America (Simon & Garfunkel song)
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| "America" | ||||
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| Single by Simon & Garfunkel | ||||
| from the album Bookends | ||||
| B-side | For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her | |||
| Released | 3 April 1968 (album) 1972 (single) |
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| Format | 7" single | |||
| Recorded | October 1967 - February 1968 | |||
| Genre | Folk rock | |||
| Length | 3:34 | |||
| Label | Columbia Records | |||
| Writer(s) | Paul Simon | |||
| Producer | Simon and Garfunkel Roy Halee |
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| Simon & Garfunkel singles chronology | ||||
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"America", written by Paul Simon, is a song recorded by Simon & Garfunkel. It was included in their album Bookends, released on 3 April 1968, and is notable as one of the few rock records to have a completely unrhymed lyric.
The song was released in 1971 as the B-side to "Keep The Customer Satisfied" a US promo-only release. Then as a single in 1972, to coincide with the album Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits, and eventually hit #97 on the Billboard Hot 100. The flip side of the single, "For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her," unexpectedly[by whom?] did much better, reaching #53.
The song mentions the cities of Saginaw, Michigan, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and the New Jersey Turnpike.
The song describes in first-hand terms with non-rhyming lyrics, the physical and metaphorical journey of two companions in search of the true meaning of America. On a metaphorical level, the lovers' initial hopefulness turns to a sense of angst and maybe sadness. "'Kathy, I'm lost,' I said, though I knew she was sleeping" is a reference to Kathy Chitty, with whom Simon had had a relationship while living in England in 1965.
On a more literal level, the song describes a trip east through America which leads to New York City, as Simon's lovers travel from Michigan to Pittsburgh and then onto the New Jersey Turnpike leading to New York City.
In 2000, "America" was featured in the soundtrack to the film Almost Famous. The main character's sister, Anita, uses this song to represent her reason for leaving home to become a stewardess.
Subsequent compilation CDs contain the single mix of the song, which features a clean intro (as opposed to the version on Bookends, which segues from the song that precedes it on the album, "Save the Life of My Child").
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[edit] Chart performance
| Chart (1972) | Peak position |
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| UK Singles Chart[1] | 25 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 97 |
[edit] Cover versions
[edit] Yes and 1-2-3 / Clouds arrangements
| "America" | ||||
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| Song by Yes from the album The New Age of Atlantic | ||||
| Released | 1972 | |||
| Genre | Progressive rock | |||
| Length | 10:30 (album version) 4:12 (single version) |
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| Label | Atlantic Records K20024 | |||
| Writer | Paul Simon | |||
| Producer | Yes and Eddie Offord | |||
| The New Age of Atlantic track listing | ||||
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The song was rearranged by the progressive rock band Yes in 1971. Yes added elements typical to progressive rock, such as changes in time signature and long instrumental segments, while dropping the song's original repeat and fade ending. The complete Yes version clocks in at ten and a half minutes. This recording first appeared in 1972 on the sampler album The New Age of Atlantic and was later included on the compilation album Yesterdays in 1975 and on the 2003 re-issue of their album Fragile. An edited version of this recording lasting 4 minutes was released as a single and hit #46 on the pop chart. It also appeared on the Yesyears and Yesstory boxed sets. The edited version was also included as a bonus track on the re-issue of Close to the Edge. A live version of the song was included on 1996's Keys to Ascension.
The original version of "America" came from the band Clouds.[2][not in citation given] In their earlier incarnation as 1-2-3, they had performed a re-written version of the song that included all the elements later used by Yes: changes in time signature, classical interludes, newly-written segments etc. A live tape exists of this being performed at the Marquee in April 1967, prior to the release of any known recording by any artist, including the writer himself. Paul Simon had recorded demos at Levy studios in London in 1965, and tapes of these were passed to the band by a studio engineer (Stu Francis of Radio Luxembourg).[citation needed] In 1966, 1-2-3 also performed Sounds of Silence from this same tape.[citation needed]
[edit] David Bowie performance
A memorably minimalist performance of it was given by David Bowie to open The Concert for New York City in October 2001. Bowie performed seated, centre stage, with a microphone and a Suzuki Omnichord. One of the interesting things about this is that David Bowie was in attendance at the Marquee during 1967 when 1-2-3 (later Clouds) performed this song. He was a friend of Billy Ritchie, the keyboard player/writer, and the band were also at the time, playing a song by a then-unknown David Bowie, I Dig Everything.[3]
[edit] Other versions
The Tenor Josh Groban recorded it on his live album, Live at The Greek. He also played it at the A Capitol Fourth concert on July 4, 2011. Vocalist Alyssa Graham replaces Simon’s “Kathy” with "Douglas" in her version, the leadoff track on her 2008 album Echo. Lucy Wainwright Roche plays it, together with The Roches, at her 2010 album Lucy. The band America also released a recording of the song on their 2011 album Back Pages.
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.chartstats.com/artistinfo.php?id=1850
- ^ The Illustrated History of Rock; Clouds by Ed Ward "To Yes went the baroque structures of improvisation that were virtually rewrites of known material"
- ^ Mojo Magazine Nov 1994; interview with David Bowie; article "1-2-3 and the Birth of Prog"
