SIMON AND GARFUNKEL AMERICA REACTION

[@garylee3685]

"And the moon rose over an open field" is one of my favorite lines in a song ever. I can't even explain why exactly.

[@linjicakonikon7666]

My thought exactly. Sehnsucht.

[@MarvinForte]

Because of that melody and those harmonies

[@peterjonas4971]

I agree. I think it's because of the repeating "O" sounds in the words, the empty hollow circles, moon-shaped.

[@dimestorephilosopher3308]

Whether it was a moment that happened for him or not, it's, like much of the song, a personal story of his and 2 people having an experience together and that moment he saw something. We all have those moments.

[@forwardpeace]

It's panoramic, incidental, an image that is a thought, a thought interrupted by an image, beautiful, poetry.

[@davidwalsh7128]

A great snapshot of the journey to young adulthood in 60's America..

[@azcactus2008]

My favorite line has to be, I’m empty and aching and I don’t know why. The emotion is so profound.

[@stephanieo2509]

I've always really just identified, for some reason with the line ""Kathy, I'm lost", I said, though I knew she was sleeping I'm empty and aching and I don't know why"

[@Peter-oh3hc]

Me too. Powerful lyric

[@ronsandgren1]

My mom's name is Kathy too and she was 19 when this song was released and I've liked this song for years and a lot of other Simon and Garfunkel songs

[@dabrandt12]

To me, this line is the key to the song. It changes it from a song about a young couple traveling around to see America the chunk of land, to someone trying to keep a strong presentation as the freewheeling, go with the flow type guy, while looking for something more, the concept of "America" as its sold

[@John_Locke_108]

Amazing lyric and the way Paul delivers it, you can feel it deep down in your soul.

[@sarahodorowski7721]

The sense of being alone even with people you love.

[@Calers-gu1ib]

As I recall teens from all over North America, USA and Canada got on trains, buses or hitchhiked across the country many times from '65 to '75. My 2nd favorite S&G song behind the Boxer.

[@MagicGoblinPrincess]

This song never fails to get me right in the throat. You're right, Harri that it can apply to anywhere, but to me it's more about the innocence and rose-colored glasses of youth.

[@bethwaller1789]

"I'm empty and aching and I don't know why". The theme of my entire generation. I'm 75.

[@peterjonas4971]

Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote, "Wherever I go, my giant comes with me." I think the songs recalls that idea, that we believe we can escape our troubles by traveling/ escaping, but, alas, we cary them with us.

[@ChuckHackney]

"It took me four days to hitchhike from Saginaw" is one of the lyrics that stays with me all my life. Along with her saying "the man in the gabridine suit is a spy". Great stuff! And we are all still looking for America...

[@dannygriffith6185]

To me, one of their most profound & heartbreaking songs. It feels like leaving home & security because some people just must do that when they're young...but in doing so feeling alone, full of angst & isolation..even though you have a companion...The mundane becomes tragic...."counting the cars on The New Jersey Turnpike....they've all come to look for America."........or the American dream....the meaning of which still might elude us.

[@BlandBandit]

Existential crisis about what the American dream really is about.

[@stephenqualtrough7322]

Did you notice the unusual feature of this song?There isn't a rhyming couplet in the entire song. And yet there us still pure poetry in the words. Pure Paul aSimon genius as a songwriter

[@azcactus2008]

Thank you so much for pointing that out. I honestly never noticed until I read your comment. I think it’s because I was just caught up and how great the song is.

[@frankphillips5660]

S&G the GOATS of Duos. As a young teen in 60's I would only spend my money on a few select albums when they came out. The Beatles, The Bee Gees, Simon & Garfunkle and the Rolling Stones and Diana Ross nd the Supremes. You just new almost every song was going to be great so you get your moneys worth. Your interpretation was spot on, imo.

[@warrenhughes911]

Dylan??????

[@james0060]

@@warrenhughes911 Even Bob stated The Boxer is the greatest song ever written, ive seen him perform it live.

[@dixiechatty958]

Even with all their incredible songs, this is my favorite. It was better suited to its time than any other song I've ever heard.

