Your father was a great man! Stopping this vicious cycle takes truly a great human being and by doing this for you, he made the world a better place! Deepest respect!!
This song spoke to me as a teenager. I had been physically and emotionally abused by both my father and step-mother. It was so bad I actually went to school one day with blood in my hair and on my face. I never went home that evening. I spent the school day in the staff room while my future was decided upon. Then years later I hear this masterpiece. It broke a piece of my heart as I recalled those awful days. She was right to record this, as it speaks to all those who suffered at the hands of others, so thank you Suzanne, you spoke to millions with a heartbreaking song.
I was abused as a child and 32 years after its release I still cry every time I hear My Name Is Luka ... I LOVE Susanne Vega for writing it. ...It's not JUST socially important .... it's a Pop Music Masterpiece.
I was that kid that was being abused when this song came out. This song meant a lot to me then and now. I love her for it. Thank you Suzanne! Much respect! I stood tall.
Good day, Dexter. Yes, me too. I, later, moderated (as a volunteer) a survivors of child abuse support group for 10 years (still keep in contact.) I hope you know there ARE others willing to listen & offer empathy. ONLINE chat rooms are available if the are no physical meetings in your area. Maybe you already participate in a support group. If not, as a fellow survivor, I highly recommend it. BEST WISHES TO YOU ALWAYS.
Hadn't heard this in 30 years, and it hit me like a ton of bricks again today, just like I was still a child cowering in fear from my mother's unrelenting violence and insults. Thank you, Suzanne, for giving a voice to the voiceless.
Please forgive me, please allow me to be the voice of motherhood for just a second. Child you is beautiful and dreamy and hopeful and funny! I’m so moved by just your smile, and I pray for you all the time. You’re a good boy, and all of us mothers are so grateful we get to be honored with you in our lives. Be yourself, because you’re wonderful!
I'm with you, l hold hands with you, hiding from my mother too. We got the belt because my father drank. She never wanted us, my mother. I broke the cycle with my children. They will never know what that fear feels like. I'd die for them.
I feel bad for you, I am a survivor as well. I want for you to find peace The power of forgiveness works wonders, Forgiving has nothing to do with the person you are forgiving, it has everything to do with you letting go. most times the person you forgiving could care less. You just need to let it go and LIVE!
The upbeat arrangement contrasting with the sad lyrics makes this song for me. In my mind, it’s almost as if the arrangement is trying to make up for all the pain in Luka’s life and wishing him a better future.
In some ways Nowhere Man, We Can Work it Out were a little like this in that it was alternating between upbeat and then the sad or more like the deep and meaningful part of the song would come in.
Susanne is still very much an incredibly beautiful woman today and her voice sounds just like she did over 30 years ago. I wish she would make more albums. She is a highly underrated artist.
@@Internutt2023 Oftentimes an artist is actually able to sing the songs way better than what you hear in the recorded versions (and even on stage, because Autotune variants are used live too). It's the labels that insist on "pitch correction" so the artist is made to sing the songs more plainly so as to not throw the software off. It robs the music of any kind of life when a singer isn't allowed to actually put their heart and soul into it. Of course there ARE "artists" who are just faces with a synthetically enhanced voice behind them, but sooo many just aren't allowed to actually show what they're capable of.
I was in the children's home when this song came out. An orphan and victim of so much abuse. It seemed like I was the only person in the world that was going through these troubles. When Suzanne Vega finally decided to let this song be released, it is one of the most pivotal songs of the 80s, in my opinion. Countless numbers of lost souls were found, and made to feel like they would never be alone again. No matter what you suffer from, no matter what you have been through, It can always get better. Music helps us through. Thank you
@MrLukearthwalker - Google translate is a friend for that - use "Malay" as the language: "lucas" - translate.google.ca/?um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&client=tw-ob#view=home&op=translate&sl=ms&tl=en&text=lucas "luka" - translate.google.ca/?um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&client=tw-ob#view=home&op=translate&sl=ms&tl=en&text=luka
This was one of the best, if not the best song of 1987. I remember always hearing this song while on my commute to and from my first job after college. God I miss the glorious 80s!
How amazing that her manager was the one who encouraged her to release a song because it carried an important message, and that he clearly loved music, rather than simply being in it for the $$$
That's exactly what I thought when she said that about him! That'd such a great manager, instead of the monsters who abuse the female artists they manage!
I can identify totally with that song because as a child, I grew up in a home of domestic violence. My father was really an angry man for most of the time. He would regularly abuse my mother, both physically and verbally. Sometimes me, and my three brothers would also get a beating. I always dreaded him coming home from work, because I just never knew what kind of a day he had, and he always took his anger and frustration out on us when he got home. He has since passed away, and although I have found inner peace, and forgiven him for what he did, it has left me scarred mentally and emotionally. I think, towards the end, he tried to make up for those early years in my life by doing things for me, he even drove me to see Suzanne perform "Live" twice. I am now in my early 60's, but as I said, my early years have left scars. Thank you Suzanne for addressing this difficult issue.
What a charming and talented lady. Lovely to see her again after all these years. It’s a song which is part of my childhood. I hope she reads the nice comments here and it makes her feel good.
I’m an old guy now and survived abuse. This song reminds me of the terror I felt back then. It also makes me proud of how far I’ve come and how much farther I still need to go.
At 55 the effects of the brutal physical emotional abuse don't ever fully go away.The person who brought you into this world did this to me.I asked her why and she said it was because I didn't cause her problems and she took out her frustrations on me.This song always made me cry because I am the child in this song.
Sorry but its not about that kind of abuse.. In the form and words used in sentence represent a deeper issue from "kick a dog". But still its anti abuse but dont say you are the child in the song if you are a victim of "kick a dog". Still sad that you were that dog
Thank you Suzanne for this song. I was beat by my father with a belt all the time when I was a kid so bad that I couldn't sit at my desk at school because of the black an blues all over my body. I was so relieved that my mother left my father when I was 6. Alcohol played a big part but I got married and we had 3 boys an never did i touch my boys when they broke a window or do something wrong an they grew up just fine.Im so glad I broke the chain because my dad an grandfather used to get the belt from there dads.
exactly, she comes across completely unpretentious, just as an incredibly talented and gifted artist with a knack for observational, poetic songwriting.
Hmmm....the 10,000 Maniacs song, "What's The Matter Here?" from their IN MY TRIBE album was also released in 1987....but I think it charted AFTER "Luka"...also talks about child abuse from the perspective of a third person. What I think is most powerful about these types of songs: they don't "beat you over the head"....and instead draw the listener in....with a kind of empathy. We all know that child abuse occurs....and in both songs, there's no 'plan of action'...just an unwritten plea to be more aware...and then, perhaps, to get more involved....as neighbors. I saw Suzanne in concert at NYC's Beacon Theater when her first album came out....terrific performer...impressive songwriter.
This one always gave me chills. Don't know how anyone can mistake the story for anything other than what it is. PS She has beautiful handwriting as per that notebook with the lyrics.
Christmas Eve, 2019. As a survivor of severe child abuse, THANK YOU SUZANNE VEGA! I endured cruelty even at Christmastime, EXCEPT from my warm, wonderful FRIENDS. My parents both inflicted & enabled physical & emotional violence until I was 18 & moved out. I endured emotional cruelty for a few years after that before cutting them off. My own kind husband & I have given our own children a home filled with GENUINE LOVE. Just an aside: BILL MEDLEY, OF THE RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS, WROTE W/ CANDOR ABOUT THE PAIN HE ENDURED, as an UNWANTED child, in his autobiography: "A Righteous Brother's Memoir." TO ALL: I highly recommend it & if you get the chance, CATCH HIS CONCERT as well as Suzanne's. Peace On Earth to ALL.
