When Sue Wears Red

German composer Hermann Reutter's song "When Sue Wears Red" (or "Wenn Susanna Jones trägt Rot" in German) sets a poem of Langston Hughes. This song is the fifth and final song in Reutter's song cycle My Dark Hands (Meine Dunklen Hände) and can be sung in either German or the original English.

Date: 1957Composer: Hermann ReutterText: Langston HughesSong Collection: My Dark Hands

Print vitals & song text

Text

When Sue Wears Red
by Langston Hughes

When Susanna Jones wears red
Her face is like an ancient cameo
Turned brown with the ages.

Come with a blast of trumpets,
Jesus!

When Susanna Jones wears red
A queen from some time-dead Egyptian night
Walks once again.

Blow trumpets, Jesus!

And the beauty of Susanna Jones in red
Burns in my heart a love-fire sharp like pain

Sweet silver trumpets,
Jesus!

Sheet Music

When Sue Wears Red

Composer(s): Hermann Reutter

Buy via Schott Music

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