[@forwardpeace]

You nailed it.

[@stevesm4]

"Kathy I'm lost" I said, though I knew she was sleeping. My favourite line from a song.

[@lynne5322]

Sheer brilliance

[@scottsnyder2726]

“Let us be lovers we’ll marry our fortunes together.” The song vividly paints a couple’s journey, not just thru America but at the beginning of their shared journey. “I’ve got some real estate here in my bag” is a metaphor for the American Dream. “Counting the cars on the NJ Turnpike” now incorporates so many other Americans searching for their place and joy in our society. “I’m empty and aching and I don’t know why” speaks of times of fatigue, self-doubt and struggle we all encounter. The lyrics are unparalleled. Voices impeccable. Music wonderful. It’s one of my all-time favorite songs.

[@benesmom2811]

„And the moon rose over an open field“ BEAUTIFUL

[@kenvarnold3659]

Paul Simon is one of America's greatest poets...put to song...he's leaving us a legacy...

[@neilmartin99]

So many people miss the point of the "playing games with the faces" part of the song. It's two kids fighting the boredom of a long bus ride and inventing games to pass the time. In this case they decided to Use their imaginations to make up stories about the people on the bus based on their faces. The way Paul incorporated it into the song is pure brilliance.

[@kathybwell]

YES!! Iconic song from us flower-children's childhood!! Great reaction Harri! To me, America is the yearning of youth to find themselves, and the endless possibilities that are out there. But when we go to pursue we find it actually can be kinda boring at times, like counting the cars on the Jersey turnpike. The line about bow-tie is similar, I think they were just trying to amuse themselves, as the previous line goes .."playing games with the faces.."

[@GoWestYoungMan]

Quite right, this song resonates regardless of what country one is from. It takes me back to those days when I was a young guy. I left home (Atlantic Canada) and hitch hiked west in search of something; I didn't know what. What would I see, what would I discover, would I find myself there? Those memories come flooding back when I listen to this song.

[@neilmartin99]

Gets ya right in the feels. Takes me back to my youth when me and my girlfriend jumped in my Volkswagen Bug and drove around the country for a month.

[@talltulip]

So, now you must listen to "Kathy's Song." It's simple and beautiful! The Kathy in that song is the same Kathy that's in "America," Kathy Chitty. But the MOST beautiful of all S&G's songs, IMO, is "For Emily Whenever I May Find Her." Please don't miss out on that one!

[@sourisvoleur4854]

"For Emily" is so delicate and beautiful. It's gossamer.

[@bemused9522]

Harri, you were right about the real estate in my bag. His song "Kathy's song" is a beautiful must!

[@davidstenton4365]

*Harri* Paul wrote most of this ironically in London..... I'm not sure what real estate in the bag means but if you think back on the time it was written, and hitchhiking, riding a Greyhound bus, it seems like 2 kids, not much money if any coming of age wanting to quote, unquote, find The America they grew up hearing & reading about.! Remember, no internet, phones, nada... just parents, magazines and Hollywood movies my friend...*David* .....

[@lindanicholson950]

I like American Tune and Slip Sliding Away. Still Crazy After All These Years

[@dmichaelelkins1]

Check out “Scarborough Fair/Canticle,” the studio version.

[@Peter-oh3hc]

Yes. Studio version

[@DJHolte]

I don't know if anyone mentioned this already, but my take on the line "I've got some real estate here in my bag" is that he's referring to pot. As in "grass" = "real estate". I think it was a sly reference that wouldn't stop the song getting airplay, since you couldn't outright say such things back in that day.

[@Sam-shushu]

This is a song that sneaks up on you. I remember the first few times I heard it not really caring for it, and then all the sudden, maybe five time through the album, it clicked and boom! it was the only thing I wanted to hear.

[@lawrenceschabell5740]

America is an illusion a dream that everyone is looking for is what I get from this song, it's very moving and sad in a way.

[@Blue-qr7qe]

This was such a unique album. They were quite influential for me.

