Paul Simon — You Can Call Me Al
Album: GracelandAvg rating:
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Total ratings: 1632
Length: 4:34
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A man walks down the street
He says, Why am I soft in the middle now?
Why am I soft in the middle?
When the rest of my life is so hard!
I need a photo-opportunity
I want a shot at redemption
Don't want to end up a cartoon
In a cartoon graveyard
Bonedigger, Bonedigger,
Dogs in the moonlight
Far away, my well-lit door
Mr. Beerbelly, Beerbelly
Get these mutts away from me!
You know, I don't find this stuff amusing anymore
If you'll be my bodyguard
I can be your long lost pal
I can call you Betty
And Betty, when you call me
You can call me Al
A man walks down the street
He says, Why am I short of attention?
Got a short little span of attention
And whoa, my nights are so long!
Where's my wife and family?
What if I die here?
Who'll be my role-model?
Now that my role-model is
Gone, gone
He ducked back down the alley
With some roly-poly, little bat-faced girl
All along, along
There were incidents and accidents
There were hints and allegations
If you'll be my bodyguard
I can be your long lost pal
I can call you Betty
And Betty, when you call me
You can call me Al
Call me Al
A man walks down the street
It's a street in a strange world
Maybe it's the Third World
Maybe it's his first time around
He doesn't speak the language
He holds no currency
He is a foreign man
He is surrounded by the sound, sound
Cattle in the marketplace
Scatterlings and orphanages
He looks around, around
He sees angels in the architecture
Spinning into infinity
He says, Amen! and Hallelujah!
If you'll be my bodyguard
I can be your long lost pal
I can call you Betty
And Betty, when you call me
You can call me Al
Call me
Na, na, na, na
Na, na, na, na
Na, na, na, na
Na, na, na, n-n-n-n-na
Na, na, na, na
N-n-n-n-na, na
Na, na, na, na
Na, na, na, na
If you'll be my bodyguard (Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)
I can call you Betty (Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)
If you'll be my bodyguard (Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)
I can call you Betty (Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)
If you'll be my bodyguard
He says, Why am I soft in the middle now?
Why am I soft in the middle?
When the rest of my life is so hard!
I need a photo-opportunity
I want a shot at redemption
Don't want to end up a cartoon
In a cartoon graveyard
Bonedigger, Bonedigger,
Dogs in the moonlight
Far away, my well-lit door
Mr. Beerbelly, Beerbelly
Get these mutts away from me!
You know, I don't find this stuff amusing anymore
If you'll be my bodyguard
I can be your long lost pal
I can call you Betty
And Betty, when you call me
You can call me Al
A man walks down the street
He says, Why am I short of attention?
Got a short little span of attention
And whoa, my nights are so long!
Where's my wife and family?
What if I die here?
Who'll be my role-model?
Now that my role-model is
Gone, gone
He ducked back down the alley
With some roly-poly, little bat-faced girl
All along, along
There were incidents and accidents
There were hints and allegations
If you'll be my bodyguard
I can be your long lost pal
I can call you Betty
And Betty, when you call me
You can call me Al
Call me Al
A man walks down the street
It's a street in a strange world
Maybe it's the Third World
Maybe it's his first time around
He doesn't speak the language
He holds no currency
He is a foreign man
He is surrounded by the sound, sound
Cattle in the marketplace
Scatterlings and orphanages
He looks around, around
He sees angels in the architecture
Spinning into infinity
He says, Amen! and Hallelujah!
If you'll be my bodyguard
I can be your long lost pal
I can call you Betty
And Betty, when you call me
You can call me Al
Call me
Na, na, na, na
Na, na, na, na
Na, na, na, na
Na, na, na, n-n-n-n-na
Na, na, na, na
N-n-n-n-na, na
Na, na, na, na
Na, na, na, na
If you'll be my bodyguard (Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)
I can call you Betty (Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)
If you'll be my bodyguard (Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)
I can call you Betty (Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)
If you'll be my bodyguard
Comments (133)add comment
CHuLoYo wrote:
I Agree!
The bass is incredible, awesome, delicious, impressionant, perfect, beautiful, hard powerful, and tons of adjectives must said
I Agree!
unclehud wrote:
really? interesting. i never would have got that. totally puts a different spin on it for me.
i can't hear this song without thinking of chevy chase.
Ode to the Betty Ford Clinic: "I can call you Betty, and Betty, when you call me, you can call me .... Al."
