[Verse 1]
I left my home for the open road
Bid farewell to a beautiful girl
She was out to push and prod my bravery
I was out to conquer the world

While I was circling the globe
She'd spin hers, point somewhere and then
She'd say, "I fell in love with a drifter's son
And now he's gone again"

Held my ventures up like trophies
High over my head
Susanna, she's a patient woman
She praised my happiness

[Chorus 1]
I'd sing
Oh, Susanna
Don't you cry for me
I'm headed for those coastal waters
An ocean for to see

[Verse 2]
Saw your face carved in the caves
In the tunneling fields
I wore my stubbornness like armor
A reliable shield
Oh, how could I have been so thoughtless
And careless with my love?
When I met you, you were drifting too
Just like the driftwood does

She'd be knee-deep in the waters
Whispering to the sea
Susanna, she's a graceful woman
Her words have convinced me

[Chorus 2]
I'd sing
Oh, Susanna
Why don't you come down here with me
And play in the oldest parts of the jungle
And climb a banyan tree

[Verse 3]
Explore from shore to shore
There's always one more mountain to see
Susanna came to me in a dream
And on the summit, she said to me

She said, "I am freedom
I'm all that you seek
But you can't have this if you want all that
And you certainly can't have me!"
[Outro]
Oh, Susanna
I don't cry for you
You're the best adventure I've had yet
But I'm only passing through