Suite Madame Blue

Suite Madame Blue
Written by Dennis DeYoung
Lead vocals by Dennis DeYoung

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Time after time I sit and I wait for your call
I know I'm a fool but why can I say
Whatever the price I'll pay for you, Madame Blue
Once long ago, a word from your lips and the world turned around
But somehow you've changed, you're so far away
I long for the past and dream of the days with you, Madame Blue

Suite Madame Blue, gaze in your looking glass
You're not a child anymore
Suite Madame Blue, the future is all but past
Dressed in your jewels, you made your own rules
You conquered the world and more ..............heaven's door

America....America...America..America..
America....America...America..America..
America....America...America..America..

Red white and blue, gaze in your looking glass
You're not a child anymore
Red, white, and blue, the future is all but past
So lift up your heart, make a new start
And lead us away from here

Interpretation

Suite Madame Blue is about the decline of America told using the analogy of a woman past her prime. It was written as a wake up call in 1975 as the American Bicentennial approached. Note the line "You conquered the world and more...heaven's door" referring to America's accomplishment of landing a man on the moon in 1969. The theme of this song was revived in 1980 as the basis of the concept behind the Paradise Theatre album.

In an August 31, 1999, e-mail, Steve Glazewski suggested a different interpretation:

I would offer that Madam Blue, while representing America, more specifically points to a symbol of America, the statue of liberty.

To me, the song almost speaks of an immigrant family (gee...maybe Italian immigrants to the south side of Chicago ).

Time after time I sit and I wait for your call - waiting to immigrate I know I'm a fool but why can I say - it's a long shot Whatever the price I'll pay for you, Madame Blue - cost to come over Once long ago, a word from your lips and the world turned around - the dreamland of 1900 +/- 20 years

Dressed in your jewels, you made your own rules - isolationism early in the century, "streets paved with gold" mystique among immigrants, etc.

You conquered the world and more ..............heaven's door - supposed quote from a little immigrant girl after seeing the NY skyline: "papa I think I've died and gone to heaven!" to which he supposedly replied "no, we've come to live in America" 

Dennis DeYoung commentary