Скачать или смотреть American Tune (Paul Simon) - Rowan Etzel

Paul Simon's poignant meditation on the American experience, written in 1973. Performed as part of my jazz/pop voice recital at Bowdoin on May 8, 2017.

Simon took the melodic line from a Bach chorale in St. Matthew Passion, which in turn gets its roots from a version of the hymn O Sacred Head Now Wounded, which can be traced back to a secular song written in 1601 by Hans Leo Hassler. All this history combined with Simon's soulful lyrics create a song that is timeless and yet so appropriate to our current time.

Lyrics:

Many's the time I've been mistaken
And many times confused
Yes, and I've often felt forsaken
And certainly misused
But I'm all right, I'm all right
I'm just weary to my bones
Still, you don't expect to be
Bright and bon vivant
So far away from home, so far away from home

And I don't know a soul who'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 all right, it's all right
We've lived so well so long
Still, when I think of the road
we're traveling on
I wonder what's gone wrong
I can't help it, I wonder what's gone wrong

And I dreamed I was dying
And I dreamed that my soul rose unexpectedly
And looking back down at me
Smiled reassuringly
And I dreamed I was flying
And high up above my eyes could clearly see
The Statue of Liberty
Sailing away to sea
And I dreamed I was flying

We come on the ship they call the Mayflower
We come on the ship that sailed the moon
We come in the age's most uncertain hour
and sing an American tune
But it's all right, it's all right
You can't be forever blessed
Still, tomorrow's going to be another working day
And I'm trying to get some rest
That's all I'm trying to get some rest