Graceland, Memphis, Tennessee

Graceland by Paul Simon

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The Mississippi Delta was shining
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Is there any aspect of rock and roll or American culture that Paul Simon hasn't touched? Starting out as one-half of Simon and Garfunkel - the half that wrote the songs - before he split in 1970 to go solo, he has had the life of Riley ever since. Maybe he hasn't charted at the top of every decade, but he's definitely been present.

Let's do a roll-call: The Everly Brothers and Woody Guthrie were his inspirations. The original name of Simon and Garfunkel's act was Tom and Jerry, so there's American animation. One of his early pseudonyms was "Paul Kane," taken from the movie Citizen Kane, so there's the greatest-praised movie ever. Before he was really known, he also jammed with Pink Floyd. Then came the Simon and Garfunkel era and with it the endless string of hits in the '60s, including the soundtrack of the film The Graduate. His first post SnG solo album was There Goes Rhymin' Simon, released in 1973 and containing a lot of culture and society in that year, right at the height of the Watergate scandal. He was cast in Woody Allen's film Annie Hall. He's received numerous Grammys, including the Lifetime Achievement Award. Oh, and he married Carrie Fisher, who played Princess Leia in Star Wars.

If it's important to American culture, Paul Simon was there. He most likely has seen it, done it, and bought the T-shirt.

So then we come to Graceland, his triumphant 1986 return to a full-time music career. Graceland is both the name of his come-back album and the title track. Just when you thought he couldn't get any more deeply immersed in American culture, he goes and writes his best song (as Paul Simon himself has said in interviews) about the home of the most iconic rock legend himself.
Graceland exterior<br>photo: <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Graceland_Memphis_Tennessee.jpg">Joseph Novak</a>, <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0">CC BY 2.0</a>, via Wikimedia CommonsGraceland exterior
photo: Joseph Novak, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Of course, Graceland is Elvis Presley's former mansion, located at 3734 Elvis Presley Boulevard in Memphis, Tennessee, now a museum. The Graceland property stands as a living tribute to the quirky tastes of The King himself. A swimming pool in the bedroom? Sure, why not. And why not a jukebox next to the swimming pool, and a "jungle room" with an indoor waterfall, and a "meditation garden," and a wrought-iron gate emblazoned with musical motifs? Why not your own airplane named after your daughter? And yes, have another grilled peanut butter and banana sandwich.

Even if you aren't an Elvis fan, a tour of the mansion is practically a requirement when visiting Memphis, Tennessee. It's certainly as wacky and extravagant as any other famous person's digs.

As for Paul Simon's song, it actually doesn't talk much about Graceland or Elvis, but rather dwells on his thoughts and experiences related to his divorce from his first wife. That was Peggy Harper, not Princess Leia. The song doesn't even sound very downbeat for a breakup song - it's peppy and up-tempo and filled with the new styles he was experimenting with at the time.

After all, what does he have to be depressed about? He's Paul Simon. Most of us would be lucky to have lived a tenth of the life he's had.

Pete Trbovich
July 10, 2009
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Comments: 1

  • Nick from KyHe talks about it in the movie "under African skies," a tremendous flick. It think he said its absurdist lyrics not about Elvis, American culture (or African for that matter), or his first marriage. A must see - check it out!
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