 |
| Art Garfunkel and Paul Simon. |
Thanks to all those who continue to follow this series as it passes the 50-day milestone. To celebrate, let us look at one of the most consequential tunes of the last half century, sung by seminal New York artists Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel. Indeed, 2017 marks the sixtieth anniversary of the pair’s first [albeit minor and cringeworthy] hit, "Hey Schoolgirl”.
"America" was inspired by a 1964 5-day road trip a 23 year old Paul Simon took with his girlfriend, Kathy Chitty (of "Kathy's Song" fame).
The couple were en route from London to finish Simon and Garfunkel's first album, "Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.". "America" was written in 1966 when Simon was taking a cut rate fee to play in Saginaw because he was curious to see what a town with that name would look like. The song wasn't released as a single until 1972. "For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her", a stunningly beautiful tune about another British traveling companion, was on the B-side.
"America" is not an easy tune to perform. From Wikipedia:
According to EMI Music Publishing's digital sheet music for the song, "America" is composed in the key of E-flat major and set in a 6/8 time signature, and has a moderately fast groove of 172 beats per minute. The duo's vocals span from the low note of B-flat 3 to the high note of F5.A number of things are remarkable from a technical viewpoint: the song is hypometrical (i.e. syllables are "missing" from the beginnings and/or ends of the lines), the trinaries are (DUM-de-de) dactylic, and unlike other non-rhyming verses the sonics (i.e. assonance, consonance and alliteration; repetitions of vowel and consonantal songs) are sparse. It works because the melody and rhythm are unique and strong. "Rolling Stone" magazine readers rated it their 4th favorite song of our time.
Bernie's effective use of an abridged version of the song underscores the importance of music in politics, lest we missed the roles will.i.am, Fleetwood Mac and John Stewart (Lindsey Buckingham's mentor) played in previous Democratic campaigns. Pundits take note (and please excuse the pun):
"If the singers are silent the voters will be, too."This is an advantage peculiar to Democrats. Notice how reluctant artists are to work for RepTealians. "Sorry, Can't do your inauguration. Got prostate surgery that day..." would have been a far better excuse had it come from a male performer.
The song is about someone speaking with a sleeping companion. Given voter turnouts, it's not hard to see the politics in that.
Here is the complete version:
Lyrics:
Let us be lovers, we'll marry our fortunes together
I've got some real estate here in my bag
So we bought a pack of cigarettes and Mrs. Wagner's pies
And we walked off to look for America
Cathy I said as we boarded a Greyhound in Pittsburgh
Michigan seems like a dream to me now
It took me four days to hitchhike from Saginaw
I've gone to look for America
Laughing on the bus playing games with the faces
She said the man in the gabardine suit was a spy
I said be careful his bowtie is really a camera
Toss me a cigarette I think there's one in my raincoat
We smoked the last one an hour ago
So I looked at the scenery
She read her magazine
And the moon rose over an open field
Cathy I'm lost I said though I knew she was sleeping
And I'm empty and aching and I don't know why
Counting the cars on the New Jersey Turnpike
They've all come to look for America
All come to look for America
All come to look for America
Next: Another America
No comments:
Post a Comment