Martha sweetie, I am so sorry this happened to you - you didn't deserve this - not one little bit. I'm so happy that you have found the love, support and happiness that you do deserve. sending you much love and
@@juliaconnell - Good morning, Ms. Connell. I appreciate your message. I assure you, I'm a mature adult, w/ a Master's Degree in Counseling Psychology who has been assisting fellow abuse survivors w/ their own recovery for 15 years. The 1st point I emphasize in one of the regular support group meetings I moderate is YOU DID NOT "deserve" it. That DOES help them relax. I make it clear that everyone in the room deserves RESPECT & dignity, not pity, which, also, allows for positive healing. Thank you for your kind statements. PS- I met Bill Medley after a local concert. I thanked him for the comfort his candor about his own history provided for my support group members. He thanked me for donating my time to run survivor support groups. Nice guy!
Hi Martha, isn't it wonderful and mindblowing how much music can make a difference in our lives. With some artists and songs it can often feel like 'coming home' from all the hardships life throws at you. So happy that you found someone who values you and that the two of you can pass that on to your children. Have a great 2020! :)
@@mjcamck I hope you didn't read any pity in my message - simply the intended understanding and compassion - while my path has been different to yours, not as deep or as dark (never physical) - was more mental and emotional - from everyone in my family, my mother, my 4 older siblings - even my uncle at times (all except my dad, who was my rock, but passed 20 years ago) (which is on-going, just spent the last two days crying after my family called me on Christmas, the things that were said to me, the _way_ they were said). as I said, compassion, understanding, respect, never pity. I admire and RESPECT you for taking on your pain and hurt, healing & helping yourself - and going that next step - doing so much good in the world by helping others *respect*
I was 26 and in my first year of marriage when this came out. When I heard it, I fell apart and landed in to therapy for years to come to terms with the rape, beatings and molestations my siblings and I grew up with. I didn't like it but until then, I thought it was normal. Thank you Susan...
@Your Favourite Comment, How have you been aging - getting better or starting to forget some of the words? I might be slipping now and then myself when I'm singing in the shower.
I’ll never figure out what was worse: the abuse I endured as a child or the inability to get people to believe that my parent “would do something like that”. They could always put on quite a show when they needed to.
my sisters had a teacher like this who was like a gothic horror novel -- torturing the stutterers, slamming kids fingers in desks -- making them wear actual dunce caps. When the parents came in it was -- my trip to Europe in slides! I'm teaching your kids far away culture!
Yes, I can relate - My mother's extended family, with the exceptions of her brother and sister, were quite adept at putting on a show and all the while arranging for me to be trafficked and serial-raped as a young girl, but that wasn't the worst part - The WORST part was telling everyone I was crazy and didn't know what I was doing/saying, thus totally discrediting me whenever I tried to seek help from anyone/anywhere. I was, however, lucky to have had my father, who tried to protect me up to a point.
Yeah and kids are taught they are not allowed to talk about it it's private so then society even shames them for testifying disgusting the willful ignorance that enables it. Victim shaming and so forth or advocates for victims silenced also.
I'd curl up and cry to the lyrics of this in the 80s, my older brother had it on a mix tape and it felt like she was talking to me...it was so lonely back then. We couldn't stop my mother from beating us, a shoe, a belt, over nothing, she just did it daily. The 80's sucked.
Absolutely. It's what brings me back to the song time and time again in spite of the fact the lyrics invariably bring me to tears (which is never a good look at the gym when this song pops up on my playlist).
2:49 - That voice is still off the scale. I am now 58 and both my parents are deceased and I shed not one tear for either of them. There is not a single occasion, that I can recall in my 58 years, where I ever felt a desire to hug either of my parents: not from 0 to 58. The load loses its impact but you wonder, for ever, if there could have been so much more to this journey.
I am 64. Verbal, physical and sexual abuse is all I ever got from mother, stepfather and father. Never kissed, hugged or told that I was loved. It makes for a complicated and painful life. Never got therapy because it was so ingrained in me that no one cared, so who would listen? How I wish that no child ever had to endure abuse.
Esther Renee Rodriguez-Gueits may healing be upon you. You are a brave soul and God loves you very much. Nobody can take that love away from you. Smile always, I care. 😀
I have been listening to Suzanne since approx 1987. I feel in love with her first album. I noted at the time that rarely anyone produces a second album as good as the first. Suzanne's second album was even better than the first. She has been on my playlist for over thirty years. How fortunate am I. Thanks Suzanne.
I was 16 years old when this came out. Having been abused I cry every time. Not because of bad memories. But because there are still thousands of children in the US that are still abused.
That's only increasing during the Trump Administration. A bunch of careless, sexist, money-hungry losers on top, and it all trickles down. If the president of the free world can grab her by the pussy, then why can't I? He's successful by being arrogant, so why shouldn't I be arrogant as well?
So I was eight when this song came out and I loved it, but I'm from Holland. So, my English wasn't good enough to grasp what the song was about really. So then a few years later I was riding my bike to school and the song came on the radio on my walkman. And it just stopped me in my tracks. It hit me like a brick. Probably because the instrumentation is quite upbeat the difference is so stark. This song is etched in my soul. Thanks Suzanne! :) her looks and voice haven't aged btw....
i was 7 when it came out and i can relate to what you wrote, it took me years too to realize what it is about. Just not while listening in a Walkman, but laying on the couch all alone listening to the radio. The song is still often played in the radio here in Austria, and i am pretty sure that the majority of people listening have absolutely no clue. (Not just because less people are able to speak english than in the Netherlands. Also because it is easier to just listen to the meldoy and not the lyrics if it is in a scond/foreign language)
I remember being six years-old, it was 1987, me and my mother were in the market buying the groceries and there was this record store in the middle of the street and we entered and I asked for Suzanne Vega's release: Solitude Standing... I was in love with Luka song... My mom bought my first record that day... I was so happy I literally played the cassette over and over again for months... I will never forget that day thanks to my mom my love for music records started... now after more than 30 years I still remember this song with love :))))
Great song from a great album, “Solitude Standing”. When this song came out, it was everywhere. At first, you might have thought it was a nice jangly tune. But then you heard it again, actually listening to the lyrics, and you realized what it was about. Then comes that line, “They only hit until you cry”. Sung from the perspective of a child who is being hit and doesn’t understand why. It still gives me goosebumps when I hear it today.
I'm 70 years old in 2019. When I was a boy my mother would regularly severely beat me and my brothers and sister. I know this sounds crazy but I thought that this abuse went on in every house. That all my friends were beaten by their parent(s). If I cried or even whimpered, this would enrage my mother even more and the beating would intensify. I thought that all I had to do was survive, repress it. When I was in my late forties the buried pain manifested itself as panic attacks, anxiety and Clinical Depression.
I'm so sorry you had to go through this. You are right, every child thinks its normal and goes on everywhere. I'm glad you realise now, that none of it was your fault, and that you now have more lovely days than bad ones. :)
Man, I didn’t have it as hard but I was very sensitive and couldn’t tolerate well people yelling at each other and sometimes getting physical about it. I handled it by losing myself in books and compartmentalizing, I would pray too and project emotions by singing. I used to blame myself for not preventing arguments from happening and later in life I got diagnosed with anxiety too. I’m sending hugs your way.
