Album: Graceland (1986)

License This Song 

• I was having this discussion
  In a taxi heading downtown
  Rearranging my position
  On this friend of mine who had
  
  A little bit of a breakdown
  I said breakdowns come
  And breakdowns go
  So what are you going to do about it
  
  That's what I'd like to know
  You don't feel you could love me
  But I feel you could
  
  It was in the early morning hours
  When I fell into a phone call
  Believing I had supernatural powers
  I slammed into a brick wall
  
  I said hey, is this my problem?
  Is this my fault?
  If that's the way it's going to be
  I'm going to call the whole thing to a halt
  
  You don't feel you could love me
  But I feel you could
  You don't feel you could love me
  But I feel you could
  
  I was walking down the street
  When I thought I heard this voice say
  Say, ain't we walking down the same street together
  On the very same day
  
  I said hey Senorita that's astute
  I said why don't we get together
  And call ourselves an institute
  
  You don't feel you could love me
  But I feel you could
  You don't feel you could love me
  But I feel you could - I was having this discussion in a taxi heading downtown Writer/s: Johnson L. Mkhalali, Lulu Masilela, Paul Simon
  Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
  Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 6

• Michael Bol from Seattle, WaHe helped in a way to open African music to the rest of the world, how much he cribbed, stole, collaborated, compensated, will always be argued. He seemed to name many groups and people, and many African artists became popular because of this.
• Jfairweather from DallasIn opposition to Jim's comment, Simon did NOT use "the same exact track". It was the same song musically and it sounded very similar, but he recorded his version from scratch, using local musicians. View the documentary "Under African Skies" in which they cover the recording session and the musicians involved.
• Jim Shwarztman from MassachusettsA lot of totally incorrect facts here. 1 - Gumboots is NOT by Paul Simon. He wrote lyrics to an existing track and used THE EXACT TRACK on the record, adding horns and some other NY Studio sounds, and his vocals. 2 - Heidi Berg was NOT a "friend" of Paul Simon's. She was a young professional singer songwriter / guitarist / accordionist.. She was working as band leader for Lorne Michael's New Show and was put together with Simon by Lorne Michaels. Simon had been dumped by his label and his career was in the toilet. He was coming off of two failed records. One Trick Pony & Hearts and Bones. He was by many accounts, washed up. After listening to her play and sing he had agreed to produce two songs of hers for her record project. After meeting with her weekly for months, she played him a tape which she treasured. It was Gumboots Accordion Jive Hits. A fully produced, finished record for real record label in South Africa. Heidi referenced the tape to Paul as a direction for her record. The rhythms and sounds of the accordions and drums and the overall feeling was very similar to the influences she had grown up with, ie: Norwegian accordion and folk sounds. Simon told her to lend it to him and he would let her know what he thought. She did. ...... and to make a long disgusting story shorter, Simon, unbeknownst to Berg, had his people buy all the rights to all of it. He went and secretly bought all the tracks then wrote words over it. On the first release of Graceland he says "a friend of mine, guitarist Heidi Berg gave me a tape" This never happened. He says he didn't know where it came from or anything about its origin. Strange, since the cassette was a real commercially produced, distributed, and copyrighted tape from an actual record label and had all the info, artist names, producer credits etc. clearly printed on it. Simon stole the idea... then he stole the South African sound by putting his trite pseudo poetry stink all over this great fresh music. He also stole a song from Los Lobos for the record. Read what Steve Berlin has to say about him.
• Bruno from Avignon, FranceTo Kevin: on the tracks I have he doesn't get full writing credits at all, not even full artist credits. It says
  Artist: Paul Simon; The Boyoyo Boys
  Composer: Jonhjon Mkhalali; Lulu Masilela; Paul Simon
  And he probably did compensate them. If Paul Simon was a theif, Ladysmith Black Mambazo (voices on Homeless) would not be world famous now.
• Kevin from Reading , PaI believe Simon gets full writing credit for this, but as mentioned, he totally cribbed the melody and the music. I once heard the original, and it is identical. My question for Paul, "Did you compensate the 'co-writer' of this tune?" If not, shame on you.
• Peter from Tacoma, WaA great song. I especilly like the part about slamming into a brick wall.

More Songfacts:

RadioactiveImagine Dragons

Imagine Dragons lead singer Dan Reynolds says their 2012 hit "Radioactive" is "a song about having an awakening; kind of waking up one day and deciding to do something new, and see life in a fresh way."

Not Ready To Make NiceThe Chicks

The first country song to win a Grammy for Record of the Year was "Not Ready To Make Nice" by The Dixie Chicks in 2007.

Breakin'... There's No Stopping UsOllie & Jerry

Jean-Claude Van Damme was an extra in the video for Ollie & Jerry's "Breakin'... There's No Stopping Us." He can be seen at point dancing in the background.

Freedom '90George Michael

Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington and Tatjana Patitz lip-synched George Michael's lyrics in his "Freedom '90" video.

Gee Whiz (Look At His Eyes)Carla Thomas

Carla Thomas became the first woman to achieve a Top 10 hit on the Hot 100 with a song she wrote herself when "Gee Whiz (Look At His Eyes)" reached #10 in 1961. Thomas was just 16 years old when she wrote it.

SingEd Sheeran

"Sing" was inspired by a girl that Ed Sheeran met in Las Vegas in the summer of 2013, when "one thing led to another and now she's kissing my mouth."

Editor's Picks

Rob Halford of Judas PriestSongwriter Interviews

Rob Halford dives into some of his Judas Priest lyrics, talking about his most personal songs and the message behind "You've Got Another Thing Comin'."

Christmas SongsFact or Fiction

Rudolf, Bob Dylan and the Singing Dogs all show up in this Fact or Fiction for seasonal favorites.

Bob DaisleySongwriter Interviews

Bob was the bass player and lyricist for the first two Ozzy Osbourne albums. Here's how he wrote songs like "Crazy Train" and "Mr. Crowley" with Ozzy and Randy Rhoads.

Ron and Russell Mael of SparksSongwriter Interviews

The men of Sparks on their album Hippopotamus, and how Morrissey handled it when they suggested he lighten up.

Dexys (Kevin Rowland and Jim Paterson)Songwriter Interviews

"Come On Eileen" was a colossal '80s hit, but the band - far more appreciated in their native UK than stateside - released just three albums before their split. Now, Dexys is back.

Lajon Witherspoon of SevendustSongwriter Interviews

The Sevendust frontman talks about the group's songwriting process, and how trips to the Murder Bar helped forge their latest album.