[@harrymadden7622]

“Scarborough Fair” is a traditional song. They didn’t write it. Not sure about “Canticle”. But their version is one of the most hauntingly beautiful songs ever. It featured in the movie “The Graduate”. It was up for Best Song at the Oscars, but lost out to “Talk to the Animals” from Dr. Doolittle. Haven’t paid any attention to the Oscars pics since.

[@andythrush3341]

I've been looking for America my whole life. Thought I found it several times over the years but she keeps changing and being elusive. Maybe that's what America is, an elusive ever changing, at times disquieting and disjointed conglomerate of people never meant to be at ease? So far it has been able to survive it's liquidity. So far she has been able to stand firm and move forward. So far it has overcome being it's own worst enemy? Maybe one day I fully understand who we are but until that day, I'll keep searching. Great song! Thanks Harri!

[@janabraam7963]

Saginaw, Michigan wasn't far from where I live. I love the sound & harmony in this...it's beautiful. The couple is on a road trip, looking for the American dream but eventually realize they are no closer to finding it now than when they left.

[@d.s.6268]

One of my all time favourite songs. I think when he says "I got some real estate here in my bag" he just means "room" (and says it in a beautiful metaphor), but I could be wrong.

[@dalem8332]

Fabulous song written of course by the songwriting genius Paul Simon. ♥️🎼🎶🎵🇨🇦

[@j.k.1963]

Paul's lyrics are never obvious. They go deep and then even deeper. The pictures he is creating are superb as well. But the music itself is supporting the atmosphere beautifully. I love the production of this song, so sweet and urgent at the same time

[@supasoulproductions]

I love Simon and Garfunkel. I really like Roy Halee's production of their songs. He does whatever seems to work for the song, without worrying about whether it sounds like a band or not.

[@craigplatel813]

Yes that's what it means. He had space in his bag. Common usage back then.

[@filetknife59]

YES did a cover of this song. It is almost a completely different song. You should definitely check it out. I love the original by Simon and Garfunkel , but Yes’s version is pretty darn fantastic as well!

[@lesblatnyak5947]

Yes's much better. Yes paid tribute to one of the best song writers of the time.

[@donaldnagy7265]

America (2003 Remaster) kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y5DVq5uOg9KHf7c

[@ChuckHackney]

To me, lyrically, this is there best song with amazing lyrics.

[@sandybourdeau9300]

I remember riding those Greyhound buses as a teenager in the 60s on the New Jersey Turnpike. I’m now 71 and it seems like yesterday

[@threekidzmom04]

Their songs just pull on my heart!

[@marionthompson3365]

Beautiful song. One of my all time favourites.

[@davidvigdal643]

Best cover of this song is by "First Aid Kit".

[@stephenhuber1219]

That was a true story about Paul and his girlfriend. I wish I could remember who told this story with so much detail

[@mikecaetano]

David Bowie opened his performance at The Concert for New York City following the September 11 attacks with a cover of this song.

[@zenpuppy6025]

I didn’t know that. I just listened to it and it was brilliant. Thanks 🙏🏼

[@kenhewitt7357]

Love this one of my favorite S&G songs

[@gerrymcguire7494]

I believe the song is a metaphor. The singer is breaking up with Kathy. At the start of the trip certain magical small things take on a fascinating importance. By the end of the song the magic is gone, the journey then drifts off into memory.

[@susansapp6136]

I always think of the film "The Graduate" when I hear this. Visions of him and the pretty young daughter sitting in the back of the bus escaping her mother ... rolling up a cigarette ... Their music had such life. It made you stop and THINK! I was doing that then and even doing that more now. Their stuff is prophetic (whether they know it or not).

[@flutesong5527]

Yes, his life so far is going with him, since he's so young it all fits in a bag. This song captures the amazement of going from youth to adult.

[@doughaviland1729]

Musical poets.... Musical GENIUS....

[@donaldsmith283]

I love how you break down songs. You bring up things that I haven't thought about About these song Thank you

[@Peter-oh3hc]

Don't know if I am right, but I think the real estate in his bag is just space that kathy can put her stuff in. "Let's marry our fortunes (our stuff) together. I've got some real estate (empty space) here in my bag (you can put your stuff in my bag). Just a thought

[@waynemarvin5661]

You kids! Reading WAY too much into things. Just take the lyric at face value.