Lyrics deal with the highly intoxicated lifestyle that our narrator is attempting to leave behind.
really? interesting. i never would have got that. totally puts a different spin on it for me.
i can't hear this song without thinking of chevy chase.
great little article on Graceland here:
http://thisrecording.com/today...
Man this album can take me away.
http://thisrecording.com/today...
Man this album can take me away.
Ode to the Betty Ford Clinic: "I can call you Betty, and Betty, when you call me, you can call me .... Al."
Lyrics deal with the highly intoxicated lifestyle that our narrator is attempting to leave behind.
Appropriate that Chevy Chase was in the music video?
Lyrics deal with the highly intoxicated lifestyle that our narrator is attempting to leave behind.
Appropriate that Chevy Chase was in the music video?
nicknt wrote:
He's Bakhiti Kumalo, in fact a bass genius.
Listen to the live version in central park, it's absolutely incredible.
He's Bakhiti Kumalo, in fact a bass genius.
Listen to the live version in central park, it's absolutely incredible.
CHuLoYo wrote:
He's Bakhiti Kumalo, in fact a bass genius.
The bass is incredible, awesome, delicious, impressionant, perfect, beautiful, hard powerful, and tons of adjectives must said
He's Bakhiti Kumalo, in fact a bass genius.
I found this cd on the "reduced" table in Woolworth's near the Dartford tunnel in Kent UK. For the rest of our family holiday, this was played incessantly in the rental car player.
Peace reigned.
Peace reigned.
Good song but Chevy Chase is a wanker. Here’s to Al the 2000 president we elected.
CHuLoYo wrote:
It's Bakithi Kumalo, an African bass genius.
The bass is incredible, awesome, delicious, impressionant, perfect, beautiful, hard powerful, and tons of adjectives must said
It's Bakithi Kumalo, an African bass genius.
Bakithi Kumalo. Sir, you own that bass.
jambo wrote:
Ummmm Because it's damn good!
have to agree with the majority. it was to me a kind of novelty album when it came out. i too don't understand how it's moved up the food chain so much.
Ummmm Because it's damn good!
buddy wrote:
I think you may have just taken "hype" to a whole new level. To claim this silly song & even the amazing album on which is was included "helped to end Apartheid and free Nelson Mandela from prison" is over the top to the extreme. It's commercial pop music, and I'd guess that the people who fought & died to end apartheid may not have had the means to buy the album or even hear it on the radio, if it even got a lot of air time in South Africa at the time.
I think this song would have played itself out pretty quickly if not for the comic music video with Paul & Chevy Chase and that it was included on Graceland, an otherwise brilliant album.
Buddy:
I think you misunderstand. It's not that the song or album had an impact on South Africans; it's that the album had an impact on other places around the world. It helped to shine a light on apartheid that turned world opinion against South Africa and ultimately led to apartheid being dismantled.
Here's what Hugh Masekela, the exiled South African musician, wrote about Graceland:
"Graceland reached and conscientised millions of Simon followers who had never heard of South Africa. It revealed the excellence of our indigenous urban and rural music, leading most listeners to condemn apartheid and lean on their governments to turn their backs on a very close ally, the racist regime that destroyed the entire Southern African region, including parts of Central and East Africa. That Graceland went on to sell more than 10 million copies is testimony to how deeply Mzansi's music touched and inspired Paul Simon. The explosion caused a very loud, ear-shattering, and earth-shaking, bang." (Emphasis mine.)
On this topic, I would say that Mr. Masekela has far more credibility than I do.
We all have "entrance points" for particular songs. Some may have been introduced to this song through the video and will forever associate it with Paul and Chevy. Others may associate it with Al Gore. Others may have heard it on the radio for the first time--decades after its release--and thought, "What's the big deal?"
But I am old enough to remember the controversy caused by Simon's decision to travel to South Africa. I also remember watching Nelson Mandela's release live on TV. The album and the cause will forever be linked.
Best wishes.
I think you may have just taken "hype" to a whole new level. To claim this silly song & even the amazing album on which is was included "helped to end Apartheid and free Nelson Mandela from prison" is over the top to the extreme. It's commercial pop music, and I'd guess that the people who fought & died to end apartheid may not have had the means to buy the album or even hear it on the radio, if it even got a lot of air time in South Africa at the time.
I think this song would have played itself out pretty quickly if not for the comic music video with Paul & Chevy Chase and that it was included on Graceland, an otherwise brilliant album.
