Towards the end of the song, the choir become more noticeable once again, with a beautifully elongated end to this song. The song then changes, with it becoming an ode to an overly wealthy girl while the melody underneath goes on. With African choirs singing the intro in a "round" style, which alternate with Simon as being higher in the mix, this is arguably the best song off the album. When I say a typical Simon vocal by the way, it's worth remembering, that at times he can combine the storytelling power of Dylan with the same melodious approach as Brian Wilson among others, so it's far from a criticism. With another very breezy intro and a typical vocal from Simon, what really makes this for me are the saxophones which come in over the music at sporadic intervals. A highlight of the album, and very well produced, layering the vocals increasingly towards the end. Simon's songwriting is to the fore again, laughing with seeming understatement at the "kind of girl who could say things that really weren't that funny". This really takes the song onto a whole new level, and serves as an excellent addition to this track. This is the first track on here where the African influence is very notable, with an all-female choir providing falsetto vocals during the chorus and adding whooping at intervals as well. It's very beautiful actually, and shows off the formidable talents of the band backing up Paul Simon here, and their ability to write music that won't overshadow him, while adding to the song. With a faster drumbeat driving this on, with a catchy guitar riff almost over Simon's vocals, this is a very wistful song, which I interpret as being about hero-worship and some of the dangers of it. It's also one of the most straightforward tracks on here, with only a choir barely audible in the background. Starting with an accordion intro, this is Paul Simon at his storytelling best, poking fun at modern society, warning that "every generation throws a hero up the popcharts", in a wry reference to his fame followed by fall. Combining lyrics and folk rythms typical of Simon & Garfunkel with ebullient African tribal chanting and vocals, this was widely acclaimed as one of the best albums of the year, and remains in the eyes of many critics today one of the most innovative and best albums of all time.ġ. Although the album is sometimes seen in a controversial light because Simon ignored the cultural boycott of South Africa going on at the time, Graceland is mostly seen as one of the greatest albums ever released.Following the breakup of Simon & Garfunkel in 1970, Paul Simon launched a solo career that, in the eyes of most critics, wasn't going anywhere fast. The album Graceland became Paul Simon’s best-selling solo album ever, selling over 15 million copies worldwide. Despite the poor chart performance, the song won a Grammy award in 1988 for Record of the Year. It eventually peaked at number 81 on the US charts. The single performed relatively unsuccessful on the charts, especially in comparison to the album’s lead single “You Can Call Me Al”. Paul Simon released “Graceland” as a single in November 1986. There was a deep wound, and then an attempt at a healing process.” Miriam Makeba and Paul Simon in 1986 – Public Domain The Legacy of Graceland And that’s what was going on in South Africa. It seemed to be about finding something you could call a state of grace – the healing of a deep wound. “Eventually I understood that the song is about why we are traveling to Graceland – to find out how to get healed – and that’s why I named the album Graceland. ![]() Simon revealed it took him a while to figure out where the song was about and what relation it had to South Africa. He came up with the phrase while walking past the Museum of Natural History in Manhattan and felt it deserved a place in the song. ![]() The final verse of the song, about a girl from New York who calls herself the human trampoline, has no personal relation to Paul Simon. The second verse of the song, which explores the theme of broken love, was inspired by Simon’s breakup with actress Carrie Fisher. Paul Simon revealed the line was just a case of storytelling, as Harper did not accompany his father on the journey to Graceland. The companion refers to Simon’s son Harper from his marriage with Peggy Harper. In the song, Simon reveals he has a 9-year-old traveling companion, who is the child of his first marriage.
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