It is a song about music, and rhythm. And it demonstrates not only in its lyrics but in its changing tempo and the rhythm of its lines how language developed. The "story of how we begin to remember" IS the story of language. We remember – as a species – because we are able to pass our knowledge on from generation to generation. This was originally done through spoken language; writing came much later. Africa was the cradle of humanity, and as humans began to march out of the grasslands and deserts, they took the ability to communicate with them – first in music, then in song, and finally in speech.
Where did words first come from? Were they random? Or was there some, deep-rooted reason why a tree is called a "tree", a river is called a "river" and why Joseph was called "Joseph"?
So much of it has to do with music, rhythm and how they developed. Did the very first "name" come from somebody "falling and calling their name out"?
Notice how the rhythm of the song changes between the first and the final verse. The first verse is imperfect: "Joseph's face was black as night; the pale yellow moon shone in his eyes". There are slight gaps that need to be accounted for. Certain words need to be stretched out in order to accommodate the tune.
But by the final verse – essentially, a repetition of the first – this has been remedied. Now Simon sings, "Joseph's face was as black as THE night, AND the pale yellow moon shone in his eyes". We are no longer told that Joseph "walked his days under African skies"; instead, he "walked THE LENGTH of his days under African skies". The rhythm of each line has been perfected: there are no gaps or strained syllables. This is how language developed: words were needed to perfect the rhythm of speech, and so they were born.
The purpose and function of language is one of the most fundamental aspects of modern philosophical discourse. The brilliance in this song is that it is not only TELLS us about the roots of language; it ILLUSTRATES it within the very fabric of the song itself.
This is a song about the roots of language.
It is a song about music, and rhythm. And it demonstrates not only in its lyrics but in its changing tempo and the rhythm of its lines how language developed. The "story of how we begin to remember" IS the story of language. We remember – as a species – because we are able to pass our knowledge on from generation to generation. This was originally done through spoken language; writing came much later. Africa was the cradle of humanity, and as humans began to march out of the grasslands and deserts, they took the ability to communicate with them – first in music, then in song, and finally in speech.
Where did words first come from? Were they random? Or was there some, deep-rooted reason why a tree is called a "tree", a river is called a "river" and why Joseph was called "Joseph"?
So much of it has to do with music, rhythm and how they developed. Did the very first "name" come from somebody "falling and calling their name out"?
Notice how the rhythm of the song changes between the first and the final verse. The first verse is imperfect: "Joseph's face was black as night; the pale yellow moon shone in his eyes". There are slight gaps that need to be accounted for. Certain words need to be stretched out in order to accommodate the tune.
But by the final verse – essentially, a repetition of the first – this has been remedied. Now Simon sings, "Joseph's face was as black as THE night, AND the pale yellow moon shone in his eyes". We are no longer told that Joseph "walked his days under African skies"; instead, he "walked THE LENGTH of his days under African skies". The rhythm of each line has been perfected: there are no gaps or strained syllables. This is how language developed: words were needed to perfect the rhythm of speech, and so they were born.
The purpose and function of language is one of the most fundamental aspects of modern philosophical discourse. The brilliance in this song is that it is not only TELLS us about the roots of language; it ILLUSTRATES it within the very fabric of the song itself.