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Length: 4:34
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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
The bass is incredible, awesome, delicious, impressionant, perfect, beautiful, hard powerful, and tons of adjectives must said
I Agree!
![banana jam](https://img.radioparadise.com/emoji/bananajam.gif)
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.
http://thisrecording.com/today...
Man this album can take me away.
Lyrics deal with the highly intoxicated lifestyle that our narrator is attempting to leave behind.
He's Bakhiti Kumalo, in fact a bass genius.
Listen to the live version in central park, it's absolutely incredible.
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.
Peace reigned.
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.
Ummmm Because it's damn good!
![doh](https://img.radioparadise.com/emoji/eusa_doh.gif)
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.
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.
![See the source image](https://media.giphy.com/media/uJRZ6N5ZlYRvq/giphy.gif)
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.
michaelgmitchell wrote:
Kids grow up too fast, huh?
Great story! And, yes they do.
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
It's catchier than the flu!
What a great video.
It's just tough since they appear to be - in real life - assholes.
![](https://img2-3.timeinc.net/ew/dynamic/imgs/080625/paul-simon_l.jpg)
What a great video.
![{#Bananajumprope} {#Bananajumprope}](https://img.radioparadise.com/emoji/bananajumprope.gif)
![](https://img2-3.timeinc.net/ew/dynamic/imgs/080625/paul-simon_l.jpg)
![{#Heartkiss} {#Heartkiss}](https://img.radioparadise.com/emoji/icon_heartkiss.gif)
![{#Dancingbanana} {#Dancingbanana}](https://img.radioparadise.com/emoji/dancingbanana.gif)
Kids grow up too fast, huh?
So true....sweet story..
Kids grow up too fast, huh?
His first 2 solo albums set the standard but Graceland is in its own category.
quintessential simon
catchy rhythm 2
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 :-)
Wonder if Mr. Simon and Chevy Chase (from the music video) had any connections with that place?
scmerriam wrote:
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
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.
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
I've heard this a thousand times but today it made me laugh.
![{#Wink} {#Wink}](https://img.radioparadise.com/emoji/icon_wink.gif)
I know what you mean. "Get these mutts away from me... Y'know, I don't find this stuff amusing anymore..."
![{#Lol} {#Lol}](https://img.radioparadise.com/emoji/icon_lol.gif)
Give me John Entwistle anytime.
Hey, I'll take Harrison Birtwhistle in place of Paul Simon, every day of the week.
Yea, I like that.
I've heard this a thousand times but today it made me laugh.
![{#Wink} {#Wink}](https://img.radioparadise.com/emoji/icon_wink.gif)
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.
Best of Craigslist: Seeking bodyguard named Betty
https://www.craigslist.org/about/best/phi/1802444273.htmlGive 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.
Tru dat.
it didn't fit in with the rest of the album.
![](https://img.radioparadise.com/emoji/bananajam.gif)
Give me John Entwistle anytime.
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!
love it...
despise it...
Shesdifferent wrote:
![{#Dancingbanana} {#Dancingbanana}](https://img.radioparadise.com/emoji/dancingbanana.gif)
![](https://content.ytmnd.com/content/3/2/c/32c052787ed28678598c2f635ef8ed07.jpg)
Ha Ha Ha!
It's the way I tell 'em...
love it...
+1
![banana jam](https://img.radioparadise.com/emoji/bananajam.gif)
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great little article on Graceland here:
http://thisrecording.com/today...
Man this album can take me away.
Thank You for the info.