http://www.srilankaguardian.org/2009/12/simon-and-garfunkel-beyond-music-and.html
By Dr Ruwan M Jayatunge
December 30, 2009
Facts can be turned into art if one is artful enough.- Paul Simon
Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel are a folk singing duo who made songs
with unique harmonies that filled with meaningful lyrics. They made
most memorable music of all time. Although Paul Simon and Art
Garfunkel were influenced by the Everly Brothers and Bob Dylan within
a short period they made an exclusive identity of their own, hence
creating a new identity.
They were the pioneers of the 60s folk movement that influenced
people hugely. Their music carried synchronization of voices melodies
and massages. The sixties were socially, politically and culturally
turbulent period. During this period complex of inter-related
cultural and political trends developed in the world. The music of
Simon and Garfunkel predominantly represent the socio-cultural and
political changes of the 1960s.
Sound of Silence
The counterculture that surfaced in 1960 s opposed to domaint culture
and became critical of the Vietnam War, institutionalized racism and
consumerism. Simon and Garfunkel impacted the counterculture moment
launching a silent revolution. In 1965, they released their memorable
song the Sound of Silence that recounts the ignorance of the people
who blindly follow the rulers without realizing their real egoistic
intentions.
Hello darkness, my old friend
I've come to talk with you again
Because a vision softly creeping
Left its seeds while I was sleeping
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence
In restless dreams I walked alone
Narrow streets of cobblestone
'Neath the halo of a street lamp
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
That split the night
And touched the sound of silence
And in the naked light I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more
People talking without speaking
People hearing without listening
People writing songs that voices never share
And no one dared
Disturb the sound of silence
"Fools", said I, "You do not know
Silence like a cancer grows
Hear my words that I might teach you
Take my arms that I might reach you"
But my words, like silent raindrops fell
And echoed
In the wells of silence
And the people bowed and prayed
To the neon god they made
And the sign flashed out its warning
In the words that it was forming
And the sign said, "The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls
And tenement halls"
And whispered in the sounds of silence
Simon and Garfunkel vocalized the silence as a blind submission of
the people who give in to their leaders without realizing the
consequences and it can become a mass hysteria. Silence can grow like
a cancer and more and more people are willfully give up the freedom
and blindly follow their leaders. People believe each end every word
uttered by their leaders and not logically analyzing it but hearing
without listening.
Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel had been outspoken opponents of the
Vietnam War that was one of the big deceptions presented to the
American People. Young Americans were sent 12,000 miles away from
their homes to fight Communism, which was showed as an impending threat.
The assassination of John F Kennedy drastically affected both
singers. JFK was murdered following a conspiracy and the FBI and the
CIA concealed a number of files that could give clues to the true
motive of JFK killing. President Kennedy prepared a special plan to
end the War in Vietnam. Before the plan was implemented, he was
assassinated in Dallas Texas. The American public was forced to
believe the magic bullet theory and Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in
the assassination of JFK. After JFK s death, the Vietnam War changed
in to another direction under the newly appointed President Lyndon B Johnson.
President Lyndon B Johnson reversed the JFK plans on war and lied
about the Gulf of Tonkin to send Americans off to fight in Vietnam.
This action escalated the military conflict in Vietnam. People were
so naive to believe the words of their leaders and agreed to go for
the war against Vietnam.
US Military dropped more than three times the total tonnage of bombs
dropped by both sides in World War II and spent over $170 billion for
the War. The United States armed forces used Napalm and Agent Orange
in the Vietnam War that caused tens of thousands of deaths among the
Vietnamese. American forces sprayed 3,500,000 acres with chemical
weapons, the effects of which will last over 100 years However; the
US public was unaware of these facts for long years. The War was
conducted for the benefit of the very few at the expense of the masses.
According to the Vietnam War statistics, 76% of the men sent to
Vietnam were from lower middle working class backgrounds and 75% had
family incomes above the poverty level. Total deaths recorded as
58,156 and 75,000 soldiers became severely disabled. Civilian
casualties of the Vietnam War were 2,000,000 in the North, and
2,000,000 in the South. Military casualties were 1.1 million killed
and 600,000 became wounded.
People who opposed the Vietnam War and those who supported the Civil
Rights Movement to end racial discrimination in America were targeted
by the FBI Chief J Edgar Hoover. Most of the activists were labeled
as Communists and sometimes their social images were tarnished by
false accusations. Hoover used systematic harassment of political
dissenters and activists including Martin Luther King, John Lennon,
and Eldridge Cleaver etc. People used to believe the stories
fabricated by the FBI Chief J Edgar Hoover who could be considered as
the worst public servant of the USA.
In the song, Sound of Silence Simon and Garfunkel point out a
continuous truth about the darkness and blindness. For instance,
think how President George W Bush misled people about the weapons of
mass destruction and designed a path to invaded Iraq.
