Songfacts®:

• Seven Psalms is a 33-minute, seven-movement collection intended to be heard as one continuous piece. It represents a callback to the genesis of folk music in King David's Psalms. This song recounts the story of a Texas couple picking up a couple of hitchhikers. While the boy doesn't say much, the woman talks about the sacred harp that King David played.
  
  The sacred harp
  That David played to make his
  Songs of praise
  We long to hear those strings
  That set his heart ablaze
  
  King David was known for his skill as a musician and his devotion to God. He played the harp to soothe both himself and King Saul and composed psalms, songs of praise and lament. The harp becomes a symbol of David's connection to God and his ability to express deep emotions through music.
• Paul Simon's wife Edie Brickell sings on "The Sacred Harp." "She would be right for anything," Simon told Mojo magazine. "I asked her to sing on 'The Sacred Harp' because it's a Texas song. The couple driving the pickup truck is in Texas, and that's us, you know? Aside from the fact that she always sings completely in tune, much to my envy, she's perfect for that character."
• In "The Sacred Harp," Paul Simon describes the female hitchhiker's voice as "a blend of regional perfumes." The lyric captures so much about the woman's sensuality and backstory.
  
  Mojo asked Simon how long it takes him to shape a line like that and know where to put it in a song. "It was one of those lines that comes to you," he replied. "I didn't work at it. I felt of it as a sweet kind of southern accent, which is what Edie has. I wouldn't have used that line if I was describing a male character. I didn't think about how much it says about a woman. That's just one of those examples of how I don't know where it comes from, but I know it fits right here."
• The open road and the hope of adventure have long inspired songwriters. Hitchhikers with their free spirits and tales from the byways have found their way into many a tune. Here are some diverse song picks about hitchhikers:
  
  "Hitch Hike" by Marvin Gaye: Marvin Gaye drew inspiration for this 1995 song from observing his sister's playful dance where she mimicked hitchhiking by moving her hands with her thumbs pointed out.
  
  "Hitchin' a Ride" by Vanity Fare: Released in 1970, this rock classic narrates the tale of a young man attempting to hitchhike to his lover back home.
  
  "Hitch A Ride" by Boston: In this 1976 song, Boston's lead singer, Brad Delp, sings about hitching a ride, possibly envisioning a journey on one of the guitar-shaped spaceships depicted on the band's album cover.
  
  "The Ride" by David Allan Coe: Released in 1983, this track recounts the story of a hitchhiker picked up by the ghost of Hank Williams in an antique Cadillac on a desolate road from Alabama to Tennessee.
  
  "All I Wanna Do Is Make Love to You" by Heart: A 1990 hit for the rock band, this song, penned by Matt Lange, has Ann Wilson singing about picking up a hitchhiker and engaging in a motel encounter, seemingly with the intention of becoming pregnant.
  
  "Little Hitchhiker" by Grace Potter: In 2023, Grace Potter released this song inspired by a real-life event when she ran away from home at age 9.