Best Line in "Graceland"

i voted "for reasons i cannot explain some part of me wants to see graceland" -- b/c that's what I feel about graceland (and any number of other tourist traps).

Some One Trick Pony discussion here:

Paul Simon - One Trick Pony, C or D

and maybe here:

http://www.ilxor.com/ILX/ThreadSelectedControllerServlet?boardid=41&threadid=31830

(that's "Do you believe Paul Simon when, in "Late in the Evening", he describes how he returns to the club after smoking a "J" and proceeds to turn up his amp and "(blow) that room away"?")

classic alex in nyc on that thread:

I believe the bit about smokin' the "j", but not about the room-blowin' (like he suddenly morphed into a diminutive clone of Yngwie Malmsteen).
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, July 22, 2004 8:59 PM (6 years ago) Bookmark

is there anyone right now writing lyrics this good and self-aware about the nyc hip-art-music-whatever scene? vampire weekend is the only band thats even attempting this i think and--i think theyre good lyricists--but theyre not paul simon

tbf they've had two albums, what album was graceland for him.

all his albums have v good lyrics post-simon and garfunkel it's kind of his "thing"

the 70s solo simon albums are so new york-y

like woody allen movies they have had a debilitating effect on my adult life

im not saying vampire weekend "should" be the new paul simon of lyrics, im just wondering if there is a 2000s paul simon

like if there was ever a 'scene' that could use a self aware lyricist with a good sense of humor about 'the scene'... its brooklyn ca 2010

and the thing is vw are UWS brats not brooklyn brats

i think it's clear what you have to do, max

zinging is my art

not lyrics

it's a fine line!!!!!

too true, too true

in a lot of ways my tumblr is my graceland

i mean you dont really need a graceland when you have the ny times in 2010:

http://celebraterickysargulesh.tumblr.com/post/418545344/brooklyn-2010

yeah i still think he did take a while to "mature" as a songwriter. the s+gf stuff is only intermittently good lyrically

Come Anticipate Norah Jones's NYC Zingers.

I do think Craig Finn works at combining stuff that's never been in a song with specific snapshots of times and spaces with stream-of-consciousness, but it's not NYC.

the s+gf stuff is only intermittently good lyrically

― plax (ico), Sunday, August 22, 2010 5:25 PM (43 seconds ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

it's true; i don't really like simon and garfunkel that much at all

yeah finns a good lyricist, but hes not as funny as simon i dont think, or as self aware, and, crucially, from britain or alaska or somewhere

yeah i still think he did take a while to "mature" as a songwriter. the s+gf stuff is only intermittently good lyrically

^^^ my next point, actually. To be fair to both Koenig and Simon, the latter didn't stumble into his lyrical genius. S&G is often painfully, clumsily erudite.

Neil Tennant and Robert Forster wrote really good songs about scenes, but their time has passed, I guess.

yeah, thats fine. i didnt really mean to rag on VW, im just wondering if there IS a 2000s-paul-simon-of-new-york, besides me and my tumblr

btw i have never seen this:

In 1988, Simon released a video for the song to promote his greatest hits compilation, Negotiations and Love Songs. The video features an introduction by rappers Big Daddy Kane and Biz Markie. The video depicts adults interacting with the youth of an inner city schoolyard where they dealt drugs. It shows Simon playing basketball and baseball with the children, and it also features basketball player Spud Webb, baseball legend Mickey Mantle, and football coach/commentator John Madden giving tips to young athletes.[1]

(thats re: me and julio)

S+G was writing genre songs in the same way that Simon always does, but he was getting Elizabethan and Hymnal Music out of the way early, saving zydeco and (on the great "Adios Hermanos") doo-wop for later.

there's a making the album documentary where simon talks u through writing graceland line by line and it seems like anyone could have written that song, its kindof awesome.

idk i think his skill is in managing to be really evocative w/ the smallest parts "the child of my first marriage" is such a banal line but it also paints a massive backstory and dovetails so well w/ the forehead hair brusher l8r

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

the last line in this song always kills me. i'm not sure why.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

poor boys, pilgrims with families and we are going to graceland 0

^^ i dont know that this line got "robbed" buts another one where he has perfect delivery

maybe he should have worked new york city into the line somehow.

she comes back to tell me she's gone 0

The declarative sentence loses.

i'd just like to point out that there is a tie for first place here

Reading these lyrics out, they read like Dan Bejar lyrics.

The declarative sentence loses.

Which is unfortunate, because I love that line.

This thread has sparked a total renewed interest in this album, appreciating the lyrics like never before. Thinking I might go through some of them with my advanced TELF students next week.

I remember my mom asking me to explain the lyrics to the Myth of Fingerprints to her when I was 13

Something I wrote about this song last year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPFESqwh0ks

omg

btw i have never seen this:

In 1988, Simon released a video for the song to promote his greatest hits compilation, Negotiations and Love Songs. The video features an introduction by rappers Big Daddy Kane and Biz Markie. The video depicts adults interacting with the youth of an inner city schoolyard where they dealt drugs. It shows Simon playing basketball and baseball with the children, and it also features basketball player Spud Webb, baseball legend Mickey Mantle, and football coach/commentator John Madden giving tips to young athletes.[1]

― max, Sunday, August 22, 2010 5:29 PM (1 year ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

(thats re: me and julio)

― max, Sunday, August 22, 2010 5:29 PM (1 year ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O859wd7H6h8

like i said before this was sort of the first "adult" album i started to kind of understand, it made me almost feel older, like some weird vicarious sense of 'mono no aware' when i was 11. and an epic song.

Me and Julio video is hilarious.

Graceland doc looks a little too polite, but in any case this is my all-time favorite album so I'll watch.

wow cool!