I just finished watching one of my favorite television shows, the Colbert Report with pop-culture comedian Stephen Colbert. The featured guest on the 11/18/08 show was singer/song-writer, Paul Simon. Now, before I go into the main point of why I started this thread, I wish to comment on what I just saw on this show. I saw two of my favorite entertainers. What struck me was roughly two important decades of years that separated them from each other in terms of age. Stephen Colbert is probably at the top of his fame and popularity while in his mid-40's, during a time when the world is found to be in a kind-of financial and political "limbo". At the very least, as you are all aware, these are unsettling times. Paul Simon was quite famous, 40+ years ago, also during unsettling times. I'm sitting here, typing all of this out, and I'm feeling this weird "awe" as I appreciate (and have witnessed) both periods of time which the U.S. (at least) was struggling with significant issues. 40 years ago, there was the Vietnam war, Civil Rights movement, and this longing to "find one's self" through many interesting and creative means. Although the efforts of the Civil Rights movement has helped elect our first African-American/Caucasian mixed president (which really seems to represent the mix of cultures that exist in the U.S.), we still are faced with wars and the unease that exists with them. On one hand, it is cause for celebration to see the effort of the 1960's Civil Rights movement come alive as President-elect Obama prepares to become the United States' 44th President. On the other hand, there remains two wars on two fronts, and this rather "nebulous" war on terrorism. Paul Simon was part of an era that produced great music to help the 1960's society cope with the anxieties of that day. Stephen Colbert uses a brilliant brand of humor (in my opinion) to help us with our currant anxieties. Both Paul Simon and Stephen Colbert are two of my favorite entertainers. Both entertain, both produce intelligent thought and both seem like very creative folk who seem to enjoy (and are good at) what they do. I really, really appreciate this.
Now on to the point of why I started this thread. . . .
Paul Simon. I love his music and he is a fantastic lyricist. Paul Simon sung one of this early songs on the Colbert Report. It was a pleasure to hear his song and lyrics again. (Of course I forgot the name of the song. LOL!) I have always enjoyed Paul Simon's style of music and his style has changed throughout the years. One of my favorite songs by him was "You Can Call Me Al" (and there are many songs by him that are my favorite) on the album Graceland. It's a FUN song. It's a fun song, but the lyrics provoke thought, to say the least. Not all of the lyrics to the song is flattering:
A man walks down the street
He says why am I soft in the middle now
Why am I soft in the middle
The rest of my life is so hard
I need a photo-opportunity
I want a shot at redemption
Don't want to end up a cartoon
In a cartoon graveyard
Bonedigger Bonedigger
Dogs in the moonlight
Far away my well-lit door
Mr. Beerbelly Beerbelly
Get these mutts away from me
You know I don't find this stuff amusing anymore
If you'll be my bodyguard
I can be your long lost pal
I can call you Betty
And Betty when you call me
You can call me Al
A man walks down the street
He says why am I short of attention
Got a short little span of attention
And wo my nights are so long
Where's my wife and family
What if I die here
Who'll be my role-model
Now that my role-model is
Gone Gone
He ducked back down the alley
With some roly-poly little bat-faced girl
All along along
There were incidents and accidents
There were hints and allegations
If you'll be my bodyguard
I can be your long lost pal
I can call you Betty
And Betty when you call me
You can call me Al
Call me Al
A man walks down the street
It's a street in a strange world
Maybe it's the Third World
Maybe it's his first time around
He doesn't speak the language
He holds no currency
He is a foreign man
He is surrounded by the sound
The sound
Cattle in the marketplace
Scatterlings and orphanages
He looks around, around
He sees angels in the architecture
Spinning in infinity
He says Amen! and Hallelujah!
If you'll be my bodyguard
I can be your long lost pal
I can call you Betty
And Betty when you call me
You can call me Al
Call me Al
But the lyrics tell an interesting and thought-provoking story. And I LOVE being BOTH entertained and challenged to think. To me, Paul Simon is brilliant at doing this. To me, he is a masterful lyricist.
I share all of this to you for a couple of reasons. The first is the obvious one: I like Paul Simon's music (and Stephen Colbert's brand of humor). Both provide purposeful thought-provoking entertainment. The second reason why I share this to you is because there is a lot of creative folk found on this web site. To be honest, it is not a habit of mine to come here. If it became a habit, which it can easily become, I would not have time to write music, mow the lawn, pet the dogs, cuddle with the wife and live life outside the internet. But WHEN I DO visit here, I am always amazed to the quality of craftsmanship found here in terms of music composition and orchestration. There are people here that are on par with Paul Simon and Stephen Colbert in terms of providing thought-provoking AND entertaining music. It takes real skill and craftsmanship to do this.
I commented to some friends the other day that I visit this particular web site to listen to original music. I shared that the quality of music found here is GREAT! And I added and shared, to my friend, my sadness with the realization that much of what is found here will probably never be heard outside this bulletin board; that much of what is heard here can only be found here. Although, in my mind, this realization makes this web site special (and there are a few other web sites similar to this one, too), this realization is also sad because such well written music should be available for more of the world to hear! Although a few lucky few, here, will have their compositions played by orchestras and small ensembles for a live audience, most won't.
But at least there exists this web site (and a few others) to showcase great, original music. Meanwhile, Paul Simon and Stephen Colbert will continue to showcase their brilliant (to me, at least) forms of thought-provoking entertainment for an audience of thousands and millions. And they will continue to inspire "simple-folk" like me to continue to practice their craft, and to maybe share, someday, some crafty music or joke or painting or sketch or cartoon or animation or video for someone else to see and/or hear.
. . . . A man walks down the street
It's a street in a strange world
Maybe it's the Third World
Maybe it's his first time around
He doesn't speak the language
He holds no currency
He is a foreign man
He is surrounded by the sound
The sound
Cattle in the marketplace
Scatterlings and orphanages
He looks around, around
He sees angels in the architecture
Spinning in infinity
He says Amen! and Hallelujah!
Brilliant. . . entertaining, thought-provoking. . . and inspiring.
Ted
Reply With Quote
(But I guess that's another topic for another thread for another time. 
Bookmarks