July 8, 2010

Something Wonderful: An American Tune

We come on the ship they call the Mayflower.
Come on the ship that sails the moon.
We come in the age's most uncertain hours,
And sing an American tune.

Simon and Garfunkel, Central Park, 1981.

Posted by Vanderleun at July 8, 2010 3:26 PM
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Some good mileage out of O Sacred Head.

Posted by: Jewel at July 8, 2010 3:52 PM

One of the ways we corrupted our children was by exposing them to music such as this.

My birthday present one year was for all of us to fly up to Boston in December to see Simon and Garfunkel at the Fleet Center.

Second time I'd seen 'em; last time was at Grant Field (Georgia Tech) some twenty-five years earlier.

Unforgettable.

Posted by: WWWebb at July 9, 2010 8:19 AM

O Sacred Head now Groovy.

Posted by: Jewel at July 9, 2010 1:38 PM

First: The complete lyrics:

Lyrics

Many's the time I've been mistaken
And many times confused
Yes, and often felt forsaken
And certainly misused
But I'm all right, I'm all right
I'm just weary to my bones
Still, you don’t expect to be
Bright and bon vivant
So far away from home, so far away from home

And I don't know a soul who's not been battered
I don't have a friend who feels at ease
I don't know a dream that's not been shattered
or driven to its knees
But it's all right, it's all right
We've lived so well so long
Still, when I think of the road
we're traveling on
I wonder what went wrong
I can't help it, I wonder what went wrong

And I dreamed I was dying
And I dreamed that my soul rose unexpectedly
And looking back down at me
Smiled reassuringly
And I dreamed I was flying
And high above my eyes could clearly see
The Statue of Liberty
Sailing away to sea
And I dreamed I was flying

We come on the ship they call the Mayflower
We come on the ship that sailed the moon
We come in the ages most uncertain hour
and sing an American tune
But it's all right, it's all right
You can't be forever blessed
Still, tomorrow's going to be another working day
And I'm trying to get some rest
That's all I'm trying to get some rest

http://www.paulsimon.com/node/30

From the album
http://www.paulsimon.com/there-goes-rhymin-simon
Released: May 1 1973

Posted by: Fat Man at July 9, 2010 8:31 PM

No mistake. It is a beautiful song. But, its politics were very f/u. In Simon's mind it was an anthem to American decline.

"it's all right
We've lived so well so long
Still, when I think of the road
we're traveling on
I wonder what went wrong"

"it's all right
You can't be forever blessed"

The song was written in the aftermath of Nixon's crushing defeat of George McGovern. The oil crisis, Watergate, the final surrender of the US in Vietnam (ordered by the traitorous Democrats in Congress), and raging inflation, persistent unemployment, and sky high interest rates were all still to come.

The good news is that the 70s ended, and America re-emerged. I still hope that we will overcome Obama too.

Posted by: Fat Man at July 9, 2010 8:42 PM

the "...Mayflower ...Moon" verse always gives me shudders. Thanks

Posted by: Jan at July 10, 2010 8:42 AM

This song is a classic because it transcends the intent and politics of the artists at the time of its creation and addresses us in our age, unlike most of the crap that passes for art these days. In fact, "experts" tell us something is only "art" if it is purely a narcissistic exercise expressing the artist's feelings to which the common man cannot relate at all - like "Piss Christ."

Just flew home from Boston on Monday after touring the Mayflower II in Plymouth that morning with the kids. We also walked up Burial Hill and read the inscription on the Pilgrims' Crypt. I wish I could find the text, but the gist was we should be grateful to God for this great land and not squander the sacrifices our forefathers made for liberty. In this brief and already unending season of Obama...

my eyes could clearly see
The Statue of Liberty
Sailing away to sea

But it's all right, it's all right.

Posted by: Western Chauvinist at July 10, 2010 8:44 AM

"We come on the ship they call the Mayflower."

This implies that the ship had another name, a real name. What was it? This has always irritated me.

Posted by: Quent at July 12, 2010 11:03 AM

I think you're hammerin' on the lyric a leetle too hard.

Posted by: vanderleun at July 12, 2010 11:27 AM