Saw Paul Simon in Manchester tonight, and he was magnificent. Fantastic band, and an unbelievable set of songs from every stage of his career. But it was the final number which will stay with me for a long time. Seems he’s been finishing the set most nights with Sound of Silence, but tonight he stood alone at the mic with his acoustic guitar and played ‘American Tune’. He didn’t say anything about it, and he didn’t mention Trump all evening, but this was as eloquent an expression of the times his country is going through as I’ve heard these last 48 hours. You could have heard a pin drop.
And I don’t know a soulwho’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 alright, It’s alright,/
We’ve lived along so well/
Still when I think of the road we’re travelling on/
I wonder what went wrong/
I can’t help it, I wonder what went wrong
Wonderful song One of the best from the best. (Have we done a “best PS songs thread” yet?)
He played this early on in the set a week ago in Cardiff and had Mrs RB in tears, not for the last time that night either. As with most here, I have seen hundreds of gigs down the years and Paul Simon, with his excellent band of musicians was up there with the best I have ever seen, just fantastic.
In a week that has seen some lows, as long as there are highs like this, all will be ok.
I wish I had made an effort to see him on this tour now. Saw him in 1991 and by far the best stuff was the solo acoustic things.
American Tune is one of my favourite Paul Simon tunes. I grew up with the Rhymin’ Simon album on heavy rotation by my parents, but much preferred Kodachrome and Mardi Gras etc, then one day in my late adolescence some of the lyrics of American Tune just knocked me flat out of the blue.
Holy Crap, that’s a brilliant clip. Restores one’s faith a little, to be reminded again that there are some white American males who possess both a brain and a soul.
It would’ve been nice to see Paul Simon in Stockholm on this tour, but the very worst seats behind a pillar in the fourth balcony were about £90 or something, and I had to pass. A great pity.
Still, I’ve been lucky enough to see him a couple of times – once on the Rhythm of the Saints tour, and once on the You’re the One tour. On both occasions he was accompanied by a band that was mind-bogglingly brilliant.
And yes, “American Tune” is a very special lyric.
Thanks BB. What a wonderful version of a song that is strangely consoling in these troubled times.
I agree with everything the Duke says: Paul Simon does not disappoint in concert. But it is a shame that his concert prices have got so silly. I would like to see him playing the big festivals like Glasto and Roskilde so that younger people who do not have fat wallets got the chance to see him.
Going to see him tomorrow night in Nottingham
Really looking forward to it!!
Gorgeous song. Nicked off Bach, innit.
You know….. I was skeptical for about thirty seconds there…. But that’s uncanny. Too similar to be a coincidence. I actually like American Tune even more now – he’s been quite clever.