The lady’s music is just sublime. She is the ultimate troubadour. Her lyrics are pure poetry and a voice that is smooth as hot chocolate. Truly, thank you 🙏
One of the things that distinguishes this song so extremely well is Vega's rather unusual approach to prosody within the stanzaic structure of this song. In so many songs, if there is a rhyme structure to them, which is usually the case, the rhyme structure will usually be something simple like AA/BB or AB/AB or perhaps ABC/ABC or ABABCC. In those cases A, B, and C represent rhymes that sound the same, of course. (If any readers can make it through the technicalities I bring up here, they might find it worthwhile to discover how I tie all of this together.) But not this song. Vega decided to have a rhyme structure within each stanza (Except for the refrain stanza) of ABACCB. Wait... What's that? ABA...CCB!!! In each stanza, except for the refrain, she establishes, within the first two lines' ending words, the first parts of two rhymes. Then in the third line, the first rhyme "A" is completed, but then she goes on to introduce and complete a new rhyme (the "C"), and she does it in tighter sequence or succession or time than she did rhyme A (or especially when completing rhyme "B"). In these non-refrain stanzas, with the ABACCB rhyme sequence, she also pretty strictly establishes a uniquely-tailored syllable count of 979777, with respect to the ABACCB rhyme sequence, although within the first stanza, she begins her first line with 10 syllables rather than 9. So, although within the first and 3rd lines she establishes and completes a rhyme at the end of 9 syllables, the second rhyme that is both established and completed, (the "C") , is done so in a much briefer amount of time - rather than over 27 or 28 syllables over the complete lines that it takes for her to establish and complete rhyme "A", she establishes and completes the second completed rhyme ,"C", In just about half the number of syllables (14, rather than 27). In addition to that, she also sings those lines ending in the "C" rhyme more quickly than she sings any other lines or words in the song, or at least it seems that way to me. So, with the "C" rhyming lines, which are the only couplets in the song, being the only lines where the rhymes are next to each other at the end of immediately succeeding lines, there is that intensification at the time that draws you in, or at least so it does to me. The effect that it has on me is that when she ultimately gets around to completing the "B" rhyme, I am sidelined enough by the "C" rhyme, to say nothing of the "A" rhyme that was completed after the "B" rhyme was begun, that when she delivers the "B" rhyme, I am sort of jolted back into remembering that there was, indeed, a word with which this second "B" rhymed. Confusing enough? If you just take the prosody of the ABACCB rhyme scheme and 979777 syllable count for each of the 3 non-refrain stanzas and keep them in mind when listening to the song, you should hopefully see and FEEL what I mean. Some people may not get this. That's okay. I think that one has to allow themselves to be sort of hypnotized by this song, to "get into it", and probably lead with their emotions and heart, or to allow those things to be led by the song, rather than approach it mentally, to really FEEL the effect. My analysis here, although I put this together many years ago, came only after I studied the song and its prosody to try to understand why it had the effect on me that it does. After all, a songwriter who takes a very studied approach to writing lyrics will require from her listeners, who want to understand why her music affects them the way that it does, a very studied approach from her listeners for them to fully understand this - not only emotionally, but also intellectually. And I have been privy enough to Vega's relatively intimate core fandom to know that this song of hers is held in particularly high esteem by many of the core of her most devoted fandom and that it is one of the songs that she performs the most, often in encores. There are reasons why this is the case. So, why am I writing this, other than perhaps to try to connect with the universe in my own little way? Well, as I have said elsewhere (withIn my UA-cam Channel's playlist in which this video is featured, for one), this particular song's lyrics and prosody stand up to a very good degree of explication or literary analysis. Within literary criticism, one of the main things to look for when critiquing the quality of a work is if there is a relation of the theme of a work to the way in which the work is formed - Is there a meaningful, overarching synthesis? The song's title, "Rosemary", refers to the herb rosemary, which is an herb associated with memory. Indeed, the song's subtitle is "Remember Me", (which, in some remixes of the song is repeated over and over at the end of the song). In my opinion, the whole reason for her approach to prosody and the rhyme structure and syllable count within the various stanzas' structures is to lead the willing listener to that second "B" rhyme, and then have them feel something like..."Wait...doesn't that word rhyme and connect with a word from a few lines ago?" This is how memory often works - after the fact. Sometimes, something after the fact comes along and triggers a memory and you make a connection to...something. I have heard and read time and time again that, really, the sense of smell is a more powerful and oddly occurring trigger for memory than any of the other senses, especially for retrieving a memory from a long time ago - perhaps and/or particularly a buried memory. I think that this must be the reason that the herb rosemary is associated with memory because it has such a wonderful smell. It is probably my most favorite smell of any herb, although I am sure many people might prefer the scents of basil or mint. In this world, as important as money and prestige can be, they can't buy everything, and the older one gets, although one may increasingly become aware of how important money and prestige can be, one also becomes aware of all the things that money and prestige cannot buy. In our very beleaguered pandemic and war-wary times, what can we hold on to in the face of so much death and suffering and toxic disavowal of the denial of so much truth regarding the nature of this suffering? As Vega sings in the song, maybe the only thing one might be holding on to or the last thought or memory somebody might have before dying is the wonderful scent of a twig of rosemary that a lover ran through their hair in a tender moment or the beautiful song sung by a woman about such a transitory but powerful memory.
