New Paul Simon: "Wartime Prayers"

[Hissyspit]

From his new album "Surprise"

Paul Simon
"Wartime Prayers"

Prayers offered in times of peace are silent conversations,
Appeals for love or loves release, in private invocations.

But all that is changed now,
Gone like a memory from the day before the fires.
People hungry for the voice of God
Hear lunatics and liars

CHORUS
Wartime prayers, wartime prayers
In every language spoken,
For every family scattered and broken.

Because you cannot walk with the holy,
If you're just a halfway decent man.
But I don't pretend that I'm a mastermind
With a genious marketing plan.

I'm trying to tap into some wisdom,
Even a little drop would do.
I want to rid my heart of envy
And cleanse my soul of rage
Before I feel.

Times are hard, hard times,
But everybody knows all about hard times.
The thing is, what are you gonna do?
Will you cry?
And try to muscle through?
And try to rearrange your stuff?
But when the wounds are deep enough,
And it's all that we can bear,
We wrap ourselves in prayer.

Because you cannot walk with the holy,
If you're just a halfway decent man.
But I don't pretend that I'm a mastermind
With a genious marketing plan.

I'm trying to tap into some wisdom,
Even a little drop would do.
I want to rid my heart of envy
And cleanse my soul of rage
Before I'm through.

CODA
A mother murmurs in twilight sleep
And draws her babies closer.
With hush-a-bies for sleepy eyes,
And kisses on the shoulder.
To drive away despair
She sends a wartime prayer.


From Stephen Thomas Erlewine's review at allmusic.com:

But this is not by any stretch a protest record; "How Can You Live in the Northeast?" and "Wartime Prayers" are about the uneasiness of living in the post-9/11 America, yet they're not statements of outrage, they're about the emotional toil of the time...

[tatertop]

1. He is the most over rated of all time

Too gutless to take a stand on anything.
Too sad.

[caligirl]

3. LOL, I saw your post after posting mine. sorry you don't like the guy, I

love his music despite it if he is gutless. Our press really deserves the most criticism there. At least now a lot of musicians are discovering they can sing about * and his mob.

[saltpoint]

8. tatertop, have you heard Simon's song "Silent Night/7:00 News" ?

Opposition to the Vietnam War was not considered evidence of "gutlessnes" during the time some of us were marching in the street.

[tatertop]

10. That was then this is now. The battle is raging, where is he?

I am in the music business.
I have so little respect for Simon on any level
it is not even worth mentioning. Enough said.

[saltpoint]

12. Your musical tastes notwithstanding, the post demonstrates his

involvement.

Then-and-now arguments tend to ignore the fact that life is short and art is long. I say Simon's work outlives you and me put together.

[DoYouEverWonder]

19. I think 'then' was before Simon

became a Scientologist. But he's been one for decades, so go figure.

[HornBuckler]

22. Not sure where you got that

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Scientologists

I don't see him on the list - although I was surprised to find Leonard Cohen as a 'former' member

[Hissyspit]

25. I can't seem to find anything about Simon being a Scientologist

either.

[zanne]

26. I really don't think that's true.

If he's been a Scientologist for decades, how did he come up with the lyrics for "Rhythm of the Saints"? (Definitely NOT Scientology material). By the way, I think he's a genius.

[saltpoint]

28. You're right on all counts, zanne. He's not a Scientologist and he IS a

genius.

[DoYouEverWonder]

33. Maybe he's not one anymore

but back in the early 70's that was the scuttlebutt on the streets of NY.

[saltpoint]

23. I've never heard that, DYEW. Do you have a link?

I've heard Simon talking through a live mike about being "a Jewish kid from Brooklyn."

[DoYouEverWonder]

35. So far I can't find one

but just because your born Jewish doesn't mean you can't become a Scientologist.

[saltpoint]

36. But you can't just call someone a Scientologist without back-up info,

either.

I think the man's Jewish.

[DoYouEverWonder]

37. Of course he is Jewish

He was born that way.

Sorry I can't find immediate 'proof' on the Internet for you. I will look again later after work.

[Hissyspit]

43. This sure doesn't sound like a Scientologist:

To me, anyway...

"People hungry for the voice of God
Hear lunatics and liars"

[Maru Kitteh]

44. Based on "scuttlebut on the street"? I think you looked around the cage

and that was the only shit you could find to throw.

