Song: Tom's Diner Artist: Suzanne Vega Year: 1987 Album: Solitude Standing (2nd studio album) Language Feature: Present Continuous Tense
Episode Description
This week’s episode comes straight from the 1980’s! We’re talking about Suzanne Vega’s hit song, “Tom’s Diner.” We are having a great time with the podcast, and we hope that you are listening to every episode! We’re talking about the present progressive verb tense, and we are throwing in a little vocabulary, too. What are you waiting for? We’re learning and singing English together!
Episode Transcript
<intro> H: Hi! I’m Heather. E: And I’m Ece. We are the hosts of the music-themed ESL podcast, “English as a Singing Language.” H: This is a podcast for anybody who wants to put away their English textbook and sing their way to better English. E: Well, I don’t think they should completely get rid of their textbook. But they can take a music break because we’re using English to practice pronunciation - H: - and vocabulary - E: - and grammar. H: And I have to say, I think that using songs from different genres of music, different artists and different time periods all make learning English a lot more memorable. E: I agree. And guess what? H: You’re going to do a singing solo on this episode? E: No, I know you’re waiting for that, but not on this episode. Actually, I was going to tell you that this song is from one of our favorite decades, the 1980’s! H: Wow! That’s great! I’m so excited. E: Me too! Let’s get started! <end intro> H: (Humming Suzanne Vega, Tom’s Diner) do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do E: Hey Heather! What are you doing here? I didn’t expect to see you today. You don’t usually come to this coffee shop. H: Oh! Hi Ece! It’s great to see you! You’re right. I don’t usually come here. I am doing something a little different today. E: Oh yeah? What exactly are you doing? H: Well, I’m sitting here in this coffee shop and I’m drinking my coffee and I’m watching the world go by through the window. Care to join me? E: Sure. I’d love to. Watching the world go by sounds like a fun activity, and I should take a moment to relax. H: That’s what I’m doing. I’m glad you are joining me. (humming) do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do E: What’s that song you’re humming? You were humming when I saw you sitting here. It sounds very familiar. H: I’m sure you know it! It’s Suzanne Vega’s 1987 pop song, “Tom’s Diner.” It first appeared on her album, Solitude Standing. E: I remember that song! It’s so catchy. And it kind of reminds me of what we’re doing right now – we’re sitting and drinking coffee and doing nothing. H: Hmm That’s an interesting observation. E: What kind of place is a diner? Is it like a coffee shop? H: It’s actually a kind of inexpensive restaurant that has a long counter where customers can be served their drinks and meals. They’re a good place to stop late at night or when you’re traveling. Most people think that the song, “Tom’s Diner,” is a silly song that doesn’t have any meaning. E: Isn’t it just a song about a woman in a diner? She’s just drinking coffee and watching all the people around her. H: Actually, in a 2020 interview with The Financial Times, Suzanne Vega said this about her song, Tom’s Diner, “I had just been in Tom's, and I thought, wouldn't it be cool to have a song called 'Tom's Diner' about alienation, where you're not connected to anything you see. Lately on the Internet I've been reading people saying that this song is really random and it's about nothing. It’s not about nothing! It’s about something! Every single scene has been set up to show that this person is alienated from life in general.” E: Wow! I never thought about the song that way. And she talks about “alienation” and “feeling alienated.” That word, “alienate,” makes me think of beings or extraterrestrials, you know, little green people from outer space. H: It definitely has that meaning. To “alienate” means to make unfriendly or hostile. If you feel alienated, you feel like you are on the outside, you’re not part of what’s going on, and I imagine a visitor to Earth from outer space would feel that way. E: So, there is a lot more to this song than just a person describing everything that is happening around her. H: I think so. And do you know what else I have noticed about this song? E: I think I do. Are you talking about the use of the present continuous tense in this song? H: I am. Are you thinking what I’m thinking? E: I am thinking that we should use this song to practice the present progressive tense. H: I totally agree. First of all, how do we create the present progressive? E: It’s pretty easy. It’s just the subject plus the correct form of the verb, “be”, plus the main verb with –ing at the end. H: Like, I am talking. E: She is singing. H: That person over there is ordering a coffee. E: Those people are chatting together. H + E: We are recording a podcast right now. H: I feel like that’s the key to the present progressive – it refers to things that are happening right now. E: That’s correct. So, Suzanne Vega uses a lot of present progressive verbs to describe what she is seeing around her in the diner. Are there any other ways that we can use the present progressive tense? H: There are, but in this episode, we are just focusing on using it to talk about events that are happening right now in the present. E: Ok. Sounds good. So, the song starts off with, “I am sitting in the morning at the diner on the corner.” H: “I am waiting at the counter for the man to pour the coffee.” That really sets the scene for what is happening around her at the diner. E: And do you know what else I noticed when we read those lines? H: I’m not sure. E: Let’s try two more lines. The man at the counter pours half a cup of coffee for her, but before she can say