From: gsroka@leland.Stanford.EDU (Gregory Sroka)
Subject: Re: Tom's Restaurant (the Seinfeld Diner)
Summary: Seinfeld Show "Fight Show"
Keywords: sing this whenever they score a td
Organization: DSG, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 16 Oct 92 04:29:34 GMT

In article <LOWRY.92Oct15152502@rotor.watson.ibm.com> lowry@watson.ibm.com (Andy Lowry) writes:
>In article <1992Oct15.135542.2037@ncsu.edu> jlwoodal@garcia.warfield.edu writes:
> > >|> Another point about Tom's: it's the restaurant that Suzanne Vega sings
> > >|> about in her song, which I think is titled "Tom's Restaurant."  The
> > >|> "bells of the cathedral" in the lyric refers to the bells of St. John
> > >|> the Divine, which is one block away.  I guess she frequented the place
> > >|> when she attended Barnard College.
> > 
> > >   It's titled "Tom's Diner" and it's on the album Solitude Standing.
> > >   There's a neat (as mixes go) version of the song by an English dance
> > >  group called DNA.  Suzanne was said to like it so much that it inspired
> > >   here more "techno" new album.
> > 
>
>I think on the Solitude Standing album where Tom's Diner originally
>appeared (thanks to the middle poster for identifying it), the song
>appears twice: once with an accompaniment that I recall as having lots
>of strings, and once a capella.

Actually, "Tom's Diner" is sung a capella at the beginning of the album. 
"Tom's Diner (Reprise)" is an instrumental at the end. (Maybe some "da da 
da da's" from Suzanne. I don't have the album, just the sheet music!)

The amazing thing is, this song would be great for the Seinfeld show,
it's about nothing. Check out the lyrics. Sound like a Seinfeld episode?

"Tom's Diner", music and lyrics by Suzanne Vega 
(Copyright 1987 AGF Music Ltd. & Waifersongs Ltd.)

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,
and I'm pretending not to see them and 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 list'ning 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.

And I finish up my coffee, and it's time to catch the train.
Da da |: da da da da da da da da da da da da da da. Da da  :|
                                                  (Repeat and fade)
:end of song

I love good lyrics about nothing. (Was George her manager?)

By the way, Suzanne Vega's first album (self titled) was excellent.
Much better than anything she's done since, IMO. 
(Haven't heard much of the new "techno sound, yet.)

-Disclaimer: This was reprinted for the free enjoyment (or boredom)
of the newgroup. I consider this the same as playing the CD over the radio,
only the net isn't multi-media yet!
If someone tries to sue me - don't bother. I'm not worth it!

Newsgroups: alt.tv.seinfeld