"Suzanne" ist der #1 Song des Debütalbums "Songs of Leonard Cohen" des kanadischen Singer-Songwriters Leonard Cohen, das er im Dezember 1967 veröffentlichte.
Nachdem Cohen bereits als Schriftsteller eine gewisse Bekanntheit erreicht hatte, entschloss er sich mit 33 Jahren, eine Karriere als Sänger zu starten. Einige der Lieder, die auf dem Album erschienen, waren von ihm bereits einige Jahre zuvor geschrieben und von Judy Collins erfolgreich interpretiert worden. 1967 trat Cohen dann auf dem Newport Folk Festival zusammen mit Collins auf. Dabei wurde der Columbia-Produzent John Hammond auf ihn aufmerksam und schloss mit ihm einen Plattenvertrag.
Lyrics
Suzanne takes you down to her place near the river. You can hear the boats go by and you can spend the night beside her. And you know, that she's half crazy.
But that's why you want to be there. And she feeds you tea and oranges, that come all the way from China.
And just when you mean to tell her, that you have no love to give her, then she gets you on her wavelength and she lets the river answer, that you've always been her lover.
And you want to travel with her and you want to travel blind. And you know that she will trust you, for you've touched her perfect body with your mind.
And Jesus was a sailor, when he walked upon the water. And he spent a long time watching from his lonely wooden tower.
And when he knew for certain only drowning men could see him. He said: All men will be sailors then, until the sea shall free them.
But he himself was broken long before the sky would open. Forsaken, almost human he sank beneath your wisdom like a stone.
And you want to travel with him and you want to travel blind. And you think maybe you'll trust him for he's touched your perfect body with his mind.
Now, Suzanne takes your hand and she leads you to the river. She is wearing rags and feathers from Salvation Army counters.
And the sun pours down like honey on our lady of the harbor. And she shows you where to look among the garbage and the flowers. There are heroes in the seaweed. There are children in the morning. They are leaning out for love. And they will lean that way forever. While Suzanne holds the mirror. And you want to travel with her.
And you want to travel blind and you know that you can trust her. For she's touched your perfect body with her mind.