And excuse me but - Born that way? :wtf:

[saltpoint]

24. I looked to see what was up with the man's religious affiliation & found

this:

_______

From: "Paul Simon" article on "The Challah Fame: Who's Who in Jewish Rock" website

http://www.jewsrock.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=challah.view&page=S

(from 23 November 2005)


Does it get more Jewish than a cameo in Annie Hall? Since his start as a sixteen-year-old charting with "Hey Schoolgirl" in 1957, Paul Simon has always been a Jewish musical hero. This is, after all, a guy who played under the name "Jerry Landis" for a bit in 1963, making him perhaps the only Jew in rock to ever try changing his name to something more Jewish.

Of course, he found real success recording under his real name with Art Garfunkel, but Simon was never fully wedded to the duo. As early in 1965, he was recording as a solo artist in Britain. From Wednesday Morning, 3 AM in 1964 to Bridge Over Troubled Water in 1970, Simon and Garfunkel could be found in every college dorm in America.

Paul Simon, Simon's first solo outing after the group split, sold a million copies in 1972, as did the next year's There Goes Rhymin' Simon. Still Crazy After All These Years (1975) and Graceland (1986) both won Grammy awards for Album of the Year.

In the nineties, Simon's foray into Broadway, 1997's Songs from the Capema, was a flop, but his live concert in Central Park at the start of the decade was a huge success, cementing his role as the quintessential Jewish New Yorker.

_______

[Kolesar]

51. "perhaps the only Jew in rock to ever try changing his name" ...

... "to something more Jewish." I love it.

[saltpoint]

52. Is that the passage on "Landis" ? Hi, BorealAvenger. Long time no

see on DU.

I always had Paul Simon way up there on my musical favorites. Both those early recordings with Art Garfunkel and the solo work later.

I just got back recently from getting the new CD and am about to put it on.

Nice to see you again.

[Kolesar]

53. That was a quote out of your excerpt

I just listened to "Wartime Prayers" that someone posted on this thread. Nice. Did remind me of how Springsteen has a lot to say and just crams it all in there. :hi:

[saltpoint]

54. Yes -- where he wanted to change an already Jewish name to another

even more Jewish name.

I'm glad you got to listen to that piece. I'm going to wrangle with the dog I'm dogsitting awhile and then give the CD a listen.

[Hissyspit]

20. In the interview with Simon today on NPR

he came across as his usual pretentious self-centered self, so I know where you're coming from. That said, the song moved me and the posting of these lyrics is more about the fact that so much of this music is now showing up (belatedly for many artists, of course, and not for others - Simon's last album was 2000) but, yes, he could have been speaking out.

[saltpoint]

27. With respect, tatertop, there are many battles out there. Paul Simon

has created an association called Children Health Fund, and it's been going great guns for a little over 20 years. Give me your best guess as to how many people in the music industry can match a 20-year commitment to social causes and charitable work.

Most of them would be from the "Then" period you describe, and not the "Now" period. We'll take the Nows -- don't get me wrong. They're crucial & I honor them. But the Thens were there first, and longest. You should re-evaluate your notions of who contributes what to which battles.

Here's the site if you're interested in learning something about a talented man who is honored world-wide for his many contributions:

http://www.paul-simon.info/

[mdmc]

61. yeah , he is half as cool as the dixie chicks

or whatever teen idol Simon is jockin these days :eyes:

[HornBuckler]

21. Out of the park insanity.

Absolutely nuts - with your comments

[speedoo]

47. "Enough said" is always a clue that what has been said is

usually an opinion that has little basis in reality.

That's been my experience and it seems to fit quite well in this case.

[HuskerDU]

58. I think that is a little harsh. Not everyone can be filled with

fire and brimstone. Paul Simon sings with a voice of kindness that wouldn't fit in well with confrontational lyrics.

For instance, Jello Biafra is full confrontational energry and that is great. But his style turns people off just like Simon's mello style turns others off. I appreciate all of 'em for speaking out. Even if it's a little late.

[caligirl]

2. This i will buy. Saw Simon in concert in San Jose sometime back,

and i am still crazy, sorry the song is in my head now, for Simon and Garfunkal.

