# "You can call me Al?" Why? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 9, 2004, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-call-me-al-why/259067 "2004-08-09T18:51:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2004, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-call-me-al-why/259067/1 "2004-08-09T18:51:40Z")
I love this song but what the hell, if anything, is it about? And specifically what is the title line supposed to mean? ---
**Author:** ![fusoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecccb3/32.png) [@fusoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fusoya)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2004, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-call-me-al-why/259067/2 "2004-08-09T19:00:29Z")
could it be any clearer? It’s a song written about the peril that the musician “Weird Al” Yankovic had to go through where the press would try to get on a first name basis by saying “hi there Weird!” when he’d just prefer to be called Al. ok…I’m stumped. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2004, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-call-me-al-why/259067/3 "2004-08-09T19:14:46Z")
The theory that I’ve heard (and one that I have heard absolutely no evidence or corroborating testimony from Simon to support said theory), is that the song mirrors Dante’s Divine Comedy and the Inferno. Dante’s last name was Alighieri. Thus, “Al”. Dante’s guide in the Divine Comedy was his ex-flame, Beatrice. Thus, “Betty”. The rest of the argument revolves around the YCCMA main character being thrust into a trip through incredibly odd and foreign lands, as is the DC main character. It’s a pretty weak correlation, but interesting to discuss. ---
**Author:** ![Wolfian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7ea924/32.png) [@Wolfian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolfian)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2004, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-call-me-al-why/259067/4 "2004-08-09T19:44:04Z")
[nitpick]Dante’s guide to Heaven was Beatrice (mmm, green eyes). Dante’s guide to Purgatory and Hell was Ovid.[/np] ---
**Author:** ![Gotterfunken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/58956e/32.png) [@Gotterfunken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gotterfunken)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2004, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-call-me-al-why/259067/5 "2004-08-09T19:59:49Z")
[nitpick of a nitpick]Dante’s guide to Hell and Purgatory was Virgil, not Ovid[/nitpick of a nitpick] 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Menocchio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@Menocchio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Menocchio)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2004, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-call-me-al-why/259067/6 "2004-08-09T20:19:55Z")
[nitpick^3] While Vergil did the actual tour guiding, 'twas Beatrice that actually set things in motion. So, in a sense, she was his “guide”. [/nitpick^3] ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2004, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-call-me-al-why/259067/7 "2004-08-09T20:59:10Z")
Or, you may even say that Beatrice was Dante’s bodyguard (or soulguard, I suppose) and he was a long last pal. ---
**Author:** ![Algernon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a183cd/32.png) [@Algernon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algernon)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2004, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-call-me-al-why/259067/8 "2004-08-09T21:04:03Z")
What leads you to the conclusion that Paul Simon lyrics have to make sense? > [@Paul Simon in Punky's Dilemma](#): > > Wish I was a kellogg’s cornflake > Floatin’ in my bowl takin’ movies, Admittedly, this is somewhat of an aberration. Most of the time his lyrics are deep, or meaningful, or both. Regarding your OP? I have no idea. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2004, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-call-me-al-why/259067/9 "2004-08-09T21:38:58Z")
DOn’t mind me , folks: I cannot help, but am wandering in here jsut so that I can “subscribe to thread” so that I can learn the answer too. 🙂 Yeah, I have opened a google window to have a look, but I reckn if the answer was easy to find , it would have been foudn in abut 2 minute. Ah well, the joy of the hunt! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2004, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-call-me-al-why/259067/10 "2004-08-10T10:16:48Z")
At first I was thinking that Betty and Al might be two characters from pop culture that I somehow missed or forgot but it looks like the answer isn’t nearly that simple. ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2004, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-call-me-al-why/259067/11 "2004-08-10T11:07:56Z")
