A Song for Susan

Song Meaning

This song paints a stark picture of Susan, a young woman with aspirations of becoming a secretary, possessing all the requisite skills. However, her dreams are immediately sidelined by a family crisis: her mother's departure shatters her father, forcing Susan into a caretaker role for her siblings and household duties. The lyrics lay out a clear conflict between her potential and her imposed reality. The dominant emotional tension stems from the crushing weight of unfulfilled potential. The repeated, almost mournful refrain, "Oh what a waste of education," hammers home the central tragedy. Susan's academic promise, evidenced by her strong school reports, is contrasted with the domestic "subjects" she's now forced to master – skills that are "not in the curriculum" and "not on the time-table." This highlights the societal devaluation of her domestic labor versus her formal education. The most striking craft element is the juxtaposition of Susan's academic achievements with the mundane, yet demanding, list of household chores. The lyrics detail her academic strengths, noting she needed help in a subject "not in the curriculum." This subtly points to the life skills she’s being forced to learn – "washing and ironing," "shopping and cooking" – which are presented as a stark, unacknowledged curriculum. The contrast between her "college prospectuses" and her current reality, where friends are "buying new clothes" and "talking boyfriends," underscores the specific, isolating burden placed upon her at just sixteen. Ultimately, the lyrics resonate because they articulate a quiet, often overlooked form of sacrifice. The song effectively captures the specific, poignant disappointment of a life derailed not by personal failure, but by circumstance and societal expectations. It’s the specificity of Susan's situation – the broken home, the domestic duties, the unfulfilled academic path – that gives the repeated lament its power, making the "waste of education" feel deeply personal and profoundly unfair.