Coming up… an interview with iconic singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega who climbed up from the underground and had one of the biggest hits of 1987 with Luka. This hit song was one of the most unlikely hits of the decade because of its subject matter. When Suzanne played it for live audiences they never really liked it because it was sad and made them uncomfortable. So when her manager told her it should be her lead-off single she was shocked. She argued that it would never be hit, but he talked her into it. He was right… ASCAP awarded Luka the most performed song of the year and it went to the top of the charts…The thing is, Luka was written about another person, but many would find out decades later that the secret in the song was about Suzanne Vega herself. The story next on Professor of Rock
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It’s time for out latest edition of Revelations- where featured artists go deep on their greatest songs. Stories you won’t hear anywhere else! Today we have a special session with a singer songwriter who rose from the new york underground to become one of the most successful and respected female artists of the late 80s and 90s. Suzanne Vega had a great song in the John Hughes film Pretty in Pink in 1986 and then released a very thought provoking song about child abuse in 1987 called Luka about a little boy who lived in her apartment complex. Many call the song My Name Is Luka called but it’s not called that, it’s actually just Luka. As Vega was preparing to release here important sophomore album Solitude Standing, she would occasionally play Luka for live audiences but they never liked it. Once they figured out the song was about child abuse, she said it made them sad and uncomfortable.
So when her manager told her he thought that Luka would be a hit, she was shocked. In a past interview she said and I quote We had a big argument and he said, 'I think it's an important song, it's a song about abuse. This is the '80s and no one's writing songs about issues anymore. Music changed the world.' And I fought with him and I said, 'I don't think that music changed the world,' and he really let go: 'We ended the Vietnam war, you know, how can you tell me that music didn't change anything?' So in the end I said, 'Fine, knock yourself out.’” Her manager was exactly right. Luka became a #3 hit in 1987 and ASAP awarded it the most performed song of the year and it was actually nominated for several Grammy Award including Record of the Year and Song of the Year back when the Grammies actually meant something. Even though Luka was told from the perspective of a little boy, Suzanne Vega was hiding a secret from her past in the song that would come out until decades later. Find out what it is and the story of the real Luka in our exclusive interview next.
Thanks for watching make sure to leave us a comment about Suzanne and this 80s classic.