[Hardrada]

4. S & G were pop movie soundtrack singers

at best. They never were in the same league as Dylan or Phil Ochs.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

5. their music is better than their lyrics

imho. The lyrics are too cryptic, but the melodies move me. :)

[saltpoint]

7. I respectfully disagree. They began as Tom and Jerry, then moved

to being simply Simon & Garfunkel. Their first four albums are considered masterpieces, and properly so.

Their sound is incantatory for the culture of anti-war, pro-civil rights America. Many, many people who are liberals and progressives will cite Simon and Garfunkel's first 4 albums as very significant to the development of a social consciousness.

[Hardrada]

62. I just didn't get that "vibe" from them. Guess I was not paying

much attention. I seeme to have gone right from PP&M to The Doors!!

[Laurab]

66. I never much liked S&G but I love Paul Simon

but I quite agree they were not "pop-movie soundtrack singers. Paul Simon's writing has always been up there with the best IMO. From his first solo, to "There Goes Rhymin Simon", which is filled with great songs, and yes "Hearts and Bones" I love, too. I love "Graceland". He's missed on a few of his cd's I think, because he experiments a bit, but I do think he's up there with the best. American Tune still can bring a tear to my eye.

My guess is the people who don't like him haven't really listened to him. He is (according to my little brother who's a fairly successful songwriter), a songwriter's songwriter.

I dunno - I don't expect every musician I like to become political, although many of them have. I also don't believe they're speaking out now because it's "safe". I think it's more that it's difficult to ignore what's going on in the world, so of course, it's going to inform their writing.


At any rate, I just wanted to pop in and join the Paul Simon fan club because I think he's brilliant!

[saltpoint]

6. Paul Simon is strictly top-drawer. I'll invest in this recording, you

better believe it.

[KyndCulture]

15. That's the truth!!!

He's in my top 3 of all time.

[saltpoint]

16. Hi, KyndCulture. A wild talent, Paul Simon. Although he got great praise

for GRACELAND, I loved HEARTS AND BONES even more.

And of course the earlier recordings with Art Garfunkel.

A poet's poet, too. The lyrics to "The Boxer" are as good as it gets.

[KyndCulture]

17. I posted the MP3 down thread... this is BEAUTIFUL!!!

My morning wake up music is Rhythm of the Saints... I LOVE that CD!

[saltpoint]

18. That is a great recording. A casual musician would have no prayer in

hell trying to tackle that music.

Simon collects the best people he can find from all over the globe and throws it all together in a studio.

Governments perform less well in multicultural accomplishments!

Some right around here...!

If you're starting your day with the recording, you must be having GREAT days.

[zanne]

29. "The Boxer" is a masterpiece.

The older I get, the more I get out of that song.

[saltpoint]

30. Yes. It's layers deep and very visual. I think of it not only as a song

but also as a film. Each of the stanzas are so visual.

Sometime or other in the mid-70s he added a new verse to it, and performed it live on one of this first solo tours. I heard him in Oxford, Ohio, of all places, and he included the new verse. It had been rumored that he'd included it for a couple NYC appearances, but no one I knew had heard it yet. And of course way back then there was no web to transmit data quickly.

That night, as the new verse finished, the audience exploded in approval. It was deafening.

[zanne]

38. "Well the years are rushing by me",

They are rocking evenly.
And I'm older than I once was,
But younger than I'll be, that's not unusual.
No, it isn't strange
After changes upon changes
We are more or less the same.

Are those the lines you meant?

[saltpoint]

40. You've got 'em. The very ones. A great verse. When he sang it

that night at the concert, the stillness in the hall was amazing. There was this electric charge going through everybody because we hoped he'd include the verse.

And then when he did, there was this explosion of approval. I don't know how else to describe it. There was a tremendous surge of approval and love for one person from 14,500 others at that moment. I've never seen anything like it.

[Kolesar]

50. For it me, it was "My Little Town"

That was me, riding my bike past the gates of the factories.

[stellanoir]

57. Gotta agree with you on "Hearts and Bones"

It's one of the most vastly under rated contributions of the last 25 years. Though I did enjoy "Graceland" also as well as most if not all of his contributions.

The line from "Train in the Distance" . . ."the thought that life could be better is woven indellibly in to our hearts. . . and our brains. . ."

is a total keeper and I often quote it and keep in in my more hopeful thoughts.

[saltpoint]

59. Hi, stellanoir. You have a great DU user name and it looks like your

tastes in music are great, too.