> [@Celyn](#): > > DOn’t mind me , folks: I cannot help, but am wandering in here jsut so that I can “subscribe to thread” **Celyn** sits down at the computer It’s a computer in Glasgow Maybe she’s bored at work Maybe she’s just passing time Stops into Café Society She wants a Paul Simon Education Doesn’t see the answer So tries to help **Cisco** out Google search, Google search Still doesn’t find the answer But places hope in the SDMB She wants an e-mail, an e-mail To alert her of any updates But she doesn’t have to post to the Thread To get those updates anymore If you click on **Thread Tools** You can choose [Subscribe to Thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/subscription.php?do=addsubscription&t=270501) Then they’ll send you e-mails And **Celyn** when they e-mail you They’ll e-mail you now 😃 ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2004, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-call-me-al-why/259067/12 "2004-08-10T11:41:26Z")
I remeber an interview where Paul Simon said the chorus bit comes from an actual party where some guy kept calling Paul “Al”, and his wife “Betty”. The rest of the song is midlife angst and his trip to South Africa to do “Gracelands” rolled into one. ---
**Author:** ![silverfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e480ec/32.png) [@silverfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silverfish)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2004, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-call-me-al-why/259067/13 "2004-08-10T14:30:00Z")
Mr Dribble’s version is pretty much what I remember hearing. The version I heard, from a BBC programme (radio 2 I think), about either Paul Simon, or the Graceland album. The version I remember has [Pierre Boulez](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Boulez) at the party, who, when he leaves, says something like ‘Goodbye Al, and say goodnight to Betty’. I think Paul gave that story himself on the programme. ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2004, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-call-me-al-why/259067/14 "2004-08-10T14:47:53Z")
> [@bienville](#): > > **Celyn** sits down at the computer… Dude, you are _talented!_ ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2004, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-call-me-al-why/259067/15 "2004-08-10T19:25:09Z")
> [@fishbicycle](#): > > Dude, you are _talented!_ Agreed. That was good! ---
**Author:** ![burundi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3ec8ea/32.png) [@burundi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burundi)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2004, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-call-me-al-why/259067/16 "2004-08-11T00:18:06Z")
Okay, how about in the “ever since the watermelon” line in “The Myth of Fingerprints”? I finally figured out that he wasn’t singing “_Elvis_ is the wateremlon,” but the real line doesn’t make since to me either. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2004, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-call-me-al-why/259067/17 "2004-08-11T00:39:44Z")
And what about “Baby Driver,” “Why Deny the Obvious,” and “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard”? Do those lyrics mean anything? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2004, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-call-me-al-why/259067/18 "2004-08-11T01:33:36Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > And what about “Baby Driver,” “Why Deny the Obvious,” and “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard”? Do those lyrics mean anything? Heh. Paul Simon’s lyrics are models of clarity compared to stuff that Jon Anderson of _Yes_ cranked out! > [@](#): > > There stands Olias to outward to build a ship > Holding within all we hope to retain. > The frame will be so built to challenge the universe > clasped with the skins of the fish of the plain. From “Olias of Sunhillow” with > [@](#): > > They call me baby driver > And once upon a pair of wheels > Hit the road and I’m gone ah > What’s my number > I wonder how your engine feels > Ba ba ba ba > Scoot down the road > What’s my number > I wonder how your engine feels. Simon and Garfunkle, “Baby Driver” See? He’s a model of clarity! Anyway, Betty is obviously Betty Ford, former first lady, and recovering alcoholic, and founder of the Betty Ford clinic, where celebrities go to get detoxed, wash toilets, and have their denial shattered, by everyone calling them “Al”, which is short for Alcoholic. 😉 QtM (who has invited a few “Bettys” to call him “Al” when they call him) ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2004, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-call-me-al-why/259067/19 "2004-08-11T06:57:09Z")
> [@fishbicycle](#): > > Dude, you are _talented!_ > [@Cisco](#): > > Agreed. That was good! I leave the computer for the day and I come back to _compliments_!!! 🙂 Awww, Thank You! (I’d use the “blushing” smilie except I don’t like it because I don’t think it looks like it’s blushing- it looks like it’s yawning.) ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2004, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-can-call-me-al-why/259067/20 "2004-08-11T11:49:11Z")
Actually, Baby Driver’s about railroading and sex. A driver is a powered wheel in a locomotive. Baby driver would be a smaller powered wheel. The rest sort of falls into place. At least, that’s what I’ve always thought.