Buddy:
I think you misunderstand. It's not that the song or album had an impact on South Africans; it's that the album had an impact on other places around the world. It helped to shine a light on apartheid that turned world opinion against South Africa and ultimately led to apartheid being dismantled.
Here's what Hugh Masekela, the exiled South African musician, wrote about Graceland:
"Graceland reached and conscientised millions of Simon followers who had never heard of South Africa. It revealed the excellence of our indigenous urban and rural music, leading most listeners to condemn apartheid and lean on their governments to turn their backs on a very close ally, the racist regime that destroyed the entire Southern African region, including parts of Central and East Africa. That Graceland went on to sell more than 10 million copies is testimony to how deeply Mzansi's music touched and inspired Paul Simon. The explosion caused a very loud, ear-shattering, and earth-shaking, bang." (Emphasis mine.)
On this topic, I would say that Mr. Masekela has far more credibility than I do.
We all have "entrance points" for particular songs. Some may have been introduced to this song through the video and will forever associate it with Paul and Chevy. Others may associate it with Al Gore. Others may have heard it on the radio for the first time--decades after its release--and thought, "What's the big deal?"
But I am old enough to remember the controversy caused by Simon's decision to travel to South Africa. I also remember watching Nelson Mandela's release live on TV. The album and the cause will forever be linked.
Best wishes.
have to agree with the majority. it was to me a kind of novelty album when it came out. i too don't understand how it's moved up the food chain so much.
Grammarcop wrote:
It only helped to change the world.
Paul Simon was roundly criticized for going to South Africa to record with Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Many people criticized Simon for going to a country that should be boycotted; the presence of this American star, they argued, gave legitimacy to the Apartheid government. It took serious courage for him to do what he did at that time.
The result was an album that featured the voices and music of the South African ghettos. Instead of writing songs that were full of anger, Simon made an album that showed beauty can be produced through friendship and respect.
The recordings brought a wider awareness to South Africa. People—like me—learned that there was incredible music being made outside of English-speaking countries. People who never cared about Apartheid suddenly saw the injustice and began to speak out. In its small way, it helped to end Apartheid and free Nelson Mandela from prison.
The hype is warranted. That said, you probably shouldn't take the album too seriously. Simon admits that the line about the man with the "short little span of attention" is a penis joke.
I think you may have just taken "hype" to a whole new level. To claim this silly song & even the amazing album on which is was included "helped to end Apartheid and free Nelson Mandela from prison" is over the top to the extreme. It's commercial pop music, and I'd guess that the people who fought & died to end apartheid may not have had the means to buy the album or even hear it on the radio, if it even got a lot of air time in South Africa at the time.
I think this song would have played itself out pretty quickly if not for the comic music video with Paul & Chevy Chase and that it was included on Graceland, an otherwise brilliant album.
It only helped to change the world.
Paul Simon was roundly criticized for going to South Africa to record with Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Many people criticized Simon for going to a country that should be boycotted; the presence of this American star, they argued, gave legitimacy to the Apartheid government. It took serious courage for him to do what he did at that time.
The result was an album that featured the voices and music of the South African ghettos. Instead of writing songs that were full of anger, Simon made an album that showed beauty can be produced through friendship and respect.
The recordings brought a wider awareness to South Africa. People—like me—learned that there was incredible music being made outside of English-speaking countries. People who never cared about Apartheid suddenly saw the injustice and began to speak out. In its small way, it helped to end Apartheid and free Nelson Mandela from prison.
The hype is warranted. That said, you probably shouldn't take the album too seriously. Simon admits that the line about the man with the "short little span of attention" is a penis joke.
I think you may have just taken "hype" to a whole new level. To claim this silly song & even the amazing album on which is was included "helped to end Apartheid and free Nelson Mandela from prison" is over the top to the extreme. It's commercial pop music, and I'd guess that the people who fought & died to end apartheid may not have had the means to buy the album or even hear it on the radio, if it even got a lot of air time in South Africa at the time.
I think this song would have played itself out pretty quickly if not for the comic music video with Paul & Chevy Chase and that it was included on Graceland, an otherwise brilliant album.
junebaby65 wrote:
It only helped to change the world.
Paul Simon was roundly criticized for going to South Africa to record with Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Many people criticized Simon for going to a country that should be boycotted; the presence of this American star, they argued, gave legitimacy to the Apartheid government. It took serious courage for him to do what he did at that time.
The result was an album that featured the voices and music of the South African ghettos. Instead of writing songs that were full of anger, Simon made an album that showed beauty can be produced through friendship and respect.