anything, or argue with him about it, something else is happening, a woman is coming into the diner. H: Ok, “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 hear it now. It’s the same do, do, do, do rhythm from the beginning of the song.” E: That’s right. We can use that rhythm for this kind of sentence when we’re speaking English. H: So like, “I am reading a good novel.” E: Or, “She is working a project.” H+E: da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da H: I feel like these lines really show how isolated and alienated she feels. She wants to complain about her coffee, but the server is busy with another customer that he knows. He is greeting her and they are kissing hello, and Suzanne Vega is feeling invisible. E: Yeah, she is just pretending that she doesn’t see them. H: Ok, what else is happening while she is drinking coffee at the diner? E: She is reading the newspaper and sings, “I'm turning to the horoscope, and looking for the funnies.” Ha! Those are my two favorite sections of the newspaper, too! H: I like reading the horoscopes, but I don’t really believe them. How can somebody predict your future just based on the month you were born in? E: I don’t know. Some of my friends are really interested in their horoscopes and sometimes they find it to be pretty accurate. H: Maybe I should take it a little more seriously. I am a Taurus, and I do feel like some of the characteristics match me pretty well. Anyway, what are the “funnies”? I do like funny things. E: The “funnies” are the comic strips in the newspaper. You know, little drawings or pictures that tell a little story in a funny way. I think most people get their comics online now, though. H: I think that’s true. So, what happens next in the song? Does she continue to make observations about what is going on around her? E: Yep. She is noticing a woman outside the diner, just like we are watching people outside the coffee shop here. She sings, “There's a woman on the outside, looking inside. Does she see me?” H: “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.” E: Wait, what? What does “She is hitching up her skirt,” mean? H: Great question. The phrasal verb “to hitch up” is the action of slightly pulling something up like a pair of pants or, as in the song, a skirt. It’s often so that the clothes don’t get dirty or wet from the ground or something. E: So if it is raining, I can say, “Hey Heather, look out! There are so many puddles on the road. You need to hitch up your skirt while you are crossing the street. Otherwise, it’ll get wet!” H: Exactly. “And while she's straightening her stockings, her hair has gotten wet.” Huh. I feel like stockings were popular in the 80s, but not so much now. E: I agree. People used to wear stockings or pantyhose with a skirt, but that’s kind of out of fashion now. H: Ok, so at the very end of the song she sings, “Oh, this rain, it will continue through the morning as I'm listening to the bells of the cathedral... H + E: I am thinking of your voice... E: I really thought that this song was just about a woman in a diner and what she could see around her, but it really has a lot more meaning than that. H: Right? It’s a rainy morning and she is listening to the bells of a nearby church or cathedral. E: And that last line? I am thinking of your voice... That sounds very lonely, doesn’t it? H: It does. She doesn’t say who she is singing about, but it’s obviously somebody pretty important to her. E: Since the person isn’t there with her, it shows her feeling of alienation more clearly. It turns out that there is a lot more than we expected in this song. H: That’s right. So, do you think we’re ready to listen to it? E: I sure am. There’s a link to the YouTube video for Suzanne Vega’s 1987 hit song, “Tom’s Diner,” in the episode notes. H: And there’s an activity you can do that focuses on all of those present progressive –ing verbs on the English as a Singing Language website. E: And don’t forget to sing out loud while you listen! <ending> H: Thank you as always for joining us on this episode of, “English as a Singing Language.” E: If you are enjoying the podcast, make sure to give us 5 stars and tell your friends who love language and music to tune in. H: Also, make sure to click “subscribe,” so you’ll be the first to know about upcoming episodes. E: You can also get that information by following us on Instagram. H: Finally, check out our website for more resources including transcripts for each episode. E: I’m having so much fun, I don’t want to say good-bye! H: Me too. I’m looking forward to our next episode already! E: So, until then, have fun and … H + E: just keep singing!!
Official YouTube Video
Activity
Complete the lyrics with the present progressive verbs that you hear in the song.
I _______________ In the morning At the diner On the corner I _______________ At the counter For the man To pour the coffee And he fills it Only halfway And before I even argue He _______________ 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 _______________ Her umbrella And I look The other way As they _______________ Their hellos And _______________ 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 _______________ To the horoscope And looking For the funnies When _______________ 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 _______________ Not to notice That _______________ 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 _______________ To the bells Of the cathedral I _______________ Of your voice...
Song Lyrics
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 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...
Songwriters: Suzanne Vega Tom's Diner lyrics © Wb Music Corp., Waifersongs Ltd., Roba Music Verlag Gmbh, Edition Noll Music Management
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