American Tune
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| “American Tune” | ||
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| Single by Paul Simon from the album There Goes Rhymin' Simon |
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| Released | 1973 | |
| Length | 3:45 | |
| Label | Warner Bros. | |
| Writer(s) | Paul Simon | |
"American Tune" is a song written and first performed by Paul Simon. The song first appeared on There Goes Rhymin' Simon (1973), Simon's second solo album following the breakup of Simon and Garfunkel. It was also released as a single, Columbia 45900, backed with "One Man's Ceiling Is Another Man's Floor," which Simon released on the same album. The single eventually reached #45 on the Billboard charts in the United States.
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[edit] Lyrics
Lyrically, the song is an evocation of weariness and confusion, as the narrator describes being far from home and "wonder[ing] what's gone wrong." The lyrics include a dream image of the Statue of Liberty "sailing away to sea" and rueful mentions of the Mayflower and the Apollo program, before concluding "it's all right/You can't be forever blessed/Still tomorrow's going to be another working day/And I'm trying to get some rest." Simon has stated in interviews that he wrote the song following Richard Nixon's re-election, and that it was meant to sum up his disappointment with the result[citation needed].
[edit] Music
Musically, the song is notable for being based on a melody line from Johann Sebastian Bach's chorale from "St. Matthew Passion," itself a reworking of an earlier secular song, "Mein Gmüth ist mir verwirret," composed by Hans Hassler.
[edit] Live performances and covers
Eventually it became a concert favorite, both for Simon and in reunion concerts with Simon's former singing partner Art Garfunkel (who has stated in concert that he wished that he and Simon had recorded this song before they split in 1970). The duo has claimed that had they not split, the song would have become another massive hit, similar to what "Bridge Over Troubled Water" had been. The song appears on several of Simon's solo live albums and on Simon and Garfunkel's post-breakup live albums, most famously The Concert in Central Park. The song has also been covered by many artists, notably Willie Nelson, Dave Matthews, Eva Cassidy, Ann Wilson, the Indigo Girls, Keane and Glen Phillips.
[edit] Cultural references
The song was also featured on at least one episode of the NBC television series Providence. It is included in an episode of The Wonder Years. The song is also alluded to in the lyrics of "Independence Day" by Ferron on the Driver CD: "There's a Paul Simon song that just tears me apart...about the Statue of Liberty and hole in a heart."
