I had some music training in my youth and I, too, don’t see why there is a difference between 3/4 time and 6/8 time.
I’ve always thought the difference was something like:
3/4 = “ONE-two-three, ONE-two-three”
6/8 = “ONE-two-three-FOUR-five-six”
3/4 puts the same stress on each ONE beat, while 6/8 puts full emphasis on ONE and a little less on FOUR.
It’s in dactyl blank verse - pretty rare for a song.
That makes sense. Thanks.
So I recently read a story about how Garfunkel, when at uni, had a very close friend who was diagnosed and certain to lose his sight.His future plans were crushed, he was understandably dejected and quit uni, I think. Anyway his friend Art convinced him to continue studying, promising to be his aid and guide. And did it too, shadowing him through his classes etc. even recognizing when his friend was now fully dependent on him. It explained how he suddenly left him on a subway platform saying, ‘I must run something has come up.’ His friend was terrified as he now tried to manoeuvre the subway system unescorted. He struggled but did find his way. Brushing against a stranger he apologized , the stranger made some reply and he recognized Art’s voice, his friend had followed his every move to keep him safe. Art’s friend, of course, credits his friend with giving him a future and his confidence back, when he was ready to withdraw from the world in defeat. A truly heartwarming story about friendship.
Art’s friend, having gone blind, greeted him often, with, ‘Hello darkness, my old friend.’ Since Art was now, just a voice in the darkness.
Yes, agreed. My thanks as well.
It’s true. Her name was Emily, (wherever I may find her) and it happened Wednesday morning, 3 A.M.
Thanks for the reminder – another great song!
The Kathy he rides with on the bus in America was his actual girlfriend then, Kathy Chitty. She also has “Kathy’s Song” dedicated to her. That’s from the early Paul Simon Songbook that nobody listened to because nobody in America could find it. .
Carrie Fisher was the inspiration for several songs, but by that time he wasn’t using her name.
Emily, who was as ephemeral as his early album, is apparently nobody in particular, and not Emily Dickinson in particular.
Disagree. This is definitely in 3/4. Strong emphasis on the downbeat of each measure and a pretty typical note-chord-chord 3/4 pattern to the composition.
Take the Saginaw lyric quoted above. Each stressed word is a downbeat, with 4 measures total: 1-and-a 2-and-a 3-and-a 4-and-a (slightly simplified). Not one-2-3-4-5-6 two-2-3-4-5-6.
A quick search in my sheet music library confirms that published versions are in 3/4.
“Kathy, I’m lost,” I said, though I knew she was sleeping. “I’m empty and aching and I don’t know why.”
That line in “America” has always struck a nerve with me. I’ve often felt that way. Perhaps many of us have.
If Michigan seems like a dream to you, why not try hitchhiking to Saginaw Island?
The UP’s a dream; the lower peninsula, not so much. I would hitchhike to Mackinaw though. The island.
QtM, former Flintstone 1965-67
I knew a man, his brain so small
He couldn’t think of nothing at all
Not the same as you and me
He doesn’t dig poetry,
he’s so unhip when you say Dylan
He thinks you’re talking about Dylan Thomas… whoever he was
The man ain’t got no culture
But it’s alright, Ma!
Everybody must get stoned…
I remember when a couple of friends and I were driving on a certain New England road.
And as the song demanded, we counted the cars on the New Jersey Turnpike.
That’s pronounced ‘dial anne’ Thomas, right? ;-D
Wow! That’s quite a feat!
Finestkind of island, love that place.
According to Steve Gadd, the drum part was based on a Mozambique pattern.
There was an old SNL skit when Paul Simon was hosting, in which he and a friend were out on the street. Someone walks by and says something like, “hey Paul, you probably don’t remember me, I was the engineer on your second album”, and Simon says, “of course, you’re Frank Richards, right? How’s your wife Annie?”. Then another person walks by and greets him with an even more tenuous connection, “hi Paul, I’m sure you don’t remember me, I was blah blah blah” and Simon remembers him too. This gets more and more ridiculous: “Hi Mr. Simon, I saw you at your concert in Central Park” and Simon says “oh yeah, you were sitting on a green blanket under a tree; didn’t you have a new baby with you?” etc. Finally for the punch line, Art Garfunkel walks up and greets him and Simon says, “sorry, have we met?” Garfunkel tries to jog his memory but Simon claims to not remember him. It was hysterical but also kind of sad, given Simon’s real life relationship with Garfunkel.