| "America" | ||||
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| Single by Simon and Garfunkel | ||||
| from the album Bookends | ||||
| B-side | For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her | |||
| Released | 3 April 1968 (album) 1972 (single) |
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| Format | 7" single | |||
| Recorded | October 1967 - February 1968 | |||
| Genre | Folk rock | |||
| Length | 3:34 | |||
| Label | Columbia Records | |||
| Writer(s) | Paul Simon | |||
| Producer | Simon and Garfunkel Roy Halee |
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| Simon and Garfunkel singles chronology | ||||
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"America", written by Paul Simon, was originally by 1960s folk-rock duo Simon and Garfunkel, of which he was a member. It was included in their album Bookends, released on 3 April 1968.
The song was released as a single in 1972, to coincide with the album Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits, and eventually hit #97 on the Billboard Hot 100. The flip side of the single, "For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her", unexpectedly did much better, reaching #53.
The song mentions the cities of Saginaw, Michigan, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; the New Jersey Turnpike; a Greyhound bus; and Mrs. Wagner's Pies.
The song describes in first-hand terms with non-rhyming lyrics, the physical and metaphorical journey of two companions in search of the true meaning of America. On a metaphorical level, the lovers' initial hopefulness, indicated by such lyrics as "Let us be lovers," turns to a sense of frustration and sadness, accompanied by the breakdown of their relationship. "'Kathy, I'm lost,' I said, though I knew she was sleeping" is a reference to Kathy Chitty, with whom Simon had had a relationship while living in England in 1965.
On a more literal level, the song expresses the idea that the search for "America" leads to New York City, as Simon's lovers travel eastward, from Michigan to Pittsburgh and then to the New Jersey Turnpike leading to New York City.
In 2000, "America" was featured in the soundtrack to the film Almost Famous. The main character's sister, Anita, uses this song to represent her reason for leaving home to become a stewardess.
Subsequent compilation CDs contain the single mix of the song, which features a clean intro (as opposed to the version on Bookends, which segues from the song that precedes it on the album, "Save the Life of My Child").
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| "America" | |||||
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| The New Age of Atlantic | |||||
| Song by Yes
from the album The New Age of Atlantic |
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| Released | 1972 | ||||
| Genre | Progressive rock | ||||
| Length | 10:30 | ||||
| Label | Atlantic Records K20024 | ||||
| Writer | Paul Simon | ||||
| Producer | Yes and Eddie Offord | ||||
| The New Age of Atlantic track listing | |||||
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The song was rearranged by the progressive rock band Yes in 1971. Yes added elements typical to progressive rock, such as changes in time signature and long instrumental segments, while dropping the song's original repeat and fade ending. The complete Yes version clocks in at ten and a half minutes. This recording first appeared in 1972 on the sampler album The New Age of Atlantic and was later included on the compilation album Yesterdays in 1975 and on the 2003 re-issue of their album Fragile. An edited version of this recording lasting 4 minutes was released as a single and hit #46 on the pop chart. It also appeared on the Yesyears and Yesstory boxed sets. The edited version was also included as a bonus track on the re-issue of Close to the Edge. A live version of the song was included on 1996's Keys to Ascension.
The original version (and inspiration) for the Yes version came from the band Clouds.[citation needed] In their earlier incarnation as 1-2-3, they had performed a re-written version of the song that included all the elements later used by Yes: changes in time signature, classical interludes, newly-written segments etc. A live tape exists of this being performed at the Marquee in April 1967, prior to the release of any known recording by any artist, including the writer himself. Paul Simon had recorded demos at Levy studios in London in 1965, and tapes of these were passed to the band by a studio engineer (Stu Francis of Radio Luxembourg). In 1966, 1-2-3 also performed "Sounds of Silence" from this same tape.
A memorably minimalist performance of it was given by David Bowie to open The Concert for New York City, held in response to the September 11 terrorist attacks. Bowie performed seated, centre stage, with a microphone and a Suzuki Omnichord. One of the interesting things about this is that David Bowie was in attendance at the Marquee during 1967 when 1-2-3 (later Clouds) performed this song. He was a friend of Billy Ritchie, the keyboard player/writer, and the band were also at the time, playing a song by a then-unknown David Bowie, "I Dig Everything".
The Tenor Josh Groban also did a rendition of it on his live album, Live at The Greek.
Vocalist Alyssa Graham replaces Simon’s “Kathy” with "Douglas" in her version, the leadoff track on her 2008 album Echo.
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