In 1987, little known singer/songwriter Suzanne Vega burst onto the music scene with this powerful, haunting song.
"Luka" was a Top 20 radio hit and this video played regularly on MTV. The success of this song was a bit surprising considering that it's about, of all ghastly things, child abuse. Bringing such dark subject matter into a popular song was a truly audacious thing to do, but the song's beauty made it a clear winner.
Vega is a born and bred New Yorker and her music over the years has always been imbued with the city's spirit. The dreamlike video for "Luka" shows the city as an unglamorous, almost mournful place, a place where you know all sorts of secrets (some tragic) abound. It captures the pain and beauty of city life, it's longings and mysteries, and it makes you think and feel at the same time.
A truly timeless song.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Suzanne Vega - Luka
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My word! When you posted about the disappearing middle class in NYC, I thought of how the scenes described in "Tom's Diner" were no longer possible.
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