最近從朋友的手提電話鈴聲中聽回這首差不多二十年前的英文歌.
心想,不如就上載到公寓給知音們分享

Suzanne Vega ~ Tom's Dinner

這首歌是（Suzanne Vega） 在她常去的街角的一家叫做 Tom's Restaurant 的咖啡店用早餐時寫。

整首歌其實非常簡單，用一般的口語將捕捉到的一些生活剪影呈现出來。Suzanne Vega 走進等候Tom's Restaurant咖啡開始，許多现代都會單身上班族走進類似咖啡早餐店時都有的尋常經驗，如店員與熟詻客人的親密招呼、窗外對着透明玻璃整理褲襪的女士、心裡偶然閃過的過往記憶，都在Suzanne Vega磁性的嗓音中，被速寫成了這一首可能是有史以來被翻唱改编最多的一首小品。

這種在晨雨中獨自走進纽约咖啡老店，「偷得都市半（小）時」的心境，有點兒慵懶，人單影隻的獨處也有點兒落寞，然而也非常爵士。在窗外淋濕頭髮，慌亂地整理儀容的落湯女的對照下，Tom 的店里的薇有一份都會生活中難得的静謐。

報纸裡充斥的社會新聞只有報道人們司空見惯的都市残酷現實與疏離的新聞，一如大多數人，Suzanne Vega 寧可轉向娛樂版面。然而都市有其吊诡的美，隨時就在咖啡館的大窗户裡展覽。端起一杯咖啡，轉頭看向窗外，那是一幅一幅的浮世繪。若是像Suzanne Vega在這都市仍在半睡半醒的朦朧時刻，穿過逐漸纷擾的大街傳來的教堂鐘聲，混合著咖啡飘起來的香味，勾引出很久很久以前的愛情往事。

Suzanne Vega 在歌曲末尾，早餐結束前，因教堂鐘聲而想到了男友的聲音，懷念起二人未分開前與男友共午夜野餐的熱戀情景。此時看到眼前濕答答依舊不斷落下的雨，不免心生怨意。這裡的抱怨，其實同時也可能是相對於又要趕車去開始一天忙碌生活時的一份「早晨忧郁」（morning blue），外面的雨只是她宣泄心情的代罪羔羊。 


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
Is getting 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

 www.youtube.com/watch