The recordings brought a wider awareness to South Africa. People--like me--learned that there was incredible music being made outside of English-speaking countries. People who never cared about Apartheid suddenly saw the injustice and began to speak out. In its small way, it helped to end Apartheid and free Nelson Mandela from prison.
The hype is warranted. That said, you probably shouldn't take the album too seriously. Simon admits that the line about the man with the "short little span of attention" is a penis joke.
Decent song. Still don't understand all the hype over it though, IMHO.
It only helped to change the world.
Paul Simon was roundly criticized for going to South Africa to record with Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Many people criticized Simon for going to a country that should be boycotted; the presence of this American star, they argued, gave legitimacy to the Apartheid government. It took serious courage for him to do what he did at that time.
The result was an album that featured the voices and music of the South African ghettos. Instead of writing songs that were full of anger, Simon made an album that showed beauty can be produced through friendship and respect.
The recordings brought a wider awareness to South Africa. People--like me--learned that there was incredible music being made outside of English-speaking countries. People who never cared about Apartheid suddenly saw the injustice and began to speak out. In its small way, it helped to end Apartheid and free Nelson Mandela from prison.
The hype is warranted. That said, you probably shouldn't take the album too seriously. Simon admits that the line about the man with the "short little span of attention" is a penis joke.
we all love you Chevy
michaelgmitchell wrote:
Fond memories with my daughters, playing this in the car. They were under 10 at the time. I'd be singing it hard, they'd be boppin' in the back seat. THEN. The bass riff near the end. I'd prep them about it coming ... wait for it ... AND there it is! They'd go nuts! Laughter, smiles. Hilarious.
Kids grow up too fast, huh?
Kids grow up too fast, huh?
Great story! And, yes they do.
thanks for the tip to watch that video, I'd never seen it, it is hilarious
A bit of poignant poetry veiled in a jumpy tune. Good for those who listen and for those who hear. Amazing musicianship on this track and indeed this whole album. Listening on vinyl is a must. The color really jumps out in the analogue format. One of the finest album works in human history.
I love this song but the live version is even better!
The bass is incredible, awesome, delicious, impressionant, perfect, beautiful, hard powerful, and tons of adjectives must said
jim1964 wrote:
What a great video.
Chevy was a douche. Least talented of the original SNL cast and from what I've read, they couldn't stand him
What a great video.
Chevy was a douche. Least talented of the original SNL cast and from what I've read, they couldn't stand him
Lovin' the bass!
junebaby65 wrote:
It's catchier than the flu!
Decent song. Still don't understand all the hype over it though, IMHO.
It's catchier than the flu!
jim1964 wrote:
What a great video.
It's just tough since they appear to be - in real life - assholes.
What a great video.
It's just tough since they appear to be - in real life - assholes.
scraig wrote:
What a great video.
What a great video.
cartoons are U.S.
timeless good
8 >>>>> 9
Great song, as I think most of Paul Simon's are. Rating a 6 because of my rating system of how relatively often I'd like to hear this song or others like it. Many great songs I've heard often (often because I've had them from the day), while my 9s and 10s tend to be ones previously unknown or under-appreciated that really grab me. Doesn't always work but at least that's my plan. :-)
Decent song. Still don't understand all the hype over it though, IMHO.
This song is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay overexposed. I need to not hear this for a couple of years so I can appreciate it once again.
michaelgmitchell wrote:
So true....sweet story..
Fond memories with my daughters, playing this in the car. They were under 10 at the time. I'd be singing it hard, they'd be boppin' in the back seat. THEN. The bass riff near the end. I'd prep them about it coming ... wait for it ... AND there it is! They'd go nuts! Laughter, smiles. Hilarious.
Kids grow up too fast, huh?
Kids grow up too fast, huh?
So true....sweet story..
I've never know a roly poly little bat faced girl, but if I did........................
Fond memories with my daughters, playing this in the car. They were under 10 at the time. I'd be singing it hard, they'd be boppin' in the back seat. THEN. The bass riff near the end. I'd prep them about it coming ... wait for it ... AND there it is! They'd go nuts! Laughter, smiles. Hilarious.
Kids grow up too fast, huh?
Kids grow up too fast, huh?
MiracleDrug wrote:
His first 2 solo albums set the standard but Graceland is in its own category.
this album is EASILY his best work...
His first 2 solo albums set the standard but Graceland is in its own category.
More annoying than usual ...