I'm so thankful that somebody took the time to meet with this timeless artist... And to talk about a song that exposed a societal wrong and helped so many people through difficult times, knowing that they are not alone ❤️
Oh, boy. I kind of knew what it was about when it came out and I was an eleven year old kid. My best friend was Luka and we both came from homes not exactly properly handled to be mild. It was a relatable piece and it gets me every time which is why out of some weird pride I don't listen to it around people. Reactions vary. However when she played it in Rudolstadt ex-East Germany, some people got to see the little me poke out just a tiny bit. After the concert I was lucky enough to have a band pass ("roadie" for another band) so I could meet her and get her autograph. At this very moment it's about half a meter away from me 😊
I remember this song all too well. Being a survivor of child abuse, this song touched my heart in a way that I cannot explain, because until I heard this song, I thought that I was alone. Thank you for letting me know that I was not alone back then.
Wow. A manager that was prescient...advocating and pushing an artist to publish a song. Usually you hear stories of them pushing an artist to change a song in some way. Good on him/her.
Can I just say, God bless you, Ms. Vega, for writing this beautiful, simple song with such a touching, sharp focus and social commentary. I love your work!
Without this song I I would not be here today. I would have been just another sad statistic and victim of child abuse. Thank you for this song Miss Vega. It has purpose and meaning to me. May you have the good karma that goes with the positive energy in this universe. This song is one of a small few out there that can stop me dead in my trax and bring a grown man to tears everytime I hear it being played. Again, thank you for Luka!
This song was on a compilation CD my mother had. We were listening to it one day in the car I must have been 12 maybe younger and I loved this song; I remember her pausing the song and discussing it, the meaning and the importance of it, she told me if I ever see a kid in my class with bruises they can explain, say something to an adult. It really allowed us to have an open and mature conversation, she told me she had been abused my boyfriend and how she got out from that situation. This song is forever embedded in my mind because of that conversation that day.
I have always wondered what the story behind this song was. When I first heard it in the 80's, I was so impressed. I grew up overprotected and strictly controlled by my parents. I thick they meant well and didn't know what they were really doing by limiting me so. (I'm handicapped, that enters into it.) So I had a real sympathy for the song and the character in it, who is so used to his world being so hurtful and impossible to get out of, that he covers it up in order to get by. It wasn't until I got out in the real world, that I started to realize just how different, good and bad, most people live compared to how I grew up, and just how far the control went. I had a mostly good and loving family life, though, no physical abuse, nothing overt. I wish I knew what would have made my parents see, and stop, the pattern they were in. This interfered with making and keeping friends when I was a kid and teen, and even now as an adult, I still have to work against the tendencies in my personality and life experience, and have some trouble with relationships, despite that I like people and want friends. I also grew up getting bullied, not by my family at all, but by other kids at school. So I get, in some ways, what this song is about, and it has stuck with me all these years as meaningful. Few people have had the guts to write about this subject, and some get misunderstood for it. I'm so glad Suzanne Vega made this song. I hope it helped some people get through their lives better, and heal because of it.
Ben - abuse takes many forms - physical is just one of them - mental and emotional abuse is just as real and leaves deeper scars. it sounds like you're still hurting - which is ok - it's ok to hurt, to feel sad, bad, angry, hurt (a lot of men are told from an early age that it's not ok to feel - it is). thank you for sharing. the more we talk about these issues the easier it is for everyone - those who haven't experienced this to understand, and those who have to know they are not alone.
This song has always haunted me. For so many reasons. Still hits home even now as an adult. So grateful that they brought awareness to child abuse back then. Suzanne still sounds great too 🎶🎶❤
I agree with LittleLulubee. It can be cathartic once in a while, is the point. To me Susanne Vega's song has always had a 'bitter/sweet' quality to it. As others have mentioned it is written in a major key, which emphasizes this. Victims of abuse, those recovering from abuse, survivors of abuse (most of us, one way or another) all have to find their own way of coping. Why judge them for it? I don't think that was what Susanne Vega intended but upon mature reflection she might want to revisit the way she said what she said. It probably depends upon the extent of the abuse. I know someone very well who was so badly abused as a child that it doesn't bare writing about. In his mid twenties he became profoundly schizophrenic (that was thirty years ago) which is not uncommon in cases of the worst childhood abuse. I asked him recently if he feels bitter. He replied "no point in crying over spilt milk". Sanguine. Not bitter (remarkably). But certainly not 'sweet'.
EXACTLY (in a major key, upbeat song, etc). I think that nature made the song more appealing to the masses, perhaps before they listened to the words, but even after they did, it made them think and it made them sa,d but it wasn't a "downer" in a sad key, like "Cat's in the Cradle". 10,000 Maniacs put out "What's the Matter Here?" just after this song, also about child abuse, but it was not a hit, didn't even crack the Top 40, and I think it was because 1) People probably thought "Somebody already did a song about child abuse--one is enough for pop music", and 2) "What's the Matter Here?" is much more depressing buth in sound and it's much more graphic in the lyrics. Makes people uncomfortable whereas "Luka" makes them think, but not in an icky way.
There are really few artists whose songs sound very authentic and are based on everyday situations and problems. I find the song "Luka" very impressive and authentic. I think it's well explained by Suzanne Vega, how she explains how the song came about. Shawn Mendes also explained how his song "When You're Gone" came about. The song came from breaking up with Camila Cabello, asking who is protecting him? Who can he call if he has problems. These are songs that I really appreciate and whoever wrote them has my fullest respect.
This song is a giant hit from the 80's !...I remember when I'm in high school..this hearthwelming song very touching..meaningful!..and so beautiful!..from the lyrics.,..completely to its melody!...one of a great song!.. Suzanne vega!..with this song?..surely will continue her income ..the copyright and tax of this song!...thankz!..for composing this beautiful song!... ;0)
I work in a Child Abuse Investigation Unit, this song has so much meaning for my colleagues and me. The lyrics read so much like so many of our cases. We work closely with Children's Services and we each have about 70 cases on the go at any time. I've been doing the job for over 15 years and it can be very rewarding, it can also be very stressful and probably contributed to my heart attack and subsequent by pass surgery 18 months ago. Back at work now and still motivated. I could have retired 3 years ago at 60 may well go on to 65.
Im 17 and finding a job soon. I have always wished to work with Child Abuse Investigation Unit, from personally dealing with abuse in the past and somewhat still is. Hate to realize there are kids right now dealing with the same thing too and worse. You and your colleagues are inspiring and doing very important work! Thank you so much
I came across this song over my local radio station in preparation for an 80’s party and it caught me, i UA-camd it and here I am..it’s amazing how she got the song, I’m a writer and it’s exactly how we get our inspiration to get these things out. I love the song I love her voice and everything about it.😌
I found the letter that Prince wrote to Suzanne Vega about her song. It was written in the most beautiful arabesque script, and he also drew a flower and a cross at the bottom. The letter reads (and, remember, there was no eMail back then): “Dearest Suzanne, Luka is the most compelling piece of music I’ve heard in a long time. There are no words 2 tell u all the things I feel when I hear it. I thank God 4 u, Prince.”
Holy Shit! Csn you i.agine getting a letter like that from a cat like Prince about a song like that that a person like you *WROTE*. I would surely take the rest of the day off.