I was so lucky to be there with some good friends...her songs, her voice...so touching..."And all I know of you is in my memory...and all I ask is you remember me"
Never heard this one. Fantastic. Wonderful chord changes here Suzanne. As a man/musician who usually stays away from the "Lillith fair" type of stuff - this lady is quite an exception. REAL music. A rare example today of someone who DESERVES recognition and success.
I didn't know about the "Lilith fair"... a great starting point to discover interesting female artists (like Shawn Colvin, for example, backing vocalist in "Luka")... in any case Vega is always the best! best regards
I went to this wonderful wonderful concert with some good friends in Tokyo...this was the last song...and my twin brother had asked for it...a beautiful moment in our life!!!
My sister says she never dreams at night There are days when I know why Those possibilities within her sight With no way of coming true Cause some things just don't get through Into this world although they try Breaks my heart.
Cuando escuché esta canción por primera vez supe que jamás la olvidaría, pero siempre que escucho nuevas canciones de ella, pienso lo mismo. Esta es sin duda una de las más entrañables para los SV fans y para mí, claro. :) Thanks for posting this BEAUTIFUL, SOFT AND DELICATE SONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I wish I could be one to remember you today but I haven't forgotten yet as I know you're still becoming so I'll wait. I keep my thoughts of you active so my memory can't steal or hide them. My memory is lonely and I know it would swallow you whole leaving nothing for me to walk with today. I remember listening to 9 Objects Of Desire in my car parked playing along with my African Split Drum and singing harmonies....you can have that memory...I wish I had one of walking with you to give back today
Suzanne Vega is so underrated, such a talented writer and performer
She is an absolute cornerstone.Her library speaks for itself.I love everything about her
The lady’s music is just sublime. She is the ultimate troubadour. Her lyrics are pure poetry and a voice that is smooth as hot chocolate. Truly, thank you 🙏
One of the things that distinguishes this song so extremely well is Vega's rather unusual approach to prosody within the stanzaic structure of this song. In so many songs, if there is a rhyme structure to them, which is usually the case, the rhyme structure will usually be something simple like AA/BB or AB/AB or perhaps ABC/ABC or ABABCC. In those cases A, B, and C represent rhymes that sound the same, of course.
(If any readers can make it through the technicalities I bring up here, they might find it worthwhile to discover how I tie all of this together.)
But not this song. Vega decided to have a rhyme structure within each stanza (Except for the refrain stanza) of ABACCB. Wait... What's that? ABA...CCB!!! In each stanza, except for the refrain, she establishes, within the first two lines' ending words, the first parts of two rhymes. Then in the third line, the first rhyme "A" is completed, but then she goes on to introduce and complete a new rhyme (the "C"), and she does it in tighter sequence or succession or time than she did rhyme A (or especially when completing rhyme "B"). In these non-refrain stanzas, with the ABACCB rhyme sequence, she also pretty strictly establishes a uniquely-tailored syllable count of 979777, with respect to the ABACCB rhyme sequence, although within the first stanza, she begins her first line with 10 syllables rather than 9. So, although within the first and 3rd lines she establishes and completes a rhyme at the end of 9 syllables, the second rhyme that is both established and completed, (the "C") , is done so in a much briefer amount of time - rather than over 27 or 28 syllables over the complete lines that it takes for her to establish and complete rhyme "A", she establishes and completes the second completed rhyme ,"C", In just about half the number of syllables (14, rather than 27). In addition to that, she also sings those lines ending in the "C" rhyme more quickly than she sings any other lines or words in the song, or at least it seems that way to me.