...groan!!!
this album is EASILY his best work...
love the poetry in this tune
quintessential simon
catchy rhythm 2
quintessential simon
catchy rhythm 2
Just cracked through to an even deeper understanding of this song, this album of fine musicianship, this incredibly gifted man — love it!
unclehud wrote:
"The names in the song came from an incident at a party that Simon went to with his then-wife Peggy Harper. French composer and conductor Pierre Boulez, who was attending the same party, mistakenly referred to Paul as "Al" and to Peggy as "Betty", inspiring Simon to write a song". (Wikipedia)
I remember watching an interview where Paul Simon told this story. the party was at his house and Pierre Boule had asked his people to ask Paul's people so he could be there; despite Paul's misgivings about their different worlds :-)
A old-school interpretation: Betty Ford Clinic patients? Asking for anonymity with, "Betty, you can call me Al." When the lyrics are spoken with a backdrop of drug/alcohol intoxication, they kinda lend credence to Betty being their bodyguard as they go through the Clinic's cold-turkey treatment, and their promise to be her best friend when they are given the cure.
Wonder if Mr. Simon and Chevy Chase (from the music video) had any connections with that place?
Wonder if Mr. Simon and Chevy Chase (from the music video) had any connections with that place?
"The names in the song came from an incident at a party that Simon went to with his then-wife Peggy Harper. French composer and conductor Pierre Boulez, who was attending the same party, mistakenly referred to Paul as "Al" and to Peggy as "Betty", inspiring Simon to write a song". (Wikipedia)
I remember watching an interview where Paul Simon told this story. the party was at his house and Pierre Boule had asked his people to ask Paul's people so he could be there; despite Paul's misgivings about their different worlds :-)
A old-school interpretation: Betty Ford Clinic patients? Asking for anonymity with, "Betty, you can call me Al." When the lyrics are spoken with a backdrop of drug/alcohol intoxication, they kinda lend credence to Betty being their bodyguard as they go through the Clinic's cold-turkey treatment, and their promise to be her best friend when they are given the cure.
Wonder if Mr. Simon and Chevy Chase (from the music video) had any connections with that place?
Wonder if Mr. Simon and Chevy Chase (from the music video) had any connections with that place?
Single handedly created whole new music genre this his best work.
I've been picking up only snatches here and there over the years, (because it's hard and thick and fast!), and marveling at them in themselves...but seeing it all laid out here, well... Nobel Prize-worthy poetry here, for sure, and then some!
scmerriam wrote:
scmerriam wrote:
A man walks down the street
He says why am I soft in the middle now
Why am I soft in the middle
The rest of my life is so hard
I need a photo-opportunity
I want a shot at redemption
Don't want to end up a cartoon
In a cartoon graveyard
Bonedigger Bonedigger
Dogs in the moonlight
Far away my well-lit door
Mr. Beerbelly Beerbelly
Get these mutts away from me
You know I don't find this stuff amusing anymore
He says why am I soft in the middle now
Why am I soft in the middle
The rest of my life is so hard
I need a photo-opportunity
I want a shot at redemption
Don't want to end up a cartoon
In a cartoon graveyard
Bonedigger Bonedigger
Dogs in the moonlight
Far away my well-lit door
Mr. Beerbelly Beerbelly
Get these mutts away from me
You know I don't find this stuff amusing anymore
If you'll be my bodyguard
I can be your long lost pal
I can call you Betty
And Betty when you call me
You can call me Al
A man walks down the street
He says why am I short of attention
Got a short little span of attention
And wo my nights are so long
Where's my wife and family
What if I die here
Who'll be my role-model
Now that my role-model is
Gone Gone
He ducked back down the alley
With some roly-poly little bat-faced girl
All along along
There were incidents and accidents
There were hints and allegations
If you'll be my bodyguard
I can be your long lost pal
I can call you Betty
And Betty when you call me
You can call me Al
Call me Al
A man walks down the street
It's a street in a strange world
Maybe it's the Third World
Maybe it's his first time around
He doesn't speak the language
He holds no currency
He is a foreign man
He is surrounded by the sound
The sound
Cattle in the marketplace
Scatterlings and orphanages
He looks around, around
He sees angels in the architecture
Spinning in infinity
He says Amen and Hallelujah!
If you'll be my bodyguard
I can be your long lost pal
I can call you Betty
And Betty when you call me
You can call me Al
Call me Al
fredriley wrote:
Hey, I'll take Harrison Birtwhistle in place of Paul Simon, every day of the week.
