Song of the day: Suzanne Vega- Tom’s Diner

A few days ago, I heard a song on the radio which made me think of another song. Sounds a bit strange, but I knew the text, however, the music did not sound right. Luckily my laptop was on, so I googled the lyrics. And then I found out this song the radio was playing was a remix of the eighties song by Suzanne Vega. To me, it seemed useless, since the real original was good, and the dance version was worse than dance versions normally are. This song was written in 1981 by Suzanne Vega, then it was released by a magazine in 1984, but three years later, in 1987, it was featured on her debute album as the first track. So I was thinking: Tom’s Diner? What’s that? Well, it’s a restaurant in New York, Tom’s Restaurant. To find out the date of writing, a sort of puzzle has to be solved. Some people have done this for me, but I’ll guide you through.

An actor has died of drinking, as Suzanne Vega reads in the newspaper on the front page. She then turns to the backside, to read the funnies. This means she is reading the New York Post, which has both of the conditions. The actor is William Holden (Bridge Over The River Kwai). The article about his death was published on the 18th of November in 1981, which is believed to be the writing day.

Enough information. A beautiful song, both in composition and in clever (short) lines. Enjoy

Suzanne Vega- Tom’s Diner

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