# What is "Me & Julio" about? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 12, 2019, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-me-julio-about/840132 "2019-09-12T23:02:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kirkrapine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7ea924/32.png) [@kirkrapine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kirkrapine)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2019, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-me-julio-about/840132/1 "2019-09-12T23:02:22Z")
What did the Mama saw that was against the law? Homosexuality? Drug use? ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2019, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-me-julio-about/840132/2 "2019-09-12T23:08:27Z")
I doubt that anybody really knows anything more than what [Wikipedia tells us](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Me_and_Julio_Down_by_the_Schoolyard#Lyrical_subject): > [@](#): > > The song is about two boys (“Me and Julio”) who have broken a law, although the exact law that has been broken is not stated in the song. When “the mama pajama” finds out what they have done, she goes to the police station to report the crime. The individuals are later arrested, but released when a “radical priest” intervenes. > > The meaning and references in the song have long provoked debate. In a July 20, 1972 interview for Rolling Stone, Jon Landau asked Simon: “What is it that the mama saw? The whole world wants to know.” Simon replied “I have no idea what it is… Something sexual is what I imagine, but when I say ‘something’, I never bothered to figure out what it was. Didn’t make any difference to me.” > > More recently, in October 2010, Simon described the song as “a bit of inscrutable doggerel”, while the “radical priest” has been interpreted as a reference to Daniel Berrigan who was featured on the cover of Time on January 25, 1971, near when the song was written. Were you looking for some kind of definitive answer or just collecting personal speculations on what the song **might** be about? ---
**Author:** ![kirkrapine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7ea924/32.png) [@kirkrapine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kirkrapine)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2019, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-me-julio-about/840132/3 "2019-09-12T23:12:54Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > Were you looking for some kind of definitive answer or just collecting personal speculations on what the song **might** be about? The latter, I suppose. Simon himself makes clear there is no definitive answer. BTW, “You’re So Vain” is about Elton John, and “Killing Me Softly with His Song” is about Don MacLean. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2019, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-me-julio-about/840132/4 "2019-09-12T23:42:09Z")
I thought I posted about this here but it was elsewhere. Anyway, here’s my theory: With a name switch, I think it’s a modern day Romeo (Rosie) and Juliet (Julio.) Corona = Verona The radical priest is Friar Laurence Mama Pajama is Lady Capulet. She spits on the floor at the mention of the boy’s name. Classic blood feud…patooie. The crime was the murder of Tybalt. Juliet’s tomb was in the Convent of San Francesco al Corso, which, of course, was also a school. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2019, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-me-julio-about/840132/5 "2019-09-12T23:47:07Z")
> [@kirkrapine](#): > > BTW, “You’re So Vain” is about Elton John, and “Killing Me Softly with His Song” is about Don MacLean. Then if American Pie is about Elvis and “Blue Suede Shoes” is about Elton, whose drummer flew his Lear Jet to Nova Scotia, then BAM! It all fits, it’s the Cirrrrrcle of Liiiife… On topic: I’m glad Paul Simon never had specifics in mind. I prefer Fun Doggerel to Deep Meanings… ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2019, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-me-julio-about/840132/6 "2019-09-12T23:59:08Z")
I always thought “Me and Julio” would be a good title for a '70s ethnic sitcom, along with “Chinaman’s Chance.” ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2019, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-me-julio-about/840132/7 "2019-09-13T00:13:30Z")
> [@kirkrapine](#): > > The latter, I suppose. Simon himself makes clear there is no definitive answer. > > BTW, “You’re So Vain” is about Elton John, and “Killing Me Softly with His Song” is about Don MacLean. Carly Simon said the subject of _You’re So Vain_ has an A, an E, and an R in his name. No R and no A in Elton John, unless she means his real name, Reginald Dwight. Simon says the song is about three different men, one of whom she has confirmed is Warren Beatty in the second verse. Beatty is so vain, however, he thinks the entire song is all about him. Simon has told only a few people, including Dick Ebersol, Howard Stern, and Taylor Swift, who the song is about. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2019, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-me-julio-about/840132/8 "2019-09-13T03:16:50Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > I thought I posted about this here but it was elsewhere. Anyway, here’s my theory: > > With a name switch, I think it’s a modern day Romeo (Rosie) and Juliet (Julio.) > > Corona = Verona > > The radical priest is Friar Laurence > > Mama Pajama is Lady Capulet. She spits on the floor at the mention of the boy’s name. Classic blood feud…patooie. > > The crime was the murder of Tybalt. > > Juliet’s tomb was in the Convent of San Francesco al Corso, which, of course, was also a school. I’m now deeply in love with you. ---