I was a Luka and the first time I heard your song I knew exactly what it was about and I have loved it all my life. It touches my heart. When I saw and heard you sing this in this video I still think you sing it great. I wish I had a recording of you singing it even at this time of your life because it is still beautiful. Thank you. :-)
This song really stuck with me as a kid. I can't explain it but stuff at home wasn't "normal" and even though it wasn't physical abuse it still struck home for me.
There are all kinds of abuse. You don't need bruises for your pain to be real. I'm sorry they did that to you, you deserved so much better. I hope Life is better for you, now.
I watched Suzanne Vega performance today from when she performed the song Luka on the Grammy awards in 1987 I believe which was at Radio City Music Hall. Suzanne sang an acoustic version of Luka at the Grammys and it was just her and her guitar on that huge stage at Radio City. She captured the whole audience and had there ultimate attention while she played the strings on her guitar and her beautiful voice sang the lyrics. It was one of the Grammys best performances. Prince was sitting in the audience and he got up and gave Suzanna a standing ovation. To get a standing ovation from Prince was such an honor especially knowing he is no longer with us. It's just incredible how one great song can touch millions of Hearts all across the world. The 1980's were a great decade and incredible music came out from that decade. Those were very important years in my young life and those songs mean so much to me as well!!! ❤❤❤
After hearing what she said... So understand how one feel and becomes after living with parents or people that ends up changing who you are, super humble, not talking more than needed because then it's a less chance you " say something wrong" and end up thinking it's something wrong with yourself, because "someone "is always angry or make you feel stupid for most you say. Wipes away self-esteem, security, always on edge, super humble, and upside is getting super good to read others and feel energies, but learn to analyze everything, love everyone friendly and use too much time learning who isn't wise to let your power over to... Like this song even better now. Always liked it so much and her voice. My mom also loved this song ( still do) One of my life's music perls 🌠
I remember listening to this song on the car radio when it first got airplay. I sat there perfectly still and just let it soak in. What a unique, yet simple piece of musical expression! Vega's voice is incredibly smooth and it contrasts very well with the disturbing lyrical content. We need to listen to more music like this. We need to stop turning away from the ugly and inconvenient. I am grateful that there are songs like this to remind us of the issues we don't want to talk about or think about. The issues are old (old as mankind) but they are still sadly relevant.
Literally Goosebumps when I saw her showing us around the place she stayed in the past. I remember feeling sucked into a surreal emotion when I sat on my school bench years later or feeling choked with emotions entering the very hospital where my Mom breathed her last . Its an eerie feeling to go back to a place that has some part of you somewhere !!!!
This song is so amazing and heartbreaking. To this day I couldn't name a son of mine Luca because it makes me think of a little boy suffering in silence in that song. The connotation is that strong.
My father was a Luka too. He broke the cycle for me. Nothing but respect for my beloved dad. Rest in Peace my idol. I love you.
Break bad cycles & start good ones.
It takes a great man to do that.
Mindtones, To all the Great fathers out there, like yours...a bow of respect.
Reason1717 a bow of respect to warmhearted People like you! 👍🏻
Your father was a great man! Stopping this vicious cycle takes truly a great human being and by doing this for you, he made the world a better place! Deepest respect!!
Her voice didn't even age a day!
@JeremyJo . . . she sounded great for sure .
and it's not your business anyway ...
Her face did, unfortunately.
@@bertthebird2341 You must have been at top of your class. Genius.
@@bertthebird2341 . . . rotflmao .
This song spoke to me as a teenager. I had been physically and emotionally abused by both my father and step-mother. It was so bad I actually went to school one day with blood in my hair and on my face. I never went home that evening. I spent the school day in the staff room while my future was decided upon. Then years later I hear this masterpiece. It broke a piece of my heart as I recalled those awful days. She was right to record this, as it speaks to all those who suffered at the hands of others, so thank you Suzanne, you spoke to millions with a heartbreaking song.
Big hug to you, David. And if you are a father, I know you treat your kids with plenty of love, consideration and understanding. I love you♥
🧡
🙏🏼🫶🏼
David. I send you a hug❤
@@lailalivsdatter6660 Thank you for your kindness
I was abused as a child and 32 years after its release I still cry every time I hear My Name Is Luka ... I LOVE Susanne Vega for writing it. ...It's not JUST socially important .... it's a Pop Music Masterpiece.
I love her too ,I grow up in Brazil listen her songs 👏👏👏👏👏❤❤❤🇺🇸🇧🇷
Mark, you are not alone. This song had special meaning to a lot of us.
Hugs from Denmark
😭 I feel you.
Thank you for your strength in surviving. I hope you have found wholeness and peace. You are a hero.
I was that kid that was being abused when this song came out. This song meant a lot to me then and now. I love her for it. Thank you Suzanne! Much respect! I stood tall.
DexterAugustusMae Hope you are doing well now. Seriously. And I’m sorry
Good day, Dexter. Yes, me too. I, later, moderated (as a volunteer) a survivors of child abuse support group for 10 years (still keep in contact.) I hope you know there ARE others willing to listen & offer empathy. ONLINE chat rooms are available if the are no physical meetings in your area. Maybe you already participate in a support group. If not, as a fellow survivor, I highly recommend it. BEST WISHES TO YOU ALWAYS.
@@mjcamck God bless you for your work. I wish you a Happy New Year, and may you continue to help many.
@@itgetter9 - Thank you and Best Wishes for Health & Joy in the New Year of 2020.
@@mjcamck Thank you!
Hadn't heard this in 30 years, and it hit me like a ton of bricks again today, just like I was still a child cowering in fear from my mother's unrelenting violence and insults. Thank you, Suzanne, for giving a voice to the voiceless.
Please forgive me, please allow me to be the voice of motherhood for just a second. Child you is beautiful and dreamy and hopeful and funny! I’m so moved by just your smile, and I pray for you all the time. You’re a good boy, and all of us mothers are so grateful we get to be honored with you in our lives. Be yourself, because you’re wonderful!
I'm with you, l hold hands with you, hiding from my mother too. We got the belt because my father drank. She never wanted us, my mother. I broke the cycle with my children. They will never know what that fear feels like. I'd die for them.
I feel bad for you, I am a survivor as well. I want for you to find peace The power of forgiveness works wonders, Forgiving has nothing to do with the person you are forgiving, it has everything to do with you letting go. most times the person you forgiving could care less. You just need to let it go and LIVE!
Dear you❤
Suzanne is a true artist and what a wonderful soul. Luka is forever a haunting song.
❤
The upbeat arrangement contrasting with the sad lyrics makes this song for me. In my mind, it’s almost as if the arrangement is trying to make up for all the pain in Luka’s life and wishing him a better future.
In some ways Nowhere Man, We Can Work it Out were a little like this in that it was alternating between upbeat and then the sad or more like the deep and meaningful part of the song would come in.
My ex loved this song, until I told her it was about child abuse. She is the daughter of two alcoholics, one active, one "recovered".
Prince wrote her a letter telling her how good this song was.
How cool is that right??
@@takayukiishiguro You're so right. Here is a link to the Tweet: twitter.com/suzyv/status/724728422006554624
It's ok - Prince wasn't always right.
I think Prince had ulterior motives.
@@SmithMrCorona No one is, including you.
Susanne is still very much an incredibly beautiful woman today and her voice sounds just like she did over 30 years ago. I wish she would make more albums. She is a highly underrated artist.
