In 1968, after the success of Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme and The Graduate, Simon & Garfunkel released their fourth studio album Bookends. The album featured the beautiful “America”, an evocative song written by Paul Simon. The song follows a young couple on a road trip in search of a literal and figurative “America”. In this article, we will dive into the story, meaning, and legacy behind the iconic song.
The Story Behind the Song
“Let us be lovers”, Simon & Garfunkel’s “America” idyllically starts. The opening line refers to Paul Simon and his girlfriend Kathy Chitty, who are about to embark on a journey in search of America. Together with the rest of the first verse, it paints a picture of young innocent lovers who view the world through rose-colored glasses. Or, as Art Garfunkel once said, “young lovers with their adventure and optimism”.
Paul Simon met Kathy Chitty in 1963 in England. She sold tickets at the Railway Inn folk club, he was a then-unknown musician who busked his way through England. Soon after meeting, the two fell in love and became inseparable. After Simon returned to Garfunkel in New York to finish their debut album Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M., he decided to take Kathy with him.
But before finishing the album, Simon went on a 5-day road trip to show America to Chitty. They boarded a Greyhound in Pittsburgh after Simon hitchhiked 4 days from Saginaw, or so the second verse makes us believe.
According to DJ Bob Dyer, Paul Simon wrote “America” in Saginaw, where Simon & Garfunkel performed shortly after the success of “The Sound of Silence”: “I asked Paul Simon if they were still charging the $1,250 we paid them to play and he said they were getting about four times that much then. Then I asked him why he hadn’t pulled out, and he said he had to see what a city named Saginaw looked like.”
“Apparently, he liked it; he wrote ‘America’ while he was here, including that line about taking four days to hitchhike from Saginaw.”
Sadly enough, Simon and Chitty’s relationship wouldn’t last. After “The Sound of Silence” gave Simon & Garfunkel nationwide fame in 1966, the two separated, as Chitty – a shy and private woman – wasn’t ready for Simon’s fame.
The Meaning of The Song
“America” is a song about Paul Simon’s existential crisis about the meaning of America told through the lens of a road trip with his girlfriend Kathy. The presence of Kathy, who is originally from England, adds an extra layer to the search for America. Almost as if Simon brought his girlfriend over to show her his country, only to dawn upon the realization that he doesn’t know what “America” is either.
In the final verse, Simon admits to Kathy he is lost, even though he knows she is sleeping. The inability to share his emotions with his girlfriend portrays a large sense of loneliness. But as he counts the cars on the New Jersey Turnpike, Simon realizes he’s not alone, because they are filled with people who are searching for America too.
The song’s transition from young lovers who view the world through rose-colored glasses to the existential crisis about the meaning of America is incredible. Therefore, the song’s lyrics are often seen as one of Simon’s finest works. Overall, they paint a picture of a lost America and the struggles it brings to its citizens.
The Legacy of America
Simon & Garfunkel eventually released “America” in 1968 on their fourth studio album Bookends. In 1972, the song was released as a single on Simon & Garfunkel’s greatest hits compilation. It knew moderate commercial success, reaching the UK and the US charts.
“America” is often seen as one of Simon & Garfunkel’s finest works, ranking among the likes of “The Sound of Silence”, “The Boxer”, and “Bridge Over Troubled Water”. It shouldn’t be seen as a surprise though, because the song’s composition, lyrics, and themes are simply incredible.
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It should be the US national anthem