HEARTS AND BONES is such a great album. "Train in the Distance" -- yes. Those lyrics, and how he fits them over the melody.

[saltpoint]

9. Hissyspit, thank you for posting these lyrics, which are beautiful,

and for the update on this release. I did not know it was coming and it is a BEST news!

Thank you so much. Made my night.

[Hissyspit]

11. I thought they we're very moving

although I'm not the Simon fans.

[Hissyspit]

13. Album done in collaboration with Brian Eno. n/t

[sendero]

42. I heard some excerpts...

... on NPR yesterday. The music will be good, because Eno doesn't do bad music.

As for the lyrical content, I couldn't tell. I am prety neutral about Simon, he's done some great stuff, but it was mostly 3 decades or more ago.

[KyndCulture]

14. Here's the mp3 if you want to hear it.

It's a tear jerker.

http://www.radionewsamerica.com/media/kynd/wartimeprayers.mp3

[Monkey see Monkey Do]

56. Thanks. nt

[KyndCulture]

31. kick

[peekaloo]

32. He's on SNL this week. Hope he sings this one.

I've been a fan of his music for a long time.

[saltpoint]

34. Hi, peekaloo. I'm heading out in just a while to round up a copy.

I'll report in once I've heard the CD.

I can't wait. Simon is a master. Beyond talented, really.

[peekaloo]

39. Howdy back. I agree on his immense talent.

One of the best songwriters that emerged in the shadow of Dylan. While he my have been absent in recent years I'll take his stuff over 99% of the drivel that's played on contemporary radio.

'American Tune' still brings tears to my eyes.

[saltpoint]

41. "American Tune" -- you got that right and then some.

Extraordinary composition. He sang it at Jimmy Carter's Inaugural celebration.

If that piece can't bring tears to somebody's eyes, then they must be made out of concrete.

[Hissyspit]

45. I always liked "Duncan"

You don't hear that one much.

[saltpoint]

49. "Duncan" is a fine piece. It's not played enough to suit me, but

when I do hear it, I usually stop what I'm doing and listen.

[tuvor]

46. Where were these guys when it was unpopular to dis bush?

Is it just me, or are there a lot more high-profile anti-bush songs and albums in the past several months than there ever were before?

(Rock 'n' Roll rebellion, but only when the coast is clear!)

[speedoo]

48. I think the Dixie Chicks were the only high profile people that...

openly dissed Bush, until very recently. They were promptly blasted by not only Bush supporters, but by the music industry in general. Everyone stood by and allowed it to happen and that was certainly noticed and I am reasonably certain it put a huge damper on musicians speaking out.

Even a guy like Springsteen stayed silent for years. Dylan has not uttered a freakin' word.

We celebrate our "heroes" like Neil Young, etc. but it's right to remind ourselves that they were silent for a long time when they should have been speaking out.

[Hissyspit]

65. Springsteen played "War" at his concerts right before the war started &

spoke out at his concerts before the war started. Dylan has no intention of speaking out.

This is not a post about "heroes." Neil Young is not my hero. Neil has stuck his foot in his mouth plenty of times, but he is also the author of "Ohio."

This post is about the lyrics to the song, artistic chronicling of the state of our culture and what it means to exist at this time. Paul Simon is not my hero. I was struck by the art.

Yes, for many it is "Where were you earlier?" I got my share of grief for the things I said in my classrooms about the war and about the administration after 9/11 and before the war started, but it is STILL right and moral to attack these corrupt people who are STILL in power and are STILL doing damage to our country and our democracy and our children's future and to the citizen's of the world. I get in my share of "I told you so's," and at the same time welcome any and everybody on the 'Condemn Bush' bandwagon.

[Hissyspit]

63. There has been lots of anti-Bush music over the past years, but it

was mostly from alternative/underground/sub-culture artists - and the Dixie Chicks, whom, because of their high profile, were threatened with death. Springsteen played "War" in concert before the war started. He spoke out at his concerts, as did Eddie Vedder.

[tuvor]

64. Exactly my point. No sixties icons.

(Whoops, forgot Joan Baez, the exception that proves the rule.)

[2bfree]

55. I love Paul Simon!

I discovered him when I was in the sixth grade and have been a fan ever since (I am 42 now). I will buy this CD.

[mdmc]

60. Paul Simon is great

just great