And, the recording studio can save money by not needing a tech running "Auto Tune" as well 😂
@@Internutt2023 Oftentimes an artist is actually able to sing the songs way better than what you hear in the recorded versions (and even on stage, because Autotune variants are used live too). It's the labels that insist on "pitch correction" so the artist is made to sing the songs more plainly so as to not throw the software off. It robs the music of any kind of life when a singer isn't allowed to actually put their heart and soul into it.
Of course there ARE "artists" who are just faces with a synthetically enhanced voice behind them, but sooo many just aren't allowed to actually show what they're capable of.
This song is so good that prince gave it a standing ovation on his own at the 88 music awards.
I was in the children's home when this song came out. An orphan and victim of so much abuse. It seemed like I was the only person in the world that was going through these troubles. When Suzanne Vega finally decided to let this song be released, it is one of the most pivotal songs of the 80s, in my opinion. Countless numbers of lost souls were found, and made to feel like they would never be alone again. No matter what you suffer from, no matter what you have been through, It can always get better. Music helps us through. Thank you
I am from Malaysia. Trivia fact: 'Luka' in the Malay language means 'Wound'.
How interesting! Is that still the case if you add the 's' to make it Lucas?
Very interesting Bryant, thanks! Wonder if Suzanne knows that?
Who is Lucas?
@MrLukearthwalker - Google translate is a friend for that - use "Malay" as the language: "lucas" - translate.google.ca/?um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&client=tw-ob#view=home&op=translate&sl=ms&tl=en&text=lucas
"luka" - translate.google.ca/?um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&client=tw-ob#view=home&op=translate&sl=ms&tl=en&text=luka
In the West, this is a derivative of the Greek name Luke, which means "light giving".
This was one of the best, if not the best song of 1987. I remember always hearing this song while on my commute to and from my first job after college. God I miss the glorious 80s!
Song is still underrated till this day. Not by the smart people
How amazing that her manager was the one who encouraged her to release a song because it carried an important message, and that he clearly loved music, rather than simply being in it for the $$$
A true artist
That's exactly what I thought when she said that about him! That'd such a great manager, instead of the monsters who abuse the female artists they manage!
It made all the difference in the world.
05:09 "Most of us are abused in life in some way or another." Greatest truth ever.
Yes. I am at peace and grateful for my life.
The trick is surviving it and learning from it.
I can identify totally with that song because as a child, I grew up in a home of domestic violence.
My father was really an angry man for most of the time. He would regularly abuse my mother, both
physically and verbally. Sometimes me, and my three brothers would also get a beating. I always
dreaded him coming home from work, because I just never knew what kind of a day he had, and he
always took his anger and frustration out on us when he got home. He has since passed away, and
although I have found inner peace, and forgiven him for what he did, it has left me scarred mentally
and emotionally. I think, towards the end, he tried to make up for those early years in my life by doing
things for me, he even drove me to see Suzanne perform "Live" twice. I am now in my early 60's, but
as I said, my early years have left scars. Thank you Suzanne for addressing this difficult issue.
She has such a beautiful handwriting. Remarkable that this song came out perfect with the first draft.
What a charming and talented lady. Lovely to see her again after all these years. It’s a song which is part of my childhood. I hope she reads the nice comments here and it makes her feel good.
I’m an old guy now and survived abuse.
This song reminds me of the terror I felt back then.
It also makes me proud of how far I’ve come and how much farther I still need to go.
Heroic to face your trauma
At 55 the effects of the brutal physical emotional abuse don't ever fully go away.The person who brought you into this world did this to me.I asked her why and she said it was because I didn't cause her problems and she took out her frustrations on me.This song always made me cry because I am the child in this song.
Wow, I have nearly the exact same two dogs! They're beautiful, and I can tell they're as much an emotional anchor for you as mine are for me.
I hope you know it wasn’t your fault and that you are loved.
God bless you
Sorry but its not about that kind of abuse.. In the form and words used in sentence represent a deeper issue from "kick a dog". But still its anti abuse but dont say you are the child in the song if you are a victim of "kick a dog". Still sad that you were that dog
Me too.
She's still so very beautiful after all these years.
fabulous to hear the story behind the song
Thank you Suzanne for this song. I was beat by my father with a belt all the time when I was a kid so bad that I couldn't sit at my desk at school because of the black an blues all over my body. I was so relieved that my mother left my father when I was 6. Alcohol played a big part but I got married and we had 3 boys an never did i touch my boys when they broke a window or do something wrong an they grew up just fine.Im so glad I broke the chain because my dad an grandfather used to get the belt from there dads.
Additional respect after this interview. I appreciate her approach and attitude. Salute.
exactly, she comes across completely unpretentious, just as an incredibly talented and gifted artist with a knack for observational, poetic songwriting.
She is still beautiful
She looks fab!
She is still very attractive.. Suzanne Vega is!
35 years after her debut album, and I still have a crush on her. :)
Life goes on, but pretty eyes and a nice smile last forever.
And the voice!
It made a huge impression at the time. One of a kind song. Glad I watched.
It's timeless.
Hmmm....the 10,000 Maniacs song, "What's The Matter Here?" from their IN MY TRIBE album was also released in 1987....but I think it charted AFTER "Luka"...also talks about child abuse from the perspective of a third person. What I think is most powerful about these types of songs: they don't "beat you over the head"....and instead draw the listener in....with a kind of empathy. We all know that child abuse occurs....and in both songs, there's no 'plan of action'...just an unwritten plea to be more aware...and then, perhaps, to get more involved....as neighbors. I saw Suzanne in concert at NYC's Beacon Theater when her first album came out....terrific performer...impressive songwriter.
This one always gave me chills. Don't know how anyone can mistake the story for anything other than what it is.
PS She has beautiful handwriting as per that notebook with the lyrics.
Well, my abusive, sadistic mother once said she liked this song... because it was about "battered women."
Christmas Eve, 2019. As a survivor of severe child abuse, THANK YOU SUZANNE VEGA! I endured cruelty even at Christmastime, EXCEPT from my warm, wonderful FRIENDS. My parents both inflicted & enabled physical & emotional violence until I was 18 & moved out. I endured emotional cruelty for a few years after that before cutting them off. My own kind husband & I have given our own children a home filled with GENUINE LOVE. Just an aside: BILL MEDLEY, OF THE RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS, WROTE W/ CANDOR ABOUT THE PAIN HE ENDURED, as an UNWANTED child, in his autobiography: "A Righteous Brother's Memoir." TO ALL: I highly recommend it & if you get the chance, CATCH HIS CONCERT as well as Suzanne's. Peace On Earth to ALL.
Martha sweetie, I am so sorry this happened to you - you didn't deserve this - not one little bit. I'm so happy that you have found the love, support and happiness that you do deserve. sending you much love and
@@juliaconnell - Good morning, Ms. Connell. I appreciate your message. I assure you, I'm a mature adult, w/ a Master's Degree in Counseling Psychology who has been assisting fellow abuse survivors w/ their own recovery for 15 years. The 1st point I emphasize in one of the regular support group meetings I moderate is YOU DID NOT "deserve" it. That DOES help them relax. I make it clear that everyone in the room deserves RESPECT & dignity, not pity, which, also, allows for positive healing. Thank you for your kind statements. PS- I met Bill Medley after a local concert. I thanked him for the comfort his candor about his own history provided for my support group members. He thanked me for donating my time to run survivor support groups. Nice guy!
