Luka (song)


"Luka" is a song written and recorded by Suzanne Vega, released as a single in 1987. It remains her highest-charting hit in the United States, reaching No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. Worldwide, the song charted the highest in Poland and Sweden, peaking at No. 1 and No. 2 respectively, and reached the top 10 in Austria, Canada, New Zealand, and South Africa. Shawn Colvin sings background vocals on the record.
"Luka" earned Vega nominations at the 1988 Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Vega also recorded a Spanish-language version of the song, included on the single release.

Subject

The song deals with the issue of child abuse. On a 1987 Swedish television special, Vega revealed her inspiration for Luka:
In a video documentary by "Top 2000 a gogo" in December 2018, Vega spoke about the meaning of the song:

Music video

This video was directed by Michael Patterson and Candice Reckinge. It was shot over three days, in New York City. The part of Luka was played by actor Jason Cerbone, who was chosen after the directors auditioned more than 90 children for the part.

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart Peak
position

Year-end charts

Follow-up

During a 2012 episode of BBC Radio 4's Mastertapes, Vega revealed that she had written a follow-up to "Luka", from the point of view of the character as he looked back on his life. The song, titled "Song of the Stoic", later appeared on her 2014 album Tales from the Realm of the Queen of Pentacles.