PAUL SIMON POLL RESULTS THREAD AND DISCUSSION

yeah, knew that would make it! how could it not? lie la lie.

I love wondering how those kinds of choruses come about, like if they just had it as a placeholder til they got some words to fit it and decided that it sounded really good that way

http://i1224.photobucket.com/albums/ee366/lamp11/09TheBoy.jpg
#09 THE BOY IN THE BUBBLE
1986
430 points/17 votes/1 #1 vote
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1ki3AbK8tM

just heard "rewrite" on the radio of all places. you could say he's just reworking "slip slidin'" but damn these lines kill me.

I’ll eliminate the pages
Where the father has a breakdown
And he has to leave the family
But he really meant no harm
Gonna substitute a car chase
And a race across the rooftops
When the father saves the children
And he holds them in his arms

― all yoga attacks are fire based (rogermexico.), Friday, March 23, 2012 2:09 PM (22 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

yeah i love this one. feels like it wouldn't be out of place on still crazy or something. voted for it, probably too low.

also love the whole vietnam-vet-working-at-the-carwash premise

Slow down! (I thought Bubble'd be higher)

this poll is staccato signals of constant information

probably not a loose affiliation of millionaires and billionares, though

meh, bubble

>:[

http://i1224.photobucket.com/albums/ee366/lamp11/08Diamonds.jpg
#08 DIAMONDS ON THE SOLES OF HER SHOES
1986
446 points/22 votes/1 #1 vote
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uf4YyXVoWeA

so i vowed to cut all graceland tracks from my ballot so it wasn't 75 songs long but when i tried to cut "diamonds on the soles of her shoes" i heard a high-pitched yelp of protest, which was me. i could say ooo-oooo-oooo and everybody here would know just what i was talking about.

also love that image for it, Lamp!

I placed Diamonds pretty high, it's a great song.

it is the beautifulest

Kicking myself for not making "Diamonds" #1 - it's just too perfect and hits all the key Simon notes - gentle observation, well-chosen details, little scenes of life where really big important things seem to be at stake, great melody, wistful overtone, humor, and memorable turns of phrase where I'm not entirely sure what it means but I know what it means. Beautiful song.

"diamonds on the soles of her shoes" otoh, is one of the greatest songs simon (or whoever) ever wrote, so fuck yes.

Simon has some of the best imagery in his songwriting, fuckin love this guy for real

Love 'Boy in the Bubble', it's such a strange sounding record, the way it lumbers into life and then becomes a slinky, sinuous beast never fails to thrill.

yeah i'd see no shame in placing boy in the bubble and graceland 1/2 tbh.

http://i1224.photobucket.com/albums/ee366/lamp11/07Cecelia.jpg
#07 CECILIA
1970
453 points/18 votes/1 #1 vote
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5_QV97eYqM

i dropped diamonds from my ballot b/c it is so good and i used to be so obsessed w/ it and it was like, i cant, i dont want to even think about it, anyway i hate my ballot, what a stupid ballot

aw it is an impossible poll, max!

I didn't think cecilia would place. Lovely pop song, but it's got to be more than that to be classic Paullie

people looooooove cecilia, though. it does sound pretty amazing. i didn't vote for it.

can't believe i have to go to work in the middle of the top ten, such an indignity

i will say this for cecilia: it doesn't sound like a museum

i was the first place vote for 'diamonds' and 'cecilia' was, coincidentally, my 20th place vote. 'diamonds' was the first paul simon song i really loved its soft and sad and perfect the way the first minute or so wistfully lays out the premise, the ta-na-nas coming out almost resigned, and then the terrific insight of 'you're taking me for granted because i please you' and then the song starts to expand and brighten but stays a little forlorn 'putting on aftershave' the fantastic horns and the ooh-oohs its just such a perfect song

My perception may be coloured by first knowing it through Suggs' version.

yeah the beginning of "diamonds" i will never get sick of

xp

also the second verse

by the bodegas and the lights on upper broadway

Cecilia!!!! Lamp that pic is perfection

I love everything about this song, AND IT HAS HANDCLAPS.

jubilaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaation

surprised by "cecilia" tbh -- just always sounded throwaway to me. not, like, casually-tossed-off greatness but actual throwaway.

http://i1224.photobucket.com/albums/ee366/lamp11/06TheObvious.jpg
#06 THE OBVIOUS CHILD
1990
459 points/19 votes/2 #1 votes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HKNAhAxMAk&ob=av2e

xpost whut

man these results are really interesting.

Love Obvious Child, love love love love

xpost (damn lamp u move fast) whereas at times "american tune," "america," "the boxer" and "graceland" have actually saved my life

i really should have got it together to vote in this one huh?

Obvious Child was my number 1

'the obvious child' is another one of those paul simon songs that - over and above what a total fucking jam it is - just seems to capture the sort of generous humanist spirit that simon at his best. like theres a quality of clear-eyed empathy in both songs that allow them to be both sorta joyous and melancholy and gently self-mocking thats really appealing to me and also seems to genuinely express how id like to see the world, hopefully but resigned to setbacks. idk the way he elongates 'died' in 'obvious child' just fucking slays me

My top 3 were Cecilia, Diamonds, and Al - so I'm pretty satisfied with this poll so far!

"Cecilia" is just ridiculously joyous (despite the heartbreak theme) - JUBILAAAAAAAAAATION! This is incredibly fun to sing in huge groups, for a while here it was an end-of-the-night karaoke standard, whoever was still at the bar at 2:20 or whatever piling on stage and feeling the love etc.

"The Boy In The Bubble" was my #1. Had known it before, but rediscovered it a few years ago over the speakers at used book store. I was in the early stages of a still-happening life change, and man-oh-man that chorus says it all.

Obvious Child was my #2 - it just kept rising and rising, and might've been #1 had I not had a euphoric reaction to something else first.

I listened to "Obvious Child" several times thanks to Alfred's urging, but it still hasn't grabbed me.

I didn't vote for Diamonds, there are other songs on Graceland that I like more - didn't know it was so highly regarded tbh

That percussion, WmC - keep listening!

at the end of this poll I hope there's an explanation of all Lamp's pic choices cuz a bunch are going right over my head

That squawking according (I'm guessing it's an accordion) is such a perfect way to open Graceland.