Suzanne Vega – Tom’s Diner

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I am sitting
In the morning
At the diner
On the corner

I am waiting
At the counter
For the man
To pour the coffee

And he fills it
Only halfway
And before
I even argue

He is looking
Out the window
At somebody
Coming in

“It is always
Nice to see you”
Says the man
Behind the counter

To the woman
Who has come in
She is shaking
Her umbrella

And I look
The other way
As they are kissing
Their hellos

I’m pretending
Not to see them
Instead
I pour the milk

I open
Up the paper
There’s a story
Of an actor

Who had died
While he was drinking
It was no one
I had heard of

And I’m turning
To the horoscope
And looking
For the funnies

When I’m feeling
Someone watching me
And so
I raise my head

There’s a woman
On the outside
Looking inside
Does she see me?

No she does not
Really see me
Cause she sees
Her own reflection

And I’m trying
Not to notice
That she’s hitching
Up her skirt

And while she’s
Straightening her stockings
Her hair
Has gotten wet

Oh, this rain
It will continue
Through the morning
As I’m listening

To the bells
Of the cathedral
I am thinking
Of your voice…

And of the midnight picnic
Once upon a time
Before the rain began…

I finish up my coffee
It’s time to catch the train.

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Oggi m’è tornata in testa questa vecchia canzone di Suzanne Vega, Tom’s Diner.

L’ho sempre trovata bellissima, originale nel testo (intimo e minimalista, mi ricorda certi racconti di Raymond Carver) e nell’esecuzione a cappella (solo voce).

Ma forse-non-tutti-sanno-che Tom’s Diner è stata scelta da Karlheinz Brandenburg per testare e mettere a punto l’algoritmo di compressione audio MP3.

Per la cronaca il ristorante in questione, il Tom’s Restaurant, si trova a New York tra la 112th Street e Broadway: è stato usato come set per Seinfeld e ci hanno mangiato Barack Obama ed il senatore McCain quando erano dalle parti della Columbia University.