| Paul Simon – Graceland Lyrics | 6 years ago |
|
@[jjim:30308] "The portrait he paints of all the wandering pilgrims with their broken families travelling is just beautiful. We are all like him, lost and wandering and looking for salvation." Well-said; I think you're spot on!! Sure, "Graceland" may have started out as a placeholder word as he was drafting it musically, before he began the lyric. But then he did something only Paul Simon could; He took the one word and worked backwards to craft the imagery of trying to connect with his son over a vacation week to Graceland after his failed marriage. Whether the trip to Graceland actually happened is irrelevant, the song does its job at evoking the emotion. As a divorced dad, I remember it was difficult trying to connect one-on-one with my 9 y/o son, his little kid brain transitioning to adolescence. The double-meaning of Graceland, as a tourist spot and word signifying redemption/salvation highlights Paul's brilliance. Describing his divorce using the "civil war" oxymoron, wow perfect. IMHO, "We both will be received" maybe refers to his forgiving himself for the failed relationship. I wonder if Paul identified with the "human trampoline" as a fellow repeat rebounder, given this this was his second try at marriage. I love the song musically, too. Zydeco meets a travelling country ditty. Empty enough to hear Kumalo & Phiri shine with those beautiful unison 16th note arpeggios. Funny, they are actually out of sync in places, but it's awesome they left it as-is. |
|
* This information can be up to 15 minutes delayed.