You know, Paul Simon's an excellent musician and his lyricism is exemplary. And yet most of his stuff without Art Garfunkel irritates me. I don't know what it is - maybe his wimpy voice? I don't know.
Hey, I'll take Harrison Birtwhistle in place of Paul Simon, every day of the week.
You know, Paul Simon's an excellent musician and his lyricism is exemplary. And yet most of his stuff without Art Garfunkel irritates me. I don't know what it is - maybe his wimpy voice? I don't know.
A man walks down the street
He says why am I soft in the middle now
Why am I soft in the middle
The rest of my life is so hard
I need a photo-opportunity
I want a shot at redemption
Don't want to end up a cartoon
In a cartoon graveyard
Bonedigger Bonedigger
Dogs in the moonlight
Far away my well-lit door
Mr. Beerbelly Beerbelly
Get these mutts away from me
You know I don't find this stuff amusing anymore
He says why am I soft in the middle now
Why am I soft in the middle
The rest of my life is so hard
I need a photo-opportunity
I want a shot at redemption
Don't want to end up a cartoon
In a cartoon graveyard
Bonedigger Bonedigger
Dogs in the moonlight
Far away my well-lit door
Mr. Beerbelly Beerbelly
Get these mutts away from me
You know I don't find this stuff amusing anymore
If you'll be my bodyguard
I can be your long lost pal
I can call you Betty
And Betty when you call me
You can call me Al
A man walks down the street
He says why am I short of attention
Got a short little span of attention
And wo my nights are so long
Where's my wife and family
What if I die here
Who'll be my role-model
Now that my role-model is
Gone Gone
He ducked back down the alley
With some roly-poly little bat-faced girl
All along along
There were incidents and accidents
There were hints and allegations
If you'll be my bodyguard
I can be your long lost pal
I can call you Betty
And Betty when you call me
You can call me Al
Call me Al
A man walks down the street
It's a street in a strange world
Maybe it's the Third World
Maybe it's his first time around
He doesn't speak the language
He holds no currency
He is a foreign man
He is surrounded by the sound
The sound
Cattle in the marketplace
Scatterlings and orphanages
He looks around, around
He sees angels in the architecture
Spinning in infinity
He says Amen and Hallelujah!
If you'll be my bodyguard
I can be your long lost pal
I can call you Betty
And Betty when you call me
You can call me Al
Call me Al
Don't know if I've said this before, but this may be the perfect pop song.
fingerpin wrote:
I know what you mean. "Get these mutts away from me... Y'know, I don't find this stuff amusing anymore..."
I love Paul Simon's music...
Why am I soft in the middle and the rest of my life is so hard?
I've heard this a thousand times but today it made me laugh.
I've heard this a thousand times but today it made me laugh.
I know what you mean. "Get these mutts away from me... Y'know, I don't find this stuff amusing anymore..."
I love Paul Simon's music... Bleyfusz wrote:
Give me John Entwistle anytime.
Hey, I'll take Harrison Birtwhistle in place of Paul Simon, every day of the week.
Give me John Entwistle anytime.
Hey, I'll take Harrison Birtwhistle in place of Paul Simon, every day of the week.
A roly-poly little bat-faced girl.
Yea, I like that.
Yea, I like that.
It gets my vote for Best Musical Video.
classic
...i really have no idea what this song's actually about, other than the ebullience it conveys every time i hear it...
Why am I soft in the middle and the rest of my life is so hard?
I've heard this a thousand times but today it made me laugh.
I've heard this a thousand times but today it made me laugh.
dvwtwo wrote:Best of Craigslist: Seeking bodyguard named Betty
https://www.craigslist.org/about/best/phi/1802444273.html
Hahaha that's classic! Hope Al found his long lost pal.
Best of Craigslist: Seeking bodyguard named Betty
https://www.craigslist.org/about/best/phi/1802444273.htmlHahaha that's classic! Hope Al found his long lost pal.
You have got it fired up this morning my brother. Great Music
Best of Craigslist: Seeking bodyguard named Betty
https://www.craigslist.org/about/best/phi/1802444273.htmlGreat album, great artist, great bassist.
Bleyfusz wrote:
Give me John Entwistle anytime.
Having seen both John Entwistle and Baghiti Khumalo (the bassist on this track) several times each, I can tell you it's a tight race. It is the bass being played at the highest level.
Give me John Entwistle anytime.
Having seen both John Entwistle and Baghiti Khumalo (the bassist on this track) several times each, I can tell you it's a tight race. It is the bass being played at the highest level.
