Hard Rock Calling 2012 (Hyde Park, London) "Graceland" is the title song of the album Graceland, released in 1986 by Paul Simon. The lyrics deal with the singer's thoughts during a road trip to Graceland after the failure of his marriage to actress and author Carrie Fisher. The song won the 1988 Grammy Award for Record of the Year. "You Can Call Me Al" is also a song by Paul Simon, the first single released from his album Graceland. The lyrics can be interpreted as describing a man experiencing a midlife crisis ("Where's my wife and family? What if I die here? Who'll be my role model?"). However, as Paul Simon himself explained during the Graceland episode of the Classic Albums documentary series, by the third verse the lyrics move from a generic portrait-like perspective to a personal and autobiographical one, as he describes his journey to South Africa which inspired the entire album. The names in the song came from an incident at a party that Simon went to with his then-wife Peggy Harper. French composer and conductor Pierre Boulez, who was attending the same party, mistakenly referred to Paul as "Al" and to Peggy as "Betty", inspiring Simon to write a song. Lyrics (Graceland): The Mississippi Delta Was shining like a National guitar I am following the river Down the highway Through the cradle of the Civil War I'm going to Graceland Graceland In Memphis,Tennessee I'm going to Graceland Poorboys and pilgrims with families And we are going to Graceland My traveling companion is nine years old He is the child of my first marriage But I've reason to believe We both will be received In Graceland She comes back to tell me she's gone As if I didn't know that As if I didn't know my own bed As if I'd never notice The way she brushed her hair from Her forehead and she said, "Losing love Is like a window in your heart Everybody sees you're blown apart Everybody feels the wind blow" I'm going to Graceland Memphis, Tennessee I'm going to Graceland Poorboys and pilgrims with families And we are going to Graceland And my traveling companions Are ghosts and empty sockets I'm looking at ghosts and empties But I've reason to believe We all will be received In Graceland There is a girl in New York City Who calls herself the human trampoline And sometimes when I'm falling, flying Or tumbling in turmoil I say Whoa, so this is what she means She means we're bouncing into Graceland And I see losing love Is like a window in your heart Everybody sees you're blown apart Everybody feels the wind blow In Graceland, in Graceland I'm going to Graceland For reasons I cannot explain There's some part of me wants to see Graceland And I may be obliged to defend Every love, every ending Or maybe there's no obligations now Maybe I've a reason to believe We all will be received In Graceland Whoa, in Graceland, in Graceland In Graceland, I'm going to Graceland Lyrics (You Can Call Me Al): A man walks down the street He says, "Why am I soft in the middle now? Why am I soft in the middle? The rest of my life is so hard I need a photo opportunity I want a shot at redemption Don't want to end up a cartoon In a cartoon graveyard" Bonedigger, bonedigger Dogs in the moonlight Far away my well-lit door Mr. Beerbelly, Beerbelly Get these mutts away from me You know I don't find this stuff Amusing anymore If you'll be my bodyguard I can be your long-lost pal I can call you Betty And Betty, when you call me You can call me Al A man walks down the street He says, "Why am I short of attention? Got a short little span of attention And, woe my nights are so long Where's my wife and family? What if I die here? Who'll be my role model Now that my role model is Gone gone?" He ducked back down the alley With some roly-poly little bat-faced girl All along along There were incidents and accidents There were hints and allegations If you'll be my bodyguard I can be your long-lost pal I can call you Betty And Betty, when you call me You can call me Al Call me Al A man walks down the street It's a street in a strange world Maybe it's the third world Maybe it's his first time around He doesn't speak the language He holds no currency He is a foreign man He is surrounded by the sound, the sound Cattle in the marketplace Scatterlings and orphanages He looks around, around He sees angels in the architecture Spinning in infinity He says, "Amen!" and "Hallelujah!" Call me Al Na na na na... If you'll be my bodyguard I can be your long-lost pal I can call you Betty And Betty, when you call me You can call me Al Call me Al

• published: 07 Aug 2013
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