The duo of Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel are American popular musicians known collectively as Simon & Garfunkel. They met in elementary school in 1953, when they both appeared in the school play Alice in Wonderland (Simon as the White Rabbit, Garfunkel as the Cheshire Cat). They formed the group Tom and Jerry in 1957, and had their first taste of success with the minor hit “Hey Schoolgirl”. As Simon and Garfunkel, the duo rose to fame in 1965 backed by the hit single “The Sounds of Silence”. Their music was featured on the landmark film The Graduate, propelling them further into the public consciousness. They are well known for their close harmonies and sometimes unstable relationship. Their last album, Bridge Over Troubled Water, was marked with several delays caused by artistic disagreements.
A Simple Desultory Philippic (Or How I Was Robert McNamara’d into Submission)
The song has two versions. The original version was performed and recorded by him with one microphone and an acoustic guitar on his solo album The Paul Simon Song Book in 1965. The original version was subtitled “(or how I was Lyndon Johnsoned into Submission)” by a spoken introduction at the beginning of this recording, when Simon announces the song’s title. The subtitle does not appear on the sleeve or the album label.
In 1966, together with Art Garfunkel (as Simon and Garfunkel) Simon re-recorded the song for the duo’s chart-topping Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme album, with several lyric changes. The song is considered to be a mocking parody of Bob Dylan’s work, especially of “It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)” released in 1965.
http://djallyn.org/media/A_Simple_Desultory.flvNames dropped in the 1966 version include:
- Norman Mailer – an American writer
- Maxwell Taylor – an American soldier and diplomat
- John O’Hara – an American writer
- Robert McNamara – an American military leader (U.S. Secretary of Defense at that time)
- The Rolling Stones – a British rock group
- The Beatles – a British pop and rock group
- Ayn Rand – a novelist
- Phil Spector – a record producer
- Lou Adler – a record producer
- Barry Sadler – an American soldier and musician
- Lenny Bruce – a stand-up comedian
- Dylan Thomas – a Welsh poet and writer
- Mick Jagger – a British singer
- Andy Warhol – an American painter
- Roy Halee – Simon and Garfunkel’s record producer
- Art Garfunkel – an American singer for Simon and Garfunkel
I been Norman Mailered, Maxwell Taylored
I been John O’Hara’d, McNamara’d
I been Rolling Stoned and Beatled till I’m blind
I been Ayn Randed, nearly branded
Communist, ’cause I’m left-handed
That’s the hand I use, well, never mindI been Phil Spectored, resurrected
I been Lou Adlered, Barry Sadlered
Well, I paid all the dues I want to pay
And I learned the truth from Lenny Bruce
And all of my wealth won’t buy me health
So I smoke a pint of tea a dayI knew a man, his brain so small
He couldn’t think of nothing at all
He’s not the same as you and me
He doesn’t dig poetry. He’s so unhip that
When you say Dylan, he thinks you’re talking about Dylan Thomas
Whoever he was
The man ain’t got no culture
But it’s alright, ma
Everybody must get stonedI been Mick Jaggered, silver daggered
Andy Warhol, won’t you please come home?
I been mothered, fathered, aunt and uncled
Been Roy Haleed and Art Garfunkeled
I just discovered somebody’s tapped my phone
Break