Oct 14

Sunday Songs

This music video, You Can Call Me Al, has to be one of my all-time favorites for so many reasons.

  • As someone who has trouble remembering names, I like the story that Paul Simon was supposedly inspired to write the song when he and his then-wife, Peggy, were incorrectly introduced at a party as Al and Betty. 
  • This song was released while I was in high school. At the time, I was a member of my high school marching band and if I had a dollar for the number of times several of us would play the melody to this song and recreate the dance steps performed by Chevy and Paul, I’d be rich. Gawd, we were such band dorks. 
  • Due to the height difference between Chevy Chase (6’4”) and Paul Simon (5’3”), it looks like Chevy is a giant while Paul seems to be visiting from Munchkinland, contributing to the odd vibe of the video.
  • The melody makes the song seem happy and upbeat but the lyrics seem to suggest a man experiencing a mid-life crisis, but as with so many of Simon’s songs the lyrics are such a hodge podge that it’s difficult to tell and very easy to read in just about anything you want. Sometimes I like this style, because it allows you to make the song about anything you want, and other times the ambiguity drives me crazy and I just want to scream, “So, what the hell are you trying to tell us? Stop beating around the dang bush! Just say it!”

Have a great Sunday and enjoy the video!

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19 Notes

  1. juggahnaut reblogged this from electradaddy
  2. imtellingben said: This is still one of my favorite albums evar. I still have the cassette tape. Nothing to play it in, but I have the tape.
  3. penelopejade said: Good call! Love this!
  4. punkdad said: This came on vh1 ready for school every single day, I loved it
  5. daysofthedad said: I always loved the video and the song! The video STILL makes me laugh.
  6. kimcheez said: We were rocking out to the album Graceland this morning while making pancakes. Always so much love for Paul Simon :)
  7. electradaddy posted this

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