"Suzanne" - by Nina Simone

"Suzanne"
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by Nina Simone (1933-2003)

Suzanne takes you down to her place by the river
You can hear the boats go by
You can spend the night forever
And you know that she's half crazy
And that's why you want to be there

And she feeds you tea and oranges
That come all the way from China
And just when you mean to tell her
That you have no love to give her

She gets you on her wavelength
And she lets the river answer
That you've always been her lover.

And you want to travel with her
And you want to travel blind
And you know that she'll trust you
For you've touched her perfect body with your mind.
Now, Jesus was a sailor
When He walked upon the water
And He spent a long time watching
From His lonely wooden tower

And when He knew for certain
Only drowning men could see Him
He said, "All men will be sailors then
Until the sea shall free them"

But He himself was broken
Long before the sky would open
Forsaken, almost human,
He sank beneath your wisdom like a stone.

And you want to travel with Him
And you want to travel blind
'Cause you think, maybe you can trust Him
'Cause He's touched your perfect body with His mind.

Now Suzanne takes your hand
And she leads you to the river
She's wearing rags and feathers
From Salvation Army counters

And the sun pours down like honey
On our lady of the harbor
And she shows you where to look
Between the garbage and the flowers.

There are heroes in the seaweed
There are children in the mornin',
They are leanin', leanin' out for love
And they will lean that way forever
While Suzanne holds the mirror.

And you want to travel with her
And you want to travel blind
'Cause you think, maybe you can can trust her
She's touched your perfect body with her mind.