So, with the "C" rhyming lines, which are the only couplets in the song, being the only lines where the rhymes are next to each other at the end of immediately succeeding lines, there is that intensification at the time that draws you in, or at least so it does to me. The effect that it has on me is that when she ultimately gets around to completing the "B" rhyme, I am sidelined enough by the "C" rhyme, to say nothing of the "A" rhyme that was completed after the "B" rhyme was begun, that when she delivers the "B" rhyme, I am sort of jolted back into remembering that there was, indeed, a word with which this second "B" rhymed. Confusing enough? If you just take the prosody of the ABACCB rhyme scheme and 979777 syllable count for each of the 3 non-refrain stanzas and keep them in mind when listening to the song, you should hopefully see and FEEL what I mean.
Some people may not get this. That's okay. I think that one has to allow themselves to be sort of hypnotized by this song, to "get into it", and probably lead with their emotions and heart, or to allow those things to be led by the song, rather than approach it mentally, to really FEEL the effect. My analysis here, although I put this together many years ago, came only after I studied the song and its prosody to try to understand why it had the effect on me that it does. After all, a songwriter who takes a very studied approach to writing lyrics will require from her listeners, who want to understand why her music affects them the way that it does, a very studied approach from her listeners for them to fully understand this - not only emotionally, but also intellectually. And I have been privy enough to Vega's relatively intimate core fandom to know that this song of hers is held in particularly high esteem by many of the core of her most devoted fandom and that it is one of the songs that she performs the most, often in encores. There are reasons why this is the case.
So, why am I writing this, other than perhaps to try to connect with the universe in my own little way? Well, as I have said elsewhere (withIn my UA-cam Channel's playlist in which this video is featured, for one), this particular song's lyrics and prosody stand up to a very good degree of explication or literary analysis. Within literary criticism, one of the main things to look for when critiquing the quality of a work is if there is a relation of the theme of a work to the way in which the work is formed - Is there a meaningful, overarching synthesis? The song's title, "Rosemary", refers to the herb rosemary, which is an herb associated with memory. Indeed, the song's subtitle is "Remember Me", (which, in some remixes of the song is repeated over and over at the end of the song). In my opinion, the whole reason for her approach to prosody and the rhyme structure and syllable count within the various stanzas' structures is to lead the willing listener to that second "B" rhyme, and then have them feel something like..."Wait...doesn't that word rhyme and connect with a word from a few lines ago?" This is how memory often works - after the fact. Sometimes, something after the fact comes along and triggers a memory and you make a connection to...something. I have heard and read time and time again that, really, the sense of smell is a more powerful and oddly occurring trigger for memory than any of the other senses, especially for retrieving a memory from a long time ago - perhaps and/or particularly a buried memory. I think that this must be the reason that the herb rosemary is associated with memory because it has such a wonderful smell. It is probably my most favorite smell of any herb, although I am sure many people might prefer the scents of basil or mint.
In this world, as important as money and prestige can be, they can't buy everything, and the older one gets, although one may increasingly become aware of how important money and prestige can be, one also becomes aware of all the things that money and prestige cannot buy. In our very beleaguered pandemic and war-wary times, what can we hold on to in the face of so much death and suffering and toxic disavowal of the denial of so much truth regarding the nature of this suffering? As Vega sings in the song, maybe the only thing one might be holding on to or the last thought or memory somebody might have before dying is the wonderful scent of a twig of rosemary that a lover ran through their hair in a tender moment or the beautiful song sung by a woman about such a transitory but powerful memory.
I was so lucky to be there with some good friends...her songs, her voice...so touching..."And all I know of you is in my memory...and all I ask is you remember me"
this beautiful story, sang in an angelic voice makes me wanna write novels... it is suzanne vega's most beautiful, yet underrated song.
THIS is music. Such a wonderful voice and beautiful woman. I'll always love her.
This is my favourite Vega song ❤
Never heard this one. Fantastic. Wonderful chord changes here Suzanne. As a man/musician who usually stays away from the "Lillith fair" type of stuff - this lady is quite an exception. REAL music. A rare example today of someone who DESERVES recognition and success.