Based on the facts presented by the investigative journalists Charles
Lewis and Mark Reading-Smith, President George W. Bush and seven of
his administration's top officials, including Vice President Dick
Cheney, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, and Defense
Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, made at least 935 false statements in the
two years following September 11, 2001, about the national security
threat posed by Saddam Hussein's Iraq. Nearly five years after the
U.S. invasion of Iraq, an exhaustive examination of the record shows
that the statements were part of an orchestrated campaign that
effectively galvanized public opinion and, in the process, led the
nation to war under decidedly false pretenses. In this context, Paul
Simon and Art Garfunkel were correct-people hearing without listening.
America
In 1972, Simon and Garfunkel released one of their best songs-
America that could be illustrated as metaphor for life. America is
extremely poetic and musically ingenious that describes metaphorical
journey of two companions in search of the American dream.
The term American dream was first used by James Truslow Adams. He
gives a dramatic definition by stating, "The American Dream is "that
dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller
for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or
achievement. Although Americans have sought to realize the American
dream of success, fame and wealth through thrift and hard work
subsequent, effects of industrialization began to change the dream
with making money as much as possible and becoming rich quickly.
The soul mates decided to discover America ad start their journey
Let us be lovers we'll marry our fortunes together
I've got some real estate here in my bag
So we bought a pack of cigarettes and Mrs. Wagner's pies
And we walked off to look for America
While traveling, they give diminutive glimpses into random episodes
of people's lives.
Cathy I said as we boarded a Greyhound in Pittsburgh
Michigan seems like a dream to me now
It took me four days to hitchhike from Saginaw
I've gone to look for America
Laughing on the bus playing games with the faces
She said the man in the gabardine suit was a spy
I said be careful his bowtie is really a camera
During their long journey, they become bored and tired. This is a
metaphor used to express the boredom in American traditional life and
the genesis of sub culture of hippies. The hippies differentiated
them from the larger culture to which they belong and challenged the
values of the dominant culture. The pair were looking for a Woodstock
type liberated ground that brought social changes in human freedom
and expression.
Toss me a cigarette I think there's one in the raincoat
We smoked the last one an hour ago
So I looked at the scenery she read her magazine
And the moon rose over an open field
At the end of the journey, they become disappointed with the illusive
American dream. Feelings of emptiness heartache make them gloomy.
Cathy I'm lost I said though I knew she was sleeping
I'm empty and aching and I don't know why
Counting the cars on the New Jersey Turnpike
They've all come to look for America
All come to look for America
Simon & Garfunkel sing about the unfulfilled passions of the dream
and materialistic version of American dream ruled by the greedy and
exploitative operators. This factor was vastly highlighted in their
song a Heart in New York" in which they sing as follows.
New York, you got money on your mind
And my words won't make a dime's worth a difference, so here's to you New York
In a commercial world words have less significance than currency. In
a capitalistic system, the means of production and distribution are
privately or corporately owned and development is proportionate to
the accumulation and reinvestment of profits gained in a free market.
Disproportionate distribution of wealth makes a large portion of the
society live in poverty. Unemployment, lack of opportunity,
hopelessness create a tremendous social tension. Simon & Garfunkel
capture these undeserved features of the society in their songs.
Their lyrics reverberate in Moore's movie Capitalism: A Love Story
that explores disastrous impact of corporate dominance on the
everyday lives of Americans. In his film, Michael Moore questions
what is the price that America pays for its love of capitalism? Due
to the present day economic recession companies shutting down plants,
scaling back wages and laying off workers and American dream is
looking more like a nightmare.
Bridge Over Troubled Water
Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel made an elegant combination of music and
poetry that brought a range of emotional expressions. Their 1970 song
- Bridge over Troubled Water flawlessly lined with metaphors.
When you're weary
Feeling small
When tears are in your eyes
I will dry them all
I'm on your side
When times get rough
And friends just can't be found
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down
When you're down and out
When you're on the street
When evening falls so hard
I will comfort you
I'll take your part
When darkness comes
And pain is all around
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down
Sail on Silver Girl,
Sail on by
Your time has come to shine
All your dreams are on their way
See how they shine
If you need a friend
I'm sailing right behind
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind
The song, Bridge over troubled water filled with numerous metaphors.
Troubled water represents the turbulent shockwaves of life. The
bridge is symbolic for a supportive relationship and also a metaphor
for safety and that makes easiest way to cross over rough water
building connections.
Bridge over Troubled Water brings comfort and soothing and offers an
affectionate friendship that cherished with inner spiritual
attunement. It endorses joy and evokes thoughts, touches heart, with
a wonderful harmonic melody that filled with resonance. The song is
rich, vibrant, and full of life. Bridge over Troubled Water
epitomizes friendship and togetherness. It symbolizes the beautiful
portrait of real Love. This makes Bridge over Troubled Water as one
of the best love songs ever written. This classic will survive generations.
The Impact made by Simon and Garfunkel
The folk singing duo did not make music and rhythm alone. They made a
long journey since 60 s and fulfilled a revolution without bloodshed.
They spoke to the hearts and minds of the people via their music,
which carried emotional, spiritual and political themes. The music of
Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel had a social phenomenon. Their lyrics
had an impact on the consciousness. The vocal harmony and
philosophical lines captured the hearts of the millions of people
around the globe.
.
0 comments:
Post a Comment