I loved this album when it came out....Now it is just OVERPLAYED...especially this song. RP is starting to sound like a golden oldies station. Is there a lack of good NEW MUSIC please!!
Ando wrote:
Tru dat.
I like the Chevy Chase parts.
Tru dat.
Quite possibly the best pop song ever written.
I like the Chevy Chase parts.
This is the only song from GRACELAND that I don't particularly care for. I don't think it's bad, mind you, but I always thought
it didn't fit in with the rest of the album.
it didn't fit in with the rest of the album.
LOVE IT.
TexasAggies wrote:
Give me John Entwistle anytime.
Love this bass line!!!
Give me John Entwistle anytime.
ploafmaster wrote:
Went to see Simon in Concert not long after the album after Graceland came out. He was touring with a large band with several African musicians. It was one of the best concerts I have ever seen! The crowd was so into it that he played this song twice in a row. Awesome!
Gosh, one of my favorite songs off of one of my favorite all time albums. This was the first CD I bought when I was 12 years old...ah, memories. I love his excellent lyrics, and the music is wonderful. That phatty bass fill close to the end is righteous too...
Went to see Simon in Concert not long after the album after Graceland came out. He was touring with a large band with several African musicians. It was one of the best concerts I have ever seen! The crowd was so into it that he played this song twice in a row. Awesome!
hmmmmm...i haven't considered muting RP in a very very long time - I guess I'll endure this since like 96% of everythign played rocks - but please, oh sweet jesus, let the next song be an improvement - its too early for this
romeotuma wrote:
love it...
despise it...
love it...
despise it...
funny, i was thinking this was just another paul simon fart . . .
Shesdifferent wrote:
Shesdifferent wrote:
Ah, a breath of fresh air.......
Ah, a breath of fresh air.......
velvetglove wrote:
Ha Ha Ha!
Thanks, but I'll just call you overplayed.
Ha Ha Ha!
You can call me 'gone for a tea break'. Actually, you can call me anything you like as long as you don't call me 'late for dinner' :o)
It's the way I tell 'em...
It's the way I tell 'em...
romeotuma wrote:
love it...
+1
love it...
+1
I could probably go without ever hearing this song again and being reminded of that awful video with Chevy Chase.
Thanks, but I'll just call you overplayed.
gettin' really sick of this one.
TexasAggies wrote:
Love this bass line!!!
Certainly is a great bass line. Lovely lyrics too...
Mute. Annoying song.
LOVE.THIS.
Love this bass line!!!
radiojunkie wrote:
Simon was not surreptitiously ripping anybody off; he deliberately went out and got the original artists to play with him, and in so doing made a lot of people aware of music and artists they never would have heard of otherwise. I've seen Ladysmith Black Mambazo live several times, and probably never would have heard of them if it weren't for Graceland -- hell, they probably wouldn't ever have been here in the States performing. It amuses me to see this argument still appearing -- side-by-side with people who make fun of the back-up singers on "I Know What I Know" as sounding like "chickens."
I love this song. 
Great song, and I agree that PS did a lot to expose Americans to African Music. I'm curious as to why Peter Gabriel didn't get more credit for doing the same, and way before Simon.
Doesn't take away from what Simon did here, though.
Play it, Chevy!
What a great song! So much fun. Even the video is fun to watch. 
driver8 wrote: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ie2e_Syt8A
ploafmaster wrote:
Gosh, one of my favorite songs off of one of my favorite all time albums. This was the first CD I bought when I was 12 years old...ah, memories.
I love his excellent lyrics, and the music is wonderful.
That phatty bass fill close to the end is righteous too...
I think I was 12 when his first solo album came out, sigh....
Great song and album. Remembering the video with Chevy Chase makes me smile. 
tdogboy wrote:
A great song! Here's a treat for you. Listen very closely to the bass solo. It's one lick played live (forwards) and the exact same lick recorded and played backwards. It's almost impossible to play the solo live as it's heard here.
I just posted this three years later. SHoudl have read back. I had a friend who played the bass who was *very* frustrated trying to figure it out!
That phatty bass fill close to the end is righteous too...
And is impossible to play. I had a friend who tried and tried and tried until someone finally tipped him off-- It's actually sampled backwards.
After all these years, still love that album and that song. It came out about the same time I was studying world music, taught by a S.A. instructor. Resonated. I always think I'm going to go looking for more Ladysmith Black Mombasa, or however that group's name goes.......love their harmonies.
Hats off to Spokes....
