For Paul Simon, Whenever I May Find Him.

It's been a while since I've done anything new in this space, but I couldn't let the day pass without giving recognition to the songwriter who changed the way I listened to lyrics. Yes indeed I was a Beatles girl, and enjoyed all of those bands from the British Invasion. But for a very young girl,just learning to write, hearing 'The Sounds Of Silence," was like having a switch go off in my brain.

Living just across the river from NYC, it was so close and yet so very far away, both in distance to a pre-teen and by the promise of what it was about. "The Sounds Of Silence," only enhanced all those feelings I had about the city. I never bought the album it was on, only the 45. My best friend at the time had Wednesday Morning 3 AM, and along with a few other albums, we played it non-stop,

Then came Simon & Garfunkel's "Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme" and it set my gold standard for excellence. "Homeward Bound" became the big hit, deservedly so, and then there was "Feelin' Groovy" and "Scarborough Fair/Canticle." But the song that got my juices flowing was another song about New York. About the dark part of New York, the New York Subway.

Now at that time I had never been on a subway, that privilege would come several years later. At this point all I knew of it was what was talked about on the evening news...and it wasn't pretty. Muggings, stabbings and graffiti. And here on this new album, right alongside songs as beautiful as "The Dangling Conversation" and "For Emily, Wherever I May Find Her," was this dark and gritty song; Side 2 Song 5: "A Poem On The Underground Wall."

I had no idea what imagery was at the time, all I knew was this song's vision was sent to that part of the brain that goes "holy shit." And it was clear. And it was unnerving. And it was stunning.

This video has an interesting lead-in story to go along with the song. But let the lyrics take you down to the shadows of the 60s New York City subways. Happy Birthday Paul.

"The last train is nearly due

The underground is closing soon

And in the dark deserted station

Restless in anticipation

A man waits in the shadows

His restless eyes leap and scratch

At all that they can touch or catch

And hidden deep within his pocket

Safe within his silent socket

He holds a colored crayon

Now from the tunnel’s stony womb

The carriage rides to meet the groom

And opens wide and welcome doors

But he hesitates, then withdraws

Deeper in the shadows

And the train is gone suddenly

On wheels clicking silently

Like a gently tapping litany

And he holds his crayon rosary

Tighter in his hand

Now from his pocket quick he flashes

The crayon on the wall he slashes

Deep upon the advertising

A single-worded poem comprised

Of four letters

And his heart is laughing, screaming, pounding

The poem across the tracks rebounding

Shadowed by the exit light

His legs take their ascending flight

To seek the breast of darkness and be suckled by the night"

Copyright by Paul Simon.

Big Hair, Big Music, Big Videos: Twisted Mixtape 80's Part 1

It's Tuesday, time for the first part of the 80's edition of Jen's Twisted Mixtape. A very interesting decade musically. Some of it was really good, some of it was really bad. The bad part has continued ever since.

When I started thinking about music defining this era, I immediately came up with seventeen songs. After thinking a little while longer, I was up to twenty-seven. Needless to say, I breaking the rules again this week. Picking only five songs is just not in the realm of possibility. The only question is how many over the allotment will I go.

Two songs on my list are related in a way. The first is the title track of an album which redefined the career path of a veteran performer. It was influenced largely by the music of Africa and employed many musicians from South Africa, which was still under the rule of Apartheid during its final days. The album was Graceland and the artist is Paul Simon. He took some flack for that, but if you have the opportunity to see the fascinating PBS documentary about the making of Graceland, most of it is explained. Graceland is still on my regular playlist. I could have chosen several songs off the album, but for its place in history, I'll pick the title song.

"Graceland"

In South Africa in 1985, there was an entertainment area within a city called Sun City. While it proclaimed itself to be an interracial resort, it was a sham where the wealthy gambled, while the poor outside the walls lived in squalor. Steve Van Zandt of the E Street Band created a group formed by well known artists, where they would spread the word about this stronghold of Apartheid and create a boycott for performers to play there. The video for the song was a virtual who's who of the music industry.

"Sun City"

Let's lighten the mood just a bit. There was this song about a girl and a phone number. It was everywhere, it's still everywhere. C'mon let's sing along.

"867-5309" 

With some very recognizable opening notes, this song gets new life every spring. Catchy and perfectly evoking the feeling all of us baseball freaks get every opening day. Mr. Fogerty, if you please.

"Centerfield"

It was the 80's, London was calling, but the Clash song which always made my day went like this:

"As soon as the sharif was

Outta their hair

The jet pilots wailed"

"Rock the Casbah"

Extra song #1. While it wasn't one of my favorites, there was no denying the importance of the song or the album from which it came. The album was Thriller, the song was...

"Billie Jean"

Because I like to push the envelope, I'm going with seven songs this week. And I might do it next week too. So shut up. In 1980, John Lennon came back to the music scene, along with Yoko and created Double Fantasy. Nowhere could you find a more self-defining song than the one Lennon wrote for what sadly would be his last album.

"Watching the Wheels"

So that's Part 1. Jen, I apologize for being a rude guest and highlighting seven songs, but as Eric Burdon sang, "It's my life and I'll do what I want." Hope you invite me back next week.

Talkin' Basketball on the Music Blog?

So the college basketball journey is over, Congratulations to Louisville... not that I really care. But I woke up this morning thinking of a bouncing basketball (don't ask) and my mind went to the song, "Red Rubber Ball." And yes I know a basketball is orange. A little bit of writer's privilege is exaggeration.

Today's song goes back, way back. It was a hit in the mid 60's, was co-written by one of the greatest songwriters of his generation and it is incredibly infectious. Even though it's a melancholy song, there's no way to not smile when you hear it.

Totally pop in sound, the organ sounds like it came out of the circus. But is has a wonderful tempo and the lyrics are nearly spot-on perfect in the way they convey the message: You treated me like shit, I'm over it and movin' on.

Written by Paul Simon and, Bruce Woodley of The Seekers, the song hit #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 with a band called The Cyrkle.

"I should have known you'd bid me farewell

There's a lesson to be learned from this and I learned it very well

Now, I know you're not the only starfish in the sea

If I never hear your name again, it's all the same to me

And I think it's gonna be alright

Yeah, the worst is over now

The mornin' sun is shinin' like a red rubber ball

You never care for secrets I confide

For you, I'm just an ornament, somethin' for your pride

Always runnin', never carin', that's the life you live

Stolen minutes of your time were all you had to give

And I think it's gonna be alright

Yeah, the worst is over now

The mornin' sun is shinin' like a red rubber ball

The story's in the past with nothin' to recall

I've got my life to live and I don't need you at all

The roller-coaster ride we took is nearly at an end

I bought my ticket with my tears, that's all I'm gonna spend

And I think it's gonna be alright

Yeah, the worst is over now

The mornin' sun is shinin' like a red rubber ball

Oh, I think it's gonna be alright

Yeah, the worst is over now

The mornin' sun is shinin' like a red rubber ball"

So much fun.

"The roller-coaster ride we took is nearly at an end

I bought my ticket with my tears, that's all I'm gonna spend" 

Perfect. Now take a listen.

Written by Paul Simon and Bruce Woodley. All rights reserved.