Tom's Diner

"Tom's Diner" is an a cappella pop song written in 1981 by American singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega. It was first released as a track on the January 1984 issue of Fast Folk Musical Magazine[1]. The first time it was featured on any of her own studio albums was as the first track of her own Solitude Standing album in 1987. It was not until the a cappella track was used as the basis for a popular remix by the British group The DNA Disciples, in 1990 that the song became a popular hit. The 1991 release Tom's Album includes the DNA version as well as cover versions by such artists as After One, (Chicago-based band) Canasta, and "Bingo Hand Job" (a/k/a R.E.M. and Billy Bragg). Karlheinz Brandenburg used a CD recording of "Tom's Diner" to assess and refine the MP3 compression algorithm. This song was chosen because of its nearly monophonic nature and wide spectral content, making it easier to hear imperfections in the compression format during playbacks. Some refer to Suzanne Vega as "The mother of MP3".

[Verse 1] 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 [Verse 2] "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 And I'm pretending not to see them, and instead I pour the milk [Verse 3] 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 [Verse 4] 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 [Verse 5] 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 [Verse 6] And of the midnight picnic once upon a time before the rain began And I finish up my coffee And it's time to catch the train [Outro] Doo-doo-doo-doo, doo-doo-doo-doo Doo-doo-doo-doo, doo-doo-doo-doo