**Author:** ![ASL\_v2.0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asl_v2.0/32/3525_2.png) [@ASL\_v2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASL_v2.0)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2019, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-me-julio-about/840132/9 "2019-09-13T03:19:43Z")
After giving the song a re-hearing, I’ve settled on what I believe to be the definitive answer: Mama found out the singer and Julio were planning to burn their draft-cards, which they ultimately did during a sit in of their college’s administration building. The boys were ultimately arrested after a tip-off from the mother, with photo evidence provided by the father, who worked his way into the crowd. It was against the law, yes, but the family priest raised a stink over it, and when the press got wind it they took the story and ran with it. The story was ultimately picked up by the AP, circulated on the wire, and garnered national media attention. The result was widespread public outrage, particularly as both the Vietnam War and the draft were known to be coming to an end, and so the boys were ultimately released with charges dropped. Even so, Papa was a WWII veteran who had done his time guarding a supply depot in, I don’t know where exactly, Utah I think (the state, not the beach), and thought it was damn cowardly of the singer and his friend Julio to defy the government in an act of civil disobedience, and he never could forgive them. Cowards risk prison, heroes raise their right hand and volunteer to willingly sign up and do the bare minimum. Love it or leave it, folks, love it or leave it. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2019, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-me-julio-about/840132/10 "2019-09-13T03:21:05Z")
Simon has revealed what the inspiration of “Mother and Child Reunion” is; it was the name of a chicken and egg dish he saw on the menu at a Chinese restaurant. He thought it was funny so he made up a song using it. This demonstrates that maybe we shouldn’t ask Paul Simon what his songs are about. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2019, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-me-julio-about/840132/11 "2019-09-13T03:48:36Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > This demonstrates that maybe we shouldn’t ask Paul Simon what his songs are about. Even an obvious one like “[Rene and Georgette Magritte with Their Dog after the War](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vUk8L17A8Q)”? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2019, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-me-julio-about/840132/12 "2019-09-13T03:59:00Z")
It’s about three minutes, maybe a bit less. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2019, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-me-julio-about/840132/13 "2019-09-13T15:16:31Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Simon has revealed what the inspiration of “Mother and Child Reunion” is; it was the name of a chicken and egg dish he saw on the menu at a Chinese restaurant. He thought it was funny so he made up a song using it. > > This demonstrates that maybe we shouldn’t ask Paul Simon what his songs are about. Simon constantly collected bits of lyric from random sources and his own thoughts, and often just inserted them into songs as they fit the rhyme and meter, but not necessarily any particular subject matter. “You Can Call Me Al” is a good example of that. As he was leaving a gathering someone came up to him, calling him ‘Al’ and said to give his best to his wife ‘Betty’ (Carrie Fisher). It became an inside joke for them and eventually made it into the song. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2019, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-me-julio-about/840132/14 "2019-09-13T15:24:08Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > “Mother and Child Reunion” […] was the name of a chicken and egg dish he saw on the menu at a Chinese restaurant. :eek: Okay, that right there is some rather grisly (but admittedly kinda funny) “sick humor” on the part of the menu writer even without bringing Paul Simon into it. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2019, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-me-julio-about/840132/15 "2019-09-13T21:26:45Z")
Maybe it’s just me, but I always thought “Me and Julio” were two boys/young men caught in homosexual love. I first though of that back when I was in school in the '70’s when homosexual love was, in fact, illegal in many jurisdictions and remembering parental reactions when such “deviance” was discovered. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2019, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-me-julio-about/840132/16 "2019-09-13T21:55:57Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Simon constantly collected bits of lyric from random sources and his own thoughts, and often just inserted them into songs as they fit the rhyme and meter, but not necessarily any particular subject matter. “You Can Call Me Al” is a good example of that. As he was leaving a gathering someone came up to him, calling him ‘Al’ and said to give his best to his wife ‘Betty’ (Carrie Fisher). It became an inside joke for them and eventually made it into the song. Correction: He was married to Peggy Harper at the time. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2019, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-me-julio-about/840132/17 "2019-09-13T22:03:08Z")
> [@kirkrapine](#): > > BTW, “You’re So Vain” is about Elton John, Have you got a cite for that? I’d really like to know! ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2019, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-me-julio-about/840132/18 "2019-09-13T22:53:29Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > Correction: He was married to Peggy Harper at the time. Oops, you’re right and my memory is foggy. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2019, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-me-julio-about/840132/19 "2019-09-14T01:02:29Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Maybe it’s just me, but I always thought “Me and Julio” were two boys/young men caught in homosexual love. I first though of that back when I was in school in the '70’s when homosexual love was, in fact, illegal in many jurisdictions and remembering parental reactions when such “deviance” was discovered. The homosexual thing makes more sense, but for me it was always about the narrator’s having sex with the mama and the papa’s underage daughter. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2019, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-me-julio-about/840132/20 "2019-09-14T03:03:09Z")
I hope everyone has seen this take. Paul Simon gets upstaged while singing Me & Julio on Sesame Street. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/G1dlWmrRstc/maxresdefault.jpg "Sesame Street: Paul Simon Sings Me & Julio") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1dlWmrRstc) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-me-julio-about/840132.md?page=2)