On October 18, 1975, Simon hosted the second episode of the premiere season of the NBC comedy sketch program Saturday Night Live. Horns and backing vocals are present in the last verse.īillboard described the song as "a good, nostalgic Americana style song that builds throughout." Cash Box said it has "catchy piano beneath historic harmony growing into a brass hook ending" and that "you’ll remember the melody by the third time you hear it." Record World called it a "richly hued ballad with their distinctive harmonies melting over a rhythmic base supplied by the Muscle Shoals Swampers." Paul Simon provides acoustic guitar, Pete Carr plays electric guitar bass is provided by David Hood and percussion by Ralph MacDonald. The song begins with a piano solo by Barry Beckett and drums from Roger Hawkins. The song references the lines of a Ted Hughes poem (quoted in liner notes to Paul Simon's release of the song: "To hatch a crow, a black rainbow/Bent in emptiness/over emptiness/But flying"), the song relates the town's sameness suggesting even the colors of the rainbow there are black. A friend of mine comes from Gloucester and he used to talk about what it was like to grow up there.That song was entirely an act of imagination.There's no element of me in there at all." I was thinking about Gloucester, Massachusetts. In an interview with Bill Flanagan for the book "Written In My Soul: Conversations With Great Songwriters," Simon says he was "actually picturing a town. Garfunkel's parents insisted he gain some qualification aside from his singing (he earned a bachelor's degree in art history in 1965, and a master's degree in mathematics in 1967). Somebody happy to get out." Garfunkel has explained that the song was about his own childhood, how he "grew up in an area where a career in music was not seen as either desirable or exciting". Simon has stated that the song is not autobiographical instead he says that it is about "someone who hates the town he grew up in. It seemed like a good concept for him." After playing the song for Garfunkel, the two decided to collaborate again in the studio on this one track. I was gonna write a song for his new album, and I told him it would be a nasty song, because he was singing too many sweet songs. ![]() He has been quoted as saying: "It originally was a song I was writing for Artie. In early 1975, Simon had decided to prepare material for a new solo album and the music was a bit more personal, but one song was written in particular with Garfunkel specifically in mind. During this hiatus, Garfunkel worked as a teacher in Connecticut, a draftsman in New York and a math tutor in Los Angeles, before working on a solo album himself, coincidentally, at the same time as Simon. In June 1972 they were asked to sing at a political benefit concert for United States presidential candidate George McGovern at Madison Square Garden, New York City. In 1970 Simon and Garfunkel decided to part ways and record their own solo material. It was the first single release credited to the duo since the 1972 release of " America", released in conjunction with Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits. It would not appear on any of the duo's albums until the 1997 anthology box set Old Friends and the 1999 compilation album The Best of Simon and Garfunkel. The song was included on the 1975 solo releases from both Simon ( Still Crazy After All These Years) and Garfunkel ( Breakaway). It was written by Paul Simon, who produced the track along with Art Garfunkel and Phil Ramone. “Old Friends” talks about the twilight years and beautiful relationships that carry over to it, while “Bookends Theme” comes back with a fuller instrumentation reprisal, continuing the story from the previous song." My Little Town" is a 1975 song by the American duo Simon & Garfunkel. “Overs” tackles the story of dying love and letting go, while “Voices of Old People” feature conversations of…old people. ![]() “America” takes the direction of the story to a peaceful one, with an indulging acoustic guitar and piano driving the progression. ![]() ![]() Opening the album is “Bookends Theme”, starting everything slow and quiet with a single guitar melody and leads the listener to “Save the Life of My Child”. The track explores Vietnam era themes – especially the government’s involvement in it – with lyrical imagery carrying a boy on the ledge ready to jump at any given moment. The album carries an aging theme that naturally takes its course as it runs along. It carried the tried and tested folk flavor of Simon and Garfunkel’s previous endeavors but as with time, it is more refined and mature. The duo was already experiencing the best years of its career when Bookends took it to even greater heights thanks to its well-curated selection of tracks.
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