I didn't know about the "Lilith fair"... a great starting point to discover interesting female artists (like Shawn Colvin, for example, backing vocalist in "Luka")... in any case Vega is always the best! best regards
I am so in love with her voice...
This song is just wonderful.
Divine. And a chorus to die for. Slipping into obsession here...
This is stunningly beautiful.
Voice, acoustic guitar and bass. Nearly heaven
I went to this wonderful wonderful concert with some good friends in Tokyo...this was the last song...and my twin brother had asked for it...a beautiful moment in our life!!!
I still can't believe I'll be seeing her live in my home town in less than 2 weeks!
This song is so gorgeous and moving. :')
My sister says she never dreams at night
There are days when I know why
Those possibilities within her sight
With no way of coming true
Cause some things just don't get through
Into this world although they try
Breaks my heart.
For me, the first paragraph, the beginning... 😉
the best..i love her----
Great
Stunning, flawless rendition of a beautiful song.
All I know of you is in my memory. I love you JNW.
Suzanne, your songs with your very very peculiar voice, makes my soul happy! I love you!
One of Suzanne's most beautiful compositions imo. Thanks for sharing.
What a gift from God has Suzanne !!!!!!!!!
Cuando escuché esta canción por primera vez supe que jamás la olvidaría, pero siempre que escucho nuevas canciones de ella, pienso lo mismo. Esta es sin duda una de las más entrañables para los SV fans y para mí, claro. :) Thanks for posting this BEAUTIFUL, SOFT AND DELICATE SONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dear Suzy... what a talent. Your voice is pure magic. I Love You sweet girl.
Such an unbelievable talent. I will always love her.
Vraiment merveilleux. The best of the USA, what we except from american singers.
From France with love and respect.
To her, it's about the story, the music --not the glitz n glam, ...and thus giving her a greater beauty
Caress your soul. It´s a poetry. Something familiar...Thank you.
this is talent, truly gifted!
I love this song, and I'm dancing to it.
Suzanne Vega Nice Interpretation! 🌸🌷💮🌼🌹
Singular talent.
iイイよね 年はとっても歌に説得力がついて良くなってる感じ アメリカの良心
ニューヨークのワイズ 日本にはいないね どんなに世の中が乱れても必ず同じところに居てくれる 安心できる音楽 素敵です ありがとう
Thanks. I like this better than the studio version. Maybe because she was singing it for someone in the audience.
I want her to write the story of my life.
Seeing her tomo.looking forward to the concert.forgot how much I enjoyed listening to her music
bárbaro!!!
Have diez años... Y en Úbeda hace 19...
Brilliant!
Please upload the whole show please!!!
simply perfect!
I wish I could be one to remember you today but I haven't forgotten yet as I know you're still becoming so I'll wait. I keep my thoughts of you active so my memory can't steal or hide them. My memory is lonely and I know it would swallow you whole leaving nothing for me to walk with today. I remember listening to 9 Objects Of Desire in my car parked playing along with my African Split Drum and singing harmonies....you can have that memory...I wish I had one of walking with you to give back today
just beautiful
Wandeful song of Suzanne Vega.
Спасибо.
Maravillosa 🇨🇱
GRANDE DONNA!
with those possibilities within her sight,
with no way of coming true.
Es mi cancion, foi feita para mim, super jolie, thanks
Rosemary Gomes de Rio de Janeiro / Brasil
Who is listening to it in 2024?
love her sar her 2000 at glasonbery
in the carmen of the martyrs
with the statues in the courtyard
where heads and hands were taken
in the burden of the sun
Hermosa 👍🇨🇱
She doesn't write songs she tells stories from the
❤
breakng off to the bone cry for you sing along a song of worship at your feet xx servant infantiel debiel
i have come to meet you
with the questions in my footsteps
i was going up the hillside
and the journey has begun
Genial 🇨🇱👍
I LOVE YOU
Domo arigatou
Nell'altra vita io dovrò essere il migliore amico di Mark Knopfler e sposare Suzanne Vega.
perfect/
je sur kiffe S .V !
teach me!
its three now.
See below
I would love to cover this song, but it would be so different from the original, because I have a high voice. I'm a soprano.
one person missed 'like' button....
Seeing her tomo.looking forward to the concert.forgot how much I enjoyed listening to her music