise and fall
Of every man who's been here
But the only one here now is me
I'm fighting things I cannot see
I think it's called my destiny
That I am changing
Changing, changing, changing, changing
Marlene watched from the wall
Her mocking smile says it all
As she records the rise and fall
Of every soldier passing
But the only soldier now is me
I'm fighting things I cannot see
I think it's called my destiny
That I am changing
Marlene on the wall
ahh first song with my name in it
wall?
I think you'll find that Lil Marlene was probably the first song with your name in the title.👌
So 1980's. I love the greasy hair guy in the video
Reminds me of Virgin money waiting que.
so good google found me this song
I don't think most people realized how pretty she was. A true gamine.
There is still room for graciousness when pointing out errors.
My second favourite song. The first is "In Liverpool" that has a personal connection that even though not a good one means that song beats this one..
I don't know why, but that song touches me.
Where did it touch you?!
This Is Good
=]
A superb song from a brilliant singer songwriter who never enjoyed the fame she so thoroughly deserved. When you consider that she was up against the likes of Madonna and Stock Aitken Waterman pap it makes it all the more baffling.
Señoritas, damas del mundo... aprendan algo de esta hermoza y talentosa artiste... Te amo !!!!
takes me back to being 14 and angst filled. Still adore it though
The thinking mans musician.
I totally understand what you say...
This is why i prefer music from the past
I'm in 2024 and love
My exact thoughts...
@thesunreport but anyway you can easily find her albums on the net... ;-)
And that was 25 years ago :D
@novembrine1 ...yeah as soon as you upload something obvious like a chart hit etc..then youtube recognises it and automatically gives an itunes link as seen above....you probably could upload a good quality copy, but it would have an automatic copyright notice on it from youtube and if the copyright owner claimed it and it got removed by YT then you would get a 'strike'....multiple strikes means all your channel/videos taken down and a ban on that account!!
certainly, but i can't send suzanne vega songs any more. youtube identifies the sound and don't allows to publish the clip, because of copyright.
@novembrine1 ..lol..this video will already have a copyright notice on it probably, and on the uploaders channel, the info will be there to say how this affects the video.......for example although it is allowed to stay up generally...it may be banned on YT in Germany or other specified territories....and even if this low quality video is flagged for infringement it will be removed and cause a strike on the uploaders account..
i imagine that's more likely when it's HQ audio..i.e...more piratable
Yes, I agree. but maybe there is a reason they can seem so distant. Maybe they have to be that way to protect something rare and precious....and/or maybe they actually can and do open up when they sense the other person can truly understand them.
You are very observant---the great mystique about Suzanne Vega is that in almost all her songs she is singing about more than she seems to...perhaps it is her Buddhist leanings, her androgony, or a person on a journey to discovery. In any case, she produces some of the most profound songs anybody ever has.
I could not have said it better.
My girlfriend gave me this song back in 1985(we're not together anymore) when we were on the brink of breaking up, cos my ex girlfriend was still hanging around causing trouble and i did nothing to avoid it.
"Malena watches from the wall, her mocking smile says it all, she predicts the rise and fall of every soldier passing" would be my ex looking down on our troubled relationship and not giving a care.
"But the only soldier now is me, im fighting things i cannot see, i think its called my destiny, that i am changing" thats my girlfriend att, fed up with the situation att and walking away.
I regret it to this day.
Een bijzonder goede zangeres!Wel een beetje een leftie,maar dat is normaal in Newyork!
As SHE records the rise and fall, not THE records the rise and fall.
Funny... The video I recall was different: she looked much less sexy and was simply sitting on a wall singing! Is this a false memory or do 2 videos exist? This one's better, though fairly cliché 80s. (Great song, of course.)
Suzanne Vega - so so sexy voice of a siren x
@calmbeforethestory thanks, i've corrected
@valebeyondtears2
It's one dollar or so (less in an album) from Amazon Mp3s. However, having bought the MP3, this sounds much more beautiful. I don't know how it was done. My high quality MP3 sounds really dry, and in fact I thought it was a completely different version - a different take or mix. This is much nicer.
It's hapenning the same to me actually o:
Is it destiny that she is changing or is she actively changing her destiny? Which is it?
Both.
this is an awesome song! Why did she even bother to write Luka?
Dat is Marlena Dietrich uit Berlijn!
@Outloudart No it's not, its about a poster of Marlene Dietrich on her wall watching her make mistakes in relationships. The video is the official one made to go with it.
Suzana can we be a friends 😊🎶?? Or you dont having a time for ordinary European people like me 🎶😉🎁🎸?Please do answer 🙏😄🎈😘
miranda on the wall! :)
suzanne is a perfect true artist!