Hi Martha, isn't it wonderful and mindblowing how much music can make a difference in our lives. With some artists and songs it can often feel like 'coming home' from all the hardships life throws at you. So happy that you found someone who values you and that the two of you can pass that on to your children. Have a great 2020! :)
Everyone that was abused as a child dreams of having their own loving home. I'm so glad that dream came true for you
@@mjcamck I hope you didn't read any pity in my message - simply the intended understanding and compassion - while my path has been different to yours, not as deep or as dark (never physical) - was more mental and emotional - from everyone in my family, my mother, my 4 older siblings - even my uncle at times (all except my dad, who was my rock, but passed 20 years ago) (which is on-going, just spent the last two days crying after my family called me on Christmas, the things that were said to me, the _way_ they were said). as I said, compassion, understanding, respect, never pity. I admire and RESPECT you for taking on your pain and hurt, healing & helping yourself - and going that next step - doing so much good in the world by helping others *respect*
I was 26 and in my first year of marriage when this came out. When I heard it, I fell apart and landed in to therapy for years to come to terms with the rape, beatings and molestations my siblings and I grew up with. I didn't like it but until then, I thought it was normal. Thank you Susan...
Hope you are doing OK...
Still a great song in 2018
and 2019.
And as needed now as then - and sadly probably at any time or place you pick.
and SV is clearly still firing on all cylinders. Loved this when it was released, still love it now.
@Your Favourite Comment - Gosh, you're right.
@Your Favourite Comment, How have you been aging - getting better or starting to forget some of the words? I might be slipping now and then myself when I'm singing in the shower.
I’ll never figure out what was worse: the abuse I endured as a child or the inability to get people to believe that my parent “would do something like that”. They could always put on quite a show when they needed to.
my sisters had a teacher like this who was like a gothic horror novel -- torturing the stutterers, slamming kids fingers in desks -- making them wear actual dunce caps. When the parents came in it was -- my trip to Europe in slides! I'm teaching your kids far away culture!
Yes, I can relate - My mother's extended family, with the exceptions of her brother and sister, were quite adept at putting on a show and all the while arranging for me to be trafficked and serial-raped as a young girl, but that wasn't the worst part - The WORST part was telling everyone I was crazy and didn't know what I was doing/saying, thus totally discrediting me whenever I tried to seek help from anyone/anywhere. I was, however, lucky to have had my father, who tried to protect me up to a point.
You, too? Same here.
Yeah and kids are taught they are not allowed to talk about it it's private so then society even shames them for testifying disgusting the willful ignorance that enables it. Victim shaming and so forth or advocates for victims silenced also.
This song will never stop being significant. An organic thought-provoking evergreen.
When this song came out I was a kid who had friends that were getting abused. This song haunts me to this day it's both beautiful and soul wrenching.
I'd curl up and cry to the lyrics of this in the 80s, my older brother had it on a mix tape and it felt like she was talking to me...it was so lonely back then. We couldn't stop my mother from beating us, a shoe, a belt, over nothing, she just did it daily. The 80's sucked.
Same beautiful voice. Same beautiful smile.
Nice documentary! Growning up in the 80s, I thought Suzanne Vega and Tracy Chapman were EVERYTHING!
As a writer myself I must say this is the best song ever wrote so powerful
Great song great singer and very classy and intelligent lady...no pathos or trying to use a cause to boots her career----100% auntentic.
That’s how great art is created.
I was a Luka too. I lived on the other end of the country. Ive always loved this song. I love you Suzanna Vega. Thank you.
It was a very powerful song, but I have to also say that the entire instrumental is a work of genius. Just exceptional.
Absolutely. It's what brings me back to the song time and time again in spite of the fact the lyrics invariably bring me to tears (which is never a good look at the gym when this song pops up on my playlist).
2:49 - That voice is still off the scale.
I am now 58 and both my parents are deceased and I shed not one tear for either of them.
There is not a single occasion, that I can recall in my 58 years, where I ever felt a desire to hug either of my parents: not from 0 to 58.
The load loses its impact but you wonder, for ever, if there could have been so much more to this journey.
Michael Andrews 🥺 I hope that you heal.
Healing for you bro :)
I am 64. Verbal, physical and sexual abuse is all I ever got from mother, stepfather and father. Never kissed, hugged or told that I was loved. It makes for a complicated and painful life. Never got therapy because it was so ingrained in me that no one cared, so who would listen? How I wish that no child ever had to endure abuse.
Esther Renee Rodriguez-Gueits may healing be upon you. You are a brave soul and God loves you very much. Nobody can take that love away from you. Smile always, I care. 😀
@@estherrenee55 my heart goes out to you its possible to heal and break free just ask and the right pepole will help you
I have been listening to Suzanne since approx 1987. I feel in love with her first album. I noted at the time that rarely anyone produces a second album as good as the first. Suzanne's second album was even better than the first. She has been on my playlist for over thirty years. How fortunate am I. Thanks Suzanne.
Listen to Del Amitri - Twisted
Me too
I have to say that I love her first album more than her more commercial sounding second album .
I saw a performance of her 2 years ago. It was verg good and great voice stil.
Solitude standing is a nearly perfect album. I love it all these years later
Her singing voice just sounds like yesteryear...
totally!! I'm amazed!
yah it doesn't have that fake-voice reverb box that is overdone on all pop music from 2010 up.. did that start with Glee? ugh!
@@foggyozarkgal348 autotune u mean?
True! I thought the second part where she sang was the recording again. 😊😊😊
I was 16 years old when this came out. Having been abused I cry every time. Not because of bad memories. But because there are still thousands of children in the US that are still abused.
That's only increasing during the Trump Administration. A bunch of careless, sexist, money-hungry losers on top, and it all trickles down. If the president of the free world can grab her by the pussy, then why can't I? He's successful by being arrogant, so why shouldn't I be arrogant as well?
@@alukuhito maybe because you’re also a total idiot.
She has simple good looks. Very attractive woman with a wonderful personality.
A lovely soul.
I Agree
Had.....
@@plusbonus1165 she's still good a looking woman
I agree 100% i would love to meet her in person.
Amazing how powerful that song remains after all these years. That's the hallmark of a great song.
So I was eight when this song came out and I loved it, but I'm from Holland. So, my English wasn't good enough to grasp what the song was about really. So then a few years later I was riding my bike to school and the song came on the radio on my walkman. And it just stopped me in my tracks. It hit me like a brick. Probably because the instrumentation is quite upbeat the difference is so stark. This song is etched in my soul. Thanks Suzanne! :) her looks and voice haven't aged btw....
I noticed that the subtitles in this video are in Nederlands.
@@johanvangelderen289 Hi Johan, I guess because Top 2000 a gogo is a Dutch production. Funny enough I hadn;t even noticed it hahaha
Even when I speak the language, sometimes the true meaning of a song hits you many years later when you know every word but you never saw it that way
i was 7 when it came out and i can relate to what you wrote, it took me years too to realize what it is about. Just not while listening in a Walkman, but laying on the couch all alone listening to the radio. The song is still often played in the radio here in Austria, and i am pretty sure that the majority of people listening have absolutely no clue. (Not just because less people are able to speak english than in the Netherlands. Also because it is easier to just listen to the meldoy and not the lyrics if it is in a scond/foreign language)
I remember being six years-old, it was 1987, me and my mother were in the market buying the groceries and there was this record store in the middle of the street and we entered and I asked for Suzanne Vega's release: Solitude Standing... I was in love with Luka song... My mom bought my first record that day... I was so happy I literally played the cassette over and over again for months... I will never forget that day thanks to my mom my love for music records started... now after more than 30 years I still remember this song with love :))))
I survived a violent childhood & much more.