The first 10,000 plays were enough...
Nice transition from Stewart Copeland. However, give me Copeland any day.
Gosh, one of my favorite songs off of one of my favorite all time albums. This was the first CD I bought when I was 12 years old...ah, memories.
I love his excellent lyrics, and the music is wonderful.
That phatty bass fill close to the end is righteous too...
beelzebubba wrote:
:highfive:
This song (and album) was very interesting and fun when it came, and Paul Simon deserved every single kudos he recieved.
But I'm beyond sick of hearing it.
Hey, me too :highfive:
radiojunkie wrote:
Simon was not surreptitiously ripping anybody off; he deliberately went out and got the original artists to play with him, and in so doing made a lot of people aware of music and artists they never would have heard of otherwise. I've seen Ladysmith Black Mambazo live several times, and probably never would have heard of them if it weren't for Graceland -- hell, they probably wouldn't ever have been here in the States performing. It amuses me to see this argument still appearing -- side-by-side with people who make fun of the back-up singers on "I Know What I Know" as sounding like "chickens."
I love this song.
I agree!
I like this song more when it doesn't follow Koteja. Just sounds more dated, flimsy and thin by comparison.
This song (and album) was very interesting and fun when it came, and Paul Simon deserved every single kudos he recieved.
But I'm beyond sick of hearing it. It's entirely concievable that in reality, I haven't heard this song in 3 or 4 years. But it's sticks to your brain in such a way, that you can't get it off, and it still feels like I may as well as heard it this morning.
great, now this song will be stuck in my head for days.
amv wrote:
King Sunny Ade
Now you're talking! Gotta dig some out to upload! Well done.
radiojunkie wrote:
Simon was not surreptitiously ripping anybody off; he deliberately went out and got the original artists to play with him, and in so doing made a lot of people aware of music and artists they never would have heard of otherwise. I've seen Ladysmith Black Mambazo live several times, and probably never would have heard of them if it weren't for Graceland -- hell, they probably wouldn't ever have been here in the States performing. It amuses me to see this argument still appearing -- side-by-side with people who make fun of the back-up singers on "I Know What I Know" as sounding like "chickens."
I love this song.
Well said, I cannot add anything to that! This album was one of the biggest "made-me-do-a-double-take" albums of the 80's. I wish he could still make great new music today, but I haven't found anything of Simon's interesting in the last 15 or so years.
So true!
radiojunkie wrote:
Simon was not surreptitiously ripping anybody off; he deliberately went out and got the original artists to play with him, and in so doing made a lot of people aware of music and artists they never would have heard of otherwise. I've seen Ladysmith Black Mambazo live several times, and probably never would have heard of them if it weren't for Graceland -- hell, they probably wouldn't ever have been here in the States performing. It amuses me to see this argument still appearing -- side-by-side with people who make fun of the back-up singers on "I Know What I Know" as sounding like "chickens."
I love this song.
amv wrote:
Utterly dreadful, vapid plagiarism of African Rock - let's have the real thing (for instance) King Sunny Ade, Fela Kuti or Ali Farke Toure instead
Simon was not surreptitiously ripping anybody off; he deliberately went out and got the original artists to play with him, and in so doing made a lot of people aware of music and artists they never would have heard of otherwise. I've seen Ladysmith Black Mambazo live several times, and probably never would have heard of them if it weren't for Graceland -- hell, they probably wouldn't ever have been here in the States performing. It amuses me to see this argument still appearing -- side-by-side with people who make fun of the back-up singers on "I Know What I Know" as sounding like "chickens."
I love this song.
That bassline moves. I love it.
This one's been played to death, but it is still a great song.
And I love these people who claim any of PS's African-influenced stuff some kind of bastardization. As if you can't draw a line back to all of American popular music to everything from slave chants to tribal traditions. Look people: ALL music is derivative in one way or another. We, as humans, inspire each other to form new interpretations and ideas, and this is just another example of that.
stubbsz wrote:
Chevy Chase plays all the instruments on this song. Superb.
All these knowitall disses and it still polls a 7.8!
Utterly dreadful, vapid plagiarism of African Rock - let's have the real thing (for instance) King Sunny Ade, Fela Kuti or Ali Farke Toure instead
This is the worst song on one of the best albums of all time... it still gets an "8"
Eul0gy wrote:
Always loved how pissed Paul looked in the video.
He's just constipated.
great little article on Graceland here:
http://thisrecording.com/today...
Man this album can take me away.
Thank You for the info.