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Paul Simon — American Tune
Album: There Goes Rhymin' Simon
Avg rating:
7.7

Your rating:
Total ratings: 1069









Released: 1973
Length: 3:42
Plays (last 30 days): 0
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Many's the time I've been mistaken
And many times confused
Yes, and often felt forsaken
And certainly misused
But I'm all right, I'm all right
I'm just weary to my bones
Still, you don't expect to be
Bright and bon vivant
So far away from home, so far away from home

And I don't know a soul who's not been battered
I don't have a friend who feels at ease
I don't know a dream that's not been shattered
Or driven to its knees
But it's all right, it's all right
We've lived so well so long
Still, when I think of the road
We're traveling on
I wonder what went wrong
I can't help it, I wonder what went wrong

And I dreamed I was dying
And I dreamed that my soul rose unexpectedly
And looking back down at me
Smiled reassuringly
And I dreamed I was flying
And high up above my eyes could clearly see
The Statue of Liberty
Sailing away to sea
And I dreamed I was flying

We come on the ship they call the Mayflower
We come on the ship that sailed the moon
We come in the age's most uncertain hour
And sing an American tune
But it's all right, 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
That's all I'm trying to get some rest
Comments (44)add comment
 dejapete wrote:

For those who don't know, the tune is "O Sacred Head, Now Wounded."

by Bach
Posted 1 year ago by phlattop    [ Reply ]
 Clarentine wrote:

Excellent series this morning - Ten Million Slaves, Sail Away, American Tune.  



And again today! 
Posted 1 year ago by surfool    [ Reply ]
Excellent series this morning - Ten Million Slaves, Sail Away, American Tune.  
Posted 1 year ago by Clarentine    [ Reply ]
Bob Zim' Nobel Dylan has never been as good as this genius.
Posted 1 year ago by CoYoT51    [ Reply ]
such beautiful lyrics.
Posted 1 year ago by lily34    [ Reply ]
With a huge nod to J.S. Bach who wrote the tune....
Posted 1 year ago by Fiddlefye    [ Reply ]
 cely wrote:

This is one of the greatest American songs of the 20th century.  The music is pretty, but the lyrics are all about then, now and anytime in this country.  What a genius Paul Simon is.



i most certainly agree with all you've said 3 years ago. still, today.
Posted 1 year ago by lily34    [ Reply ]
Genius. So grateful to have lived through Mr. Simon's greatness.
Posted 1 year ago by michaelgmitchell    [ Reply ]
 Chi_Editrix wrote:

Interesting trilogy Taylor, Newman, and Simon. Welcome to America.


Today followed by Jim Pepper, Muscogee tribe, singing about a Pow Wow.   Yes, welcome to America!  Help us reach for our collective dream!
Posted 1 year ago by unclehud    [ Reply ]
I've always thought Paul including a live version of this song for his late 70s greatest hits collection was a wise decision....same with Duncan.
Posted 1 year ago by 3Dave    [ Reply ]
 smartn1 wrote:

We still have a long way to go. Some days it feels further away than ever.


"Some days it feels farther away than ever."   Especially when many want to hide this ugly chapter in US history.  Study it, learn from it, and make progress.

Posted 1 year ago by unclehud    [ Reply ]
Interesting trilogy Taylor, Newman, and Simon. Welcome to America.
Posted 2 years ago by Chi_Editrix    [ Reply ]
We still have a long way to go. Some days it feels further away than ever.
Posted 2 years ago by smartn1    [ Reply ]
 cely wrote:

This is one of the greatest American songs of the 20th century.  The music is pretty, but the lyrics are all about then, now and anytime in this country.  What a genius Paul Simon is.




I saw Paul Simon play live in Johannesburg in 1996 , i have never really connected with him that much but i see he has a huge following. 
Posted 2 years ago by Quetzal    [ Reply ]
happy 4th of july in the year 2022
Posted 2 years ago by idiot_wind    [ Reply ]
I was skipping over slow tempo songs, but you slowed me down, Bill. Thanks.
Posted 3 years ago by meatmike    [ Reply ]
Still relevant, sigh. 
Posted 3 years ago by jmkate    [ Reply ]
Last year during the peak of COVID, Paul Simon performed an acoustic version of this song online. It was so poignant and perfect for the time.
Posted 3 years ago by Laptopdog    [ Reply ]
Once again, Bill is reading my mind by playing this right after Randy Newman's Sail Away. What a terrific source of music on the Internet. There's no other place I want to be.
Posted 3 years ago by talexb    [ Reply ]
Sure would be great to get back to the America of 1973. 
This is playing on Jan. 20, 2021, America's first good night of sleep in four years.  A new President and hopefully a new era.  Anyway, a great playlist:
Otis Taylor - Ten Million Slaves
Randy Newman - Sail Away
and now this...