Thank you for writing and singing that song not only for a recording but also live on SNL. ❤
Great song from a great album, “Solitude Standing”. When this song came out, it was everywhere. At first, you might have thought it was a nice jangly tune. But then you heard it again, actually listening to the lyrics, and you realized what it was about. Then comes that line, “They only hit until you cry”. Sung from the perspective of a child who is being hit and doesn’t understand why. It still gives me goosebumps when I hear it today.
"...Backs are always free..." Wow.
@@peggyfranzen6159 I'm sorry, what?
My dad was my idol too, I think about him every day. Rest in peace the best dad in the world.
'we can get better or we can get bitter, the choice is ours.'
this is worth a requote
Who are you quoting, please? That's brilliant!
@@ulalaFrugilega I can't recall, but i know I didn't say it first.
Sometimes the abuse can destroy the person, worse when the abused knows that the abuser was never punished or kept on abusing others
I'm 70 years old in 2019. When I was a boy my mother would regularly severely beat me and my brothers and sister.
I know this sounds crazy but I thought that this abuse went on in every house. That all my friends were beaten by
their parent(s). If I cried or even whimpered, this would enrage my mother even more and the beating would intensify.
I thought that all I had to do was survive, repress it. When I was in my late forties the buried pain manifested itself
as panic attacks, anxiety and Clinical Depression.
I'm so sorry you had to go through this. You are right, every child thinks its normal and goes on everywhere. I'm glad you realise now, that none of it was your fault, and that you now have more lovely days than bad ones. :)
@Nancy l IKR
Man, I didn’t have it as hard but I was very sensitive and couldn’t tolerate well people yelling at each other and sometimes getting physical about it. I handled it by losing myself in books and compartmentalizing, I would pray too and project emotions by singing. I used to blame myself for not preventing arguments from happening and later in life I got diagnosed with anxiety too. I’m sending hugs your way.
@@claucemicro1080 TY
Oh Eric, this brought tears to my eyes.. Really glad to hear you've somehow overcome it... Love and light to you! ❤️ 🤗
I'm so thankful that somebody took the time to meet with this timeless artist... And to talk about a song that exposed a societal wrong and helped so many people through difficult times, knowing that they are not alone ❤️
From the first time I heard her, Suzanne Vega has been one of my favourite female artists. Fantastic diverse songwriting.
Oh, boy. I kind of knew what it was about when it came out and I was an eleven year old kid. My best friend was Luka and we both came from homes not exactly properly handled to be mild. It was a relatable piece and it gets me every time which is why out of some weird pride I don't listen to it around people. Reactions vary. However when she played it in Rudolstadt ex-East Germany, some people got to see the little me poke out just a tiny bit. After the concert I was lucky enough to have a band pass ("roadie" for another band) so I could meet her and get her autograph. At this very moment it's about half a meter away from me 😊
I remember this song all too well. Being a survivor of child abuse, this song touched my heart in a way that I cannot explain, because until I heard this song, I thought that I was alone. Thank you for letting me know that I was not alone back then.
Wow. A manager that was prescient...advocating and pushing an artist to publish a song. Usually you hear stories of them pushing an artist to change a song in some way. Good on him/her.
Can I just say, God bless you, Ms. Vega, for writing this beautiful, simple song with such a touching, sharp focus and social commentary. I love your work!
Without this song I I would not be here today. I would have been just another sad statistic and victim of child abuse. Thank you for this song Miss Vega. It has purpose and meaning to me. May you have the good karma that goes with the positive energy in this universe. This song is one of a small few out there that can stop me dead in my trax and bring a grown man to tears everytime I hear it being played. Again, thank you for Luka!
This lady is an angel on earth, happy new year Suzanne. Greetings from Ireland 😉
Her voice doesn't change....She's still beautiful.
This song was on a compilation CD my mother had. We were listening to it one day in the car I must have been 12 maybe younger and I loved this song; I remember her pausing the song and discussing it, the meaning and the importance of it, she told me if I ever see a kid in my class with bruises they can explain, say something to an adult. It really allowed us to have an open and mature conversation, she told me she had been abused my boyfriend and how she got out from that situation. This song is forever embedded in my mind because of that conversation that day.
The Best Christmas Present I got for 2018 was seeing this video....... Cheers Everyone
I have always wondered what the story behind this song was. When I first heard it in the 80's, I was so impressed. I grew up overprotected and strictly controlled by my parents. I thick they meant well and didn't know what they were really doing by limiting me so. (I'm handicapped, that enters into it.) So I had a real sympathy for the song and the character in it, who is so used to his world being so hurtful and impossible to get out of, that he covers it up in order to get by. It wasn't until I got out in the real world, that I started to realize just how different, good and bad, most people live compared to how I grew up, and just how far the control went. I had a mostly good and loving family life, though, no physical abuse, nothing overt. I wish I knew what would have made my parents see, and stop, the pattern they were in. This interfered with making and keeping friends when I was a kid and teen, and even now as an adult, I still have to work against the tendencies in my personality and life experience, and have some trouble with relationships, despite that I like people and want friends. I also grew up getting bullied, not by my family at all, but by other kids at school. So I get, in some ways, what this song is about, and it has stuck with me all these years as meaningful. Few people have had the guts to write about this subject, and some get misunderstood for it. I'm so glad Suzanne Vega made this song. I hope it helped some people get through their lives better, and heal because of it.
Ben - abuse takes many forms - physical is just one of them - mental and emotional abuse is just as real and leaves deeper scars. it sounds like you're still hurting - which is ok - it's ok to hurt, to feel sad, bad, angry, hurt (a lot of men are told from an early age that it's not ok to feel - it is). thank you for sharing. the more we talk about these issues the easier it is for everyone - those who haven't experienced this to understand, and those who have to know they are not alone.
Sounds like you had good parents, you ungrateful fool. Don't blame your shortcomings on parents who sacrificed for you.
@@sonicimperium I know know why pepe the frog is now a hate symbol
@@juliaconnell Truth hurts, just nowadays the people who own you call truth "hate".
@@sonicimperium Kevin - who hurt you? get some help rather than inflicting pain on others.
damn this song stopped me in my tracks when I first heard it, it was important to my recovery, so glad her manager won and it got released!
This song has always haunted me. For so many reasons. Still hits home even now as an adult. So grateful that they brought awareness to child abuse back then. Suzanne still sounds great too 🎶🎶❤
"Most of us are abused in life , one way or the other... What's the point of being bitter?" That's seriously profound.
Some people can't help it, though. It's like saying what's the point of being depressed? It's not really a choice
I agree with LittleLulubee. It can be cathartic once in a while, is the point. To me Susanne Vega's song has always had a 'bitter/sweet' quality to it. As others have mentioned it is written in a major key, which emphasizes this. Victims of abuse, those recovering from abuse, survivors of abuse (most of us, one way or another) all have to find their own way of coping. Why judge them for it? I don't think that was what Susanne Vega intended but upon mature reflection she might want to revisit the way she said what she said.
It probably depends upon the extent of the abuse. I know someone very well who was so badly abused as a child that it doesn't bare writing about. In his mid twenties he became profoundly schizophrenic (that was thirty years ago) which is not uncommon in cases of the worst childhood abuse. I asked him recently if he feels bitter. He replied "no point in crying over spilt milk". Sanguine. Not bitter (remarkably). But certainly not 'sweet'.