[@TheScavenger71]

I think it's two people who like each other just playing pretend games. First he makes like they are both wealthy talking about marrying their fortunes together and he has some real estate while they ride on a bus which is the least expensive form of transportation, then she says the man on the bus is a spy and he says his bow tie is really a camera. It's the kind of thing real people did and probably still do today.

[@papercup2517]

@@waynemarvin5661 Well, OK, except, that if you really took it at face value, it wouldn't make any sense! Clearly it's a joke or metaphor of some kind. The question then arises, a metaphor for what? A joke meaning what? Because it's ambiguous, one person's idea of what it's saying 'at face value' might be very different from another person's - which might be different again from Paul Simon's idea when he wrote it. That makes it an interesting concept to muse over. Let us have our fun! :-)

[@chairmanmeow3693]

This whole album is great!

[@dlbeal]

Funny, I just listened to this on my commute home tonight. One of my all time favs.

[@donlawson3330]

Thank you. They are indispensable...

[@ikshields]

I’ve always pictured the little bit of “real estate” in his bag as his little stash of pot for the journey. 😊

[@kianpa1]

Keep fighting for our Freedoms! ❤️

[@IrishKack]

Now check out the version of this song by YES. Completely different, but every bit as good.

[@terrybeasley5931]

Gives me the feel of ROAD TRIP!! Just up and go anywhere but where I'm at.

[@grumpy4ever122]

Art Garfunkel is one if the finest singers and his soaring harmonies elevate this song to another level. Harri, try 'tin soldier' by the Small Faces

[@rodneygriffin7666]

I'm an American and still searching for America after 56 years. I still haven't found it yet.

[@paulwalters7268]

Too late. It's disappearing.

[@c.t.leeson9256]

@@paulwalters7268 ....I was just going to say that. See David Bowie's This is. Not America.

[@sharidyer4332]

I always thought of the song as simply describing the relationship between a teen boy and girl - playful, intimate, and close. Seeing the traffic, 'they all come to look for America' is a projection of the narrative's own thoughts. It's a song about a teen-age point of view. At least for me. As a teen myself at the time, it resonated.

[@michaelbastien3572]

Homeward Bound is another great one.

[@gregpeterson7946]

I have come to really like you and your analysis. Good lyrics, like good writing in general, leaves space for the reader / listener to fill in ambiguous segments with their own life experiences, thereby eliciting connectedness and emotion. Always leave room for the reader / listener to participate in the magic.

[@linjicakonikon7666]

Sehnsucht. The inconsolable longing. An untouchable beauty. Reaching for the stars. Looking for America. "The moon rose over an open field"."I'm empty and aching and I don't know why". C.S.Lewis' The Weight of Glory.

[@SheaSF]

"a moon shines over an open field": it's the possibility. America was the agrarian paradise for the Irish and the Italians. LAND! Ownership. These are American ideas.

[@fargom54]

Harri: Love your channel. It's funny you ask about real estate here in my bag. This song is from my teenage years. I took this song as, young lovers traveling in search of adventure and not taking themselves too seriously. IMO, real estate in my bag was the dirt and dust that accumulates during travel. They had nothing but hope and dreams, and were laughing at what they had. Keep smiling and peace!!

[@skipklauber1162]

Always intelligent and incisive reactions

[@rosmeeker1964]

'playing games the faces' They were lookng at people in the bus and telling each other stories about them.

[@kathybwell]

I was especially fond of S&G growing up because my name is in some of their songs.

[@mystisage13]

First time here. Enjoyed your reaction and synopsis 😊

[@melissayost4888]

Everyone raves about The Boxer which they should, but I prefer America. It really is a gut punch to your heart. I guess it speaks to me. America as meaning in life.

[@harrymadden7622]

Check out their song, “American Tune”, it has a great line, “We come on a ship they called Mayflower. We come on a ship that sailed the Moon.”

