i read the song as a description of a woman's thoughts the morning after she broke up with her partner. she is trying not to think about him, but is reminded by the waiter kissing a customer hello. she tries to distract herself with the newspaper but everything is meaningless and cannot really keep her mind off the break-up.
since the newspaper doesn't work, she watches people and sees a woman adjusting her stockings in a provacative way, which possibly reminds her again, this time of a rival or maybe lover of her ex.
finally it's time to leave for work and she gives up on trying to avoid thinking about him and just surrenders to the memories.
![Cover art for Tom's Diner [DNA Featuring Suzanne Vega] lyrics by Suzanne Vega](https://images.songmeanings.com/6f6faed7-9e94-40cb-bfcf-33dd705d787d.webp)
i read the song as a description of a woman's thoughts the morning after she broke up with her partner. she is trying not to think about him, but is reminded by the waiter kissing a customer hello. she tries to distract herself with the newspaper but everything is meaningless and cannot really keep her mind off the break-up. since the newspaper doesn't work, she watches people and sees a woman adjusting her stockings in a provacative way, which possibly reminds her again, this time of a rival or maybe lover of her ex.
finally it's time to leave for work and she gives up on trying to avoid thinking about him and just surrenders to the memories.