Thank you Bill for the great musical journey thru this day.
Posted 3 years ago by GawgaBoy    [ Reply ]
Thanks for playing this RP, sounds so good and I haven't heard it in a long time.
Posted 4 years ago by neptunejeff    [ Reply ]
Always hear the live duet version with Garfunkle... This is nice - thanks for playing, Bill!
Posted 4 years ago by Ipse_Dixit    [ Reply ]
 cely wrote:
This is one of the greatest American songs of the 20th century.  The music is pretty, but the lyrics are all about then, now and anytime in this country.  What a genius Paul Simon is.

Amen.  And oh so needed right now.   
Posted 4 years ago by xkolibuul    [ Reply ]
This is one of the greatest American songs of the 20th century.  The music is pretty, but the lyrics are all about then, now and anytime in this country.  What a genius Paul Simon is.
Posted 4 years ago by cely    [ Reply ]
A master poet
Posted 5 years ago by philbertr    [ Reply ]
So many years since I last heard this....but still fabulous
Posted 5 years ago by philbertr    [ Reply ]
Beautiful song.  
Posted 6 years ago by AbileneTexas    [ Reply ]
Marvelous! A great song from a great album and a great artist - thanks Paul!
Posted 6 years ago by LYS    [ Reply ]
Bonus points for the clever album name. 
Posted 6 years ago by Lonestar    [ Reply ]
Mandy Patinkin (Broadway star, Inigo Montoya from the Princess Bride, and Saul Berenson on Homeland) covered this 10-12 years ago on a record that IIRC, focused on the Jewish immigrant experience. Think he sang part of it in Hebrew.
Posted 11 years ago by phlattop    [ Reply ]

marvelous...  love this song...
 
Posted 11 years ago by Lazarus    [ Reply ]
Simon was a has-been before his time.
Posted 11 years ago by wonderunit    [ Reply ]
Bach !
Posted 11 years ago by mll    [ Reply ]

Everybody in my church loves this song...
 
Posted 11 years ago by Lazarus    [ Reply ]
Great song.  There's a sensitivity to it, in music and lyric, that is so special and dear.  I saw jazz vocalist Kurt Elling do a great cover of this in Seattle a few weeks ago.  Bill, get on that.
Posted 12 years ago by T-Bone_Murray    [ Reply ]
 romeotuma wrote:

I would say it is a tie between Dylan and Simon...  but I agree with you that this song is incredible, and it is from a great album...

 
 
Having seen both this summer I'd like to point out that there may have once been a contest but Mr Simon is still a legendary and amazing performer who rocked the whole of Hyde Park while Bob Dylan's lamentable performance saw droves of people leaving the Hop Farm Festival early due to the awful state of his voice and his insistence on playing obscure tracks nobody knows and ruining classics so badly it takes 3 minutes to realise he is actually playing How do you feel?
Posted 12 years ago by Sloggydog    [ Reply ]
 Antigone wrote:
Simply beautiful. Great lyrics. Sweet tune.
 
For those who don't know, the tune is "O Sacred Head, Now Wounded."
Posted 12 years ago by dejapete    [ Reply ]
I love this song!!  {#Notworthy}
Posted 12 years ago by shellbella    [ Reply ]
Thank you, Bill:  great song from a great album.  More than Dylan, America's poet laureate.
Posted 12 years ago by Bozo    [ Reply ]
Song is OK but that album cover, c'mon! 
Posted 12 years ago by Euskadita    [ Reply ]
gets a 9
Posted 12 years ago by coding_to_music    [ Reply ]
Simply beautiful. Great lyrics. Sweet tune.
Posted 12 years ago by Antigone    [ Reply ]
Fairly boring, Paul.
Posted 12 years ago by plaid    [ Reply ]