PAUL SIMON POLL RESULTS THREAD AND DISCUSSION

yeah, wait till friday if that's the only way you can do it slowly during US daylight hours

Probably the slower one. I might not be able to join in but it'll be fun to read. I *definitely* won't be participating if you smuggle it out in the middle of the night.

Actually definitely the slower one, lamp, so you can join in. I feel you've so far been like an old man planting acorns so his great-grandkids can enjoy the shade.

Tell us a story grampa Lampy!!

Did anyone vote for 'Something So Right' or 'Loves Me Like A Rock'? Or am I a deluded There Goes Rhymin' Simon fanboy?

I had Something So Right at #20. It was one of a bunch of things competing for that slot, but I love that song. (Actually love both those songs, but only had so much room for Rhymin Simon.)

Won't you run come see Gramp Lampy's roll-out sparkle 'cross the site?

But speaking of Rhymin Simon fanboys -- I know we're not at ballot-reveal stage but I'm leaving the country tomorrow so won't be online much for the denouement and post-game show, so I wanted to pass along this -- which is not my ballot, but actually a list my dad sent me when I told him I was making a list of my favorite Simon songs. It's off the top of his head, unranked, and much more S&G-centric than mine because he has a stronger attachment to the early stuff than me. But anyway, since he sent it to me, I thought I'd share. My 67-yr-old dad's list, which includes half of Rhymin' Simon:

Kathy's Song
The Sound Of Silence
Mrs. Robinson
The Boxer
Bridge Over Troubled Water
The Only Living Boy In New York
Cecilia
Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard
Kodachrome
Was A Sunny Day
Loves Me Like A Rock
Late In The Evening
Train In The Distance
Rene And Georgette Magritte After The War
One Man's Ceiling Is Another Man's Floor
Fifty Ways To Leave Your Lover
Loves Me Like A Rock
The Boy In The Bubble
Graceland
I Know What I Know

Friday slow roll out please. At least us Brits will be out of bed then.

Ah, Kathy - I was reading what little there is about her earlier. How intriguing to imagine her life.

Did anyone vote for 'Something So Right' or 'Loves Me Like A Rock'? Or am I a deluded There Goes Rhymin' Simon fanboy?

"something So Right" made my ballot.

I was only gonna vote for like ten songs because I am a new PS convert, but I wanted to vote just to put peace like a river as my #1. But then I didn't get around to it...

10-6 at 1 a.m., 5-3 Friday afternoon, and then the rest after weekend conversation?

― "Flashy...hip" (Eazy), Wednesday, March 21, 2012 5:12 PM (2 hours ago)

Friday finish is cool, but please don't do this!^^^

regarding questions upthread, i voted for "something so right" and "papa hobo" and of course "take me to the mardi gras." i don't think any of them are going to make the top ten, but good vibes to the other folks who voted for them.

I was thinking a little more about the awesomeness of "50 Ways" this morning and how darkly hilarious it is -- by far his funniest song for me. Narrator is a pulling a total dick move, cheating on his girlfriend and dithering over whether to break up with her or not, but not really whether but how. In order not to have to think about what a creep he's being to her, he and the girl he's cheating with are laying it out so genteel-ly -- "it grieves me so to see you in such pain" instead of "christ, this bitch is total dead weight, dump her already". But the mask of delicate rhymes and instrumentation slips during the chorus and we see that this is just a cheating schmuck and the next-girlfriend figuring out how to dump the last-girlfriend.

Also, if Simon had never written it, it surely would have shown up on ILX by now: "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover: A List Thread"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n23tR4F3J6M

Top 10 on the ramp, Lamp!

have you ever experienced a period of grace
when your brain just takes a seat behind your face

I like the subtitles on this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5--Sje98jI

I was thinking a little more about the awesomeness of "50 Ways" this morning and how darkly hilarious it is -- by far his funniest song for me. Narrator is a pulling a total dick move, cheating on his girlfriend and dithering over whether to break up with her or not, but not really whether but how. In order not to have to think about what a creep he's being to her, he and the girl he's cheating with are laying it out so genteel-ly -- "it grieves me so to see you in such pain" instead of "christ, this bitch is total dead weight, dump her already". But the mask of delicate rhymes and instrumentation slips during the chorus and we see that this is just a cheating schmuck and the next-girlfriend figuring out how to dump the last-girlfriend.

Also, if Simon had never written it, it surely would have shown up on ILX by now: "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover: A List Thread"

― any major prude will tell you (WmC), Thursday, March 22, 2012 10:08 AM (3 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

excellent post, it's a really funny song!

Hey thanks to this thread I just bought the five albums Bookends through Still Crazy. Thanks, thread.

Get in the que, 'shoe

queue

Greg, do those come with the extra tracks still?

Looks like the versions I bought have about 2-4 bonus tracks on them, mostly demo versions of tracks on the album.

It sounds like the same editions as on spotify. Those demos are some of my favourite versions.

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

yeah, ridiculously moving lines. they definitely sneak up on you.

http://i1224.photobucket.com/albums/ee366/lamp11/10TheBOxer.jpg
#10 THE BOXER
1969
389 points/17 votes/0 #1 votes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdKjEHfHINQ

HI LAMP!

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