[@snakelite61]

This song feels very current to me. I've always preferred it to America. The wistfulness is more profound and the sentiment is more universal.

[@andrewclayton4181]

It's a song about searching for oneself. The singer isn't going to find himself out on the highway, or in any of the places he's been to. He's feeling lost, and implies that everyone else is to.

[@brianconlon4744]

None of this song rhymes. Genius. 🤘🎸

[@2869may]

Paul Simon ~ "Late In The Evening'' Is a great upbeat story telling song..! A Fun Song,,,! This song is in the movie Almost Famous, which you might appreciate seeing.

[@dannastrickland4477]

I think the "real estate" line just means that he's telling her he has room for her things in his bag, because he wants her to go with him.

[@narlycat]

I can picture the moon rising over an open field from the bus window in my mind😊

[@johnj2763]

Perfect.

[@zenpuppy6025]

Such a good song 😎 thanks for posting

[@chubbybear2722]

Great song and video. Keep it up sir!!

[@calebclunie4001]

She's the actress, from "Ugly Betty", "Real Women Have Curves", "The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants", and "How To Train Your Dragon", America Ferrera. I didn't know, I was supposed to be looking for her. 🕵️ I better, get on that.

[@williamwatson4354]

A rather obscure S&G song was Poem on the Underground Wall. Its just about 2 minutes long but has always moved me.

[@caroleathenacosta-songwrit9193]

The thing I find interesting, particularly from a songwriter's point of view, is that there isn't one single rhyme in the entire song yet the words flow as if there is rhyming all the way through. This is master class lyric writing!

[@SchlockstarJoe]

Written at the YMCA in my hometown, Saginaw, Mi.

[@lesblatnyak5947]

Cool vid Harri. Yes did a cover of this song in typical Yes fashion its super.

[@famat161]

I flashed back to a song by Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen which had the title "My Home in my Hand"

[@jeffmartin1026]

This song was used in their TV special. Because of the popularity of Mrs. Robinson (et.al.) they were given free reign with the special. They used it to reflect an honest view of America in the time. It was only shown once and then quickly put away by the TV/Advertising folk who had funded it. You can find it on KZbin. Stay safe and Carry On!!

[@paulwolf2432]

An encapsulation of the 60s generation, Counter Culture, on a quest of discovery, but it’s ultimately ill-defined, sincere, but vague. “I’m empty and aching and I don’t know why.” I think the real estate is just a couple of brochures, perhaps for properties somewhere, which ultimately this young couple can’t afford, since they are on a level of sharing cigarettes.

[@dsusan17]

There voices blend so well. Great pick and analysis Harri

[@Wben113]

Thought he meant grass, when talking about real estate.

[@mrod7692]

This and Scarborough Fair are my favorites.

[@2869may]

Great Song...!!! "Take care of her in San Francisco.....man"

[@flomalheur7467]

One of my favorite Simon & Garfunkel songs because it is (musically) a bit headstrong. YES has covered this song by the way, but covered is not the correct expression. More like a song based on S & G's "America". Also called "America", it is completely different, full of joie de vivre, joy of playing and positive energy ... You have to listen to it when you get the chance.

[@coolworx]

I'm old enough to remember the smoking section that made up the back half of Greyhounds and Delta flights... Ya, ya, ya... it was unhealthy, but we were having a good ol' time jacked up on nicotine and booze along those long miles... I once took a 3.5 day bus ride from Springfield Mass, all the way to Mammoth Hot Springs, Montana and fell in love twice along the way... ;-)

[@robertvien5693]

Just happiness

[@robertarnold7187]

"Real estate" just means he had space or room in the bag. They sometimes joke that a man has real estate on his head,,,,,,as in a bald spot. :)

[@Clairsach]

"I've got some real estate in my bag" simply means possessions and snacks etc. Kids think life on the road is an adventure only to find privation and possibly trafficking. Sad...

[@kevinmcconnell9426]

Now you should react to YES’s cover of “America”. YES hasn’t done many covers, so you know they really appreciated Paul Simons writing.