I am being abused by my manager every day. I have to work 4 days a week for 8 hours a day. And they only pay me $80 k a year!
Many times those who are abused are more "broken" than Depressed.
EXACTLY (in a major key, upbeat song, etc). I think that nature made the song more appealing to the masses, perhaps before they listened to the words, but even after they did, it made them think and it made them sa,d but it wasn't a "downer" in a sad key, like "Cat's in the Cradle".
10,000 Maniacs put out "What's the Matter Here?" just after this song, also about child abuse, but it was not a hit, didn't even crack the Top 40, and I think it was because 1) People probably thought "Somebody already did a song about child abuse--one is enough for pop music", and 2) "What's the Matter Here?" is much more depressing buth in sound and it's much more graphic in the lyrics. Makes people uncomfortable whereas "Luka" makes them think, but not in an icky way.
As a female solo artist in the 80’s, I don’t think anyone else wrote with such depth. Definitely a place in history for Suzanne.
Tracy Chapman!
The way you've written that, you were a female artist in the 80's
Very important song for many people.
Thank you so much Suzanne...
I am soooo glad this song didnt just dissappear. It is still one of my favourite songs. Very powerful and also easy to sing along to. Genius
Vega is just so talented and articulate
loved hearing her perform it live! beautiful beautiful
The deepest thank you to Suzanne - a priceless moment in the history of humanity
Her manager was right. This is was one of my favorite songs growing up.
Wonderful song. I loved it back then and I still love it now.
I have loved that song since it came out. Very nice story about it. Thanks Suzanne, and all the band as well.
Had no idea this song spoke about the things that many of you went through as children... great song :)
This song is definitely a Masterpiece! It never will die!! Thank u Suzanne!
I can never listen to this song without crying.
There are really few artists whose songs sound very authentic and are based on everyday situations and problems. I find the song "Luka" very impressive and authentic. I think it's well explained by Suzanne Vega, how she explains how the song came about. Shawn Mendes also explained how his song "When You're Gone" came about. The song came from breaking up with Camila Cabello, asking who is protecting him? Who can he call if he has problems. These are songs that I really appreciate and whoever wrote them has my fullest respect.
This song is a giant hit from the 80's !...I remember when I'm in high school..this hearthwelming song very touching..meaningful!..and so beautiful!..from the lyrics.,..completely to its melody!...one of a great song!.. Suzanne vega!..with this song?..surely will continue her income ..the copyright and tax of this song!...thankz!..for composing this beautiful song!... ;0)
I work in a Child Abuse Investigation Unit, this song has so much meaning for my colleagues and me.
The lyrics read so much like so many of our cases. We work closely with Children's Services and we each have about 70 cases on the go at any time. I've been doing the job for over 15 years and it can be very rewarding, it can also be very stressful and probably contributed to my heart attack and subsequent by pass surgery 18 months ago. Back at work now and still motivated. I could have retired 3 years ago at 60 may well go on to 65.
Im 17 and finding a job soon. I have always wished to work with Child Abuse Investigation Unit, from personally dealing with abuse in the past and somewhat still is. Hate to realize there are kids right now dealing with the same thing too and worse. You and your colleagues are inspiring and doing very important work! Thank you so much
This is how the best, most magical songs are conceived. They just materialize into existence without a lot of pressure or premeditation.
I came across this song over my local radio station in preparation for an 80’s party and it caught me, i UA-camd it and here I am..it’s amazing how she got the song, I’m a writer and it’s exactly how we get our inspiration to get these things out. I love the song I love her voice and everything about it.😌
I found the letter that Prince wrote to Suzanne Vega about her song. It was written in the most beautiful arabesque script, and he also drew a flower and a cross at the bottom. The letter reads (and, remember, there was no eMail back then): “Dearest Suzanne, Luka is the most compelling piece of music I’ve heard in a long time. There are no words 2 tell u all the things I feel when I hear it. I thank God 4 u, Prince.”
Holy Shit! Csn you i.agine getting a letter like that from a cat like Prince about a song like that that a person like you *WROTE*.
I would surely take the rest of the day off.
I was a Luka and the first time I heard your song I knew exactly what it was about and I have loved it all my life. It touches my heart. When I saw and heard you sing this in this video I still think you sing it great. I wish I had a recording of you singing it even at this time of your life because it is still beautiful. Thank you. :-)
An amazing song with a powerful message that bought the conversation into the mainstream, the album is one of my favorites even now many years later
This song really stuck with me as a kid. I can't explain it but stuff at home wasn't "normal" and even though it wasn't physical abuse it still struck home for me.
There are all kinds of abuse. You don't need bruises for your pain to be real. I'm sorry they did that to you, you deserved so much better. I hope Life is better for you, now.
After all these years she hasn't changed one bit. Still an incredible artist.
I watched Suzanne Vega performance today from when she performed the song Luka on the Grammy awards in 1987 I believe which was at Radio City Music Hall. Suzanne sang an acoustic version of Luka at the Grammys and it was just her and her guitar on that huge stage at Radio City. She captured the whole audience and had there ultimate attention while she played the strings on her guitar and her beautiful voice sang the lyrics. It was one of the Grammys best performances. Prince was sitting in the audience and he got up and gave Suzanna a standing ovation. To get a standing ovation from Prince was such an honor especially knowing he is no longer with us.
It's just incredible how one great song can touch millions of Hearts all across the world. The 1980's were a great decade and incredible music came out from that decade. Those were very important years in my young life and those songs mean so much to me as well!!! ❤❤❤
After hearing what she said... So understand how one feel and becomes after living with parents or people that ends up changing who you are, super humble, not talking more than needed because then it's a less chance you " say something wrong" and end up thinking it's something wrong with yourself, because "someone "is always angry or make you feel stupid for most you say. Wipes away self-esteem, security, always on edge, super humble, and upside is getting super good to read others and feel energies, but learn to analyze everything, love everyone friendly and use too much time learning who isn't wise to let your power over to...
Like this song even better now. Always liked it so much and her voice.
My mom also loved this song ( still do)
One of my life's music perls 🌠
Insanely talented and intelligent.
The song itself resonates on so many levels.
I Love this Song. Until Now this song hunts me, the tone, the lyrics, the sense and the composer singer. Just Love it!
As a native NYer I find her so "NYC" in her speech mannerisms and attitude. So authentic and proud of it.
Love it
Thank you for channeling and recording this song. It's a one hit wonder. God bless all the children. God bless Luka. God bless you.
I remember listening to this song on the car radio when it first got airplay. I sat there perfectly still and just let it soak in. What a unique, yet simple piece of musical expression! Vega's voice is incredibly smooth and it contrasts very well with the disturbing lyrical content. We need to listen to more music like this. We need to stop turning away from the ugly and inconvenient. I am grateful that there are songs like this to remind us of the issues we don't want to talk about or think about. The issues are old (old as mankind) but they are still sadly relevant.
Thank you for this beautiful song Suzanne Vega!
Literally Goosebumps when I saw her showing us around the place she stayed in the past.
I remember feeling sucked into a surreal emotion when I sat on my school bench years later or feeling choked with emotions entering the very hospital where my Mom breathed her last .
Its an eerie feeling to go back to a place that has some part of you somewhere !!!!
This song is so amazing and heartbreaking. To this day I couldn't name a son of mine Luca because it makes me think of a little boy suffering in silence in that song. The connotation is that strong.
Grew up with that song and always loved it and name my son Luka. But circumstances were different.....