![]() Surprise (2006) [ larger cover art ] |
Prayers offered in times of peace are silent conversations. Appeals for love, or
love's release. In private invocations. But all that is changed now. Gone like a
memory from the day before the fires. People hungry for the voice of God hear
lunatics and liars. Wartime prayers. Wartime prayers. In every language spoken.
For every family scattered and broken.
Because you cannot walk with the holy if you're just a halfway decent man. I
don't pretend that I'm a mastermind with a genius martyrdom plan. I'm trying to
tap into some wisdom. Even a little drop will do. I want to rid my heart of envy,
and cleanse my soul of rage before I'm through.
Times are hard. It's a hard time, but everybody knows. All about hard times, the
thing is, what are you gonna do? Well, you cry and try to muscle through. Try to
rearrange your stuff. But when the wounds are deep enough, and it's all that we
can bear, we wrap ourselves. In prayer.
Because you cannot walk with the holy if you're just a halfway decent man, I
don't pretend that I'm a mastermind with a genius marketing plan. I'm trying to
tap into some wisdom. Even a little drop will do. I want to rid my heart of envy,
and cleanse my soul of rage before I'm through. A mother murmurs in twilight
sleep and draws her babies closer. With hush-a-byes for sleepy eyes, and kisses
on the shoulder. To drive away despair she says a wartime prayer.
| diane (seacoast, nh, usa) | Posted: Jul 22, 2006 - 15:25 Doesn't work for me. The pleasant pop music just doesn't fit with anything I've (only) seen about the current wars of the world. Gentle wishes and prayers don't cut it. I think, sadly, we're way past that. |
| dtb | Posted: Jul 22, 2006 - 15:18 Do I vomit now or later? |
| adu (Eugene) | Posted: Jul 02, 2006 - 00:34 Bad song, cute baby. |
| AlienRelic (Lost in a lost world) | Posted: Jun 27, 2006 - 13:37 "People hungry for the voice of God Hear lunatics and liars" Man, we've got our share of those, don't we? |
| Xeric (Various Strata) | Posted: Jun 24, 2006 - 17:06 hippiechick wrote: A touching song. I am always surprised at how spiritual Paul Simon is in his songs. I'm often surprised at how religious Paul Simon is in his songs. I like this one okay anyway. . . . |
| Pyro (Lose E. Anna) | Posted: Jun 23, 2006 - 07:26 chucklesalmon wrote: Aargh. Graceland, Graceland, Graceland. Just because Graceland happens to be the only Paul Simon record people know does not mean that it is universally considered his best. And does not mean that it IS the best. Everything he's recorded since then seems like it is compared to Graceland.... why not compare it to "One Trick Pony"? Ok, I will. Surprise is an interesting recording, and yet anonther new direction from Paul Simon. Although there is a full host of top flight musicians, all the sequencing and programming makes it seem much more sterile and lifeless than the recording with his band on "One Trick Pony". I own a great deal of Paul's stuff. And I think I speak for MANY people when I say Graceland was one of his masterpieces! So, here, we definitely disagree. Sure, he has a lot of good stuff before and after Graceland, but again, critics and the masses (I believe) consider Graceland to be a real high point in a great career. |
| Roverfish (Tucson, AZ - Thanks for visiting...now go home!) | Posted: Jun 12, 2006 - 22:50 MinMan wrote: Must hear more before expressing rash evaluations.
Why? Everyone else is doing it... Likeable, if nothing else. Nice to hear Paul back with us. |
| MinMan (Bay Area, CA) | Posted: May 26, 2006 - 12:51 Paul Simon & Brian Eno... who who'd of thunk it. Must hear more before expressing rash evaluations. I do enjoy "Rythm of the saints" |
| chucklesalmon | Posted: May 21, 2006 - 09:55 AlienRelic wrote: I sort of thought so when I first heard it, but I think it deserves a few more hearings. I like the music on Surprise more and more as I hear more of it. I agree... and it DOES get better with each listen. Thats a good thing, too. Meaty! |
| AlienRelic (Lost in time and lost in space) | Posted: May 19, 2006 - 04:56 chucklesalmon wrote: Surprise is an interesting recording, and yet anonther new direction from Paul Simon. Although there is a full host of top flight musicians, all the sequencing and programming makes it seem much more sterile and lifeless than the recording with his band on "One Trick Pony". I sort of thought so when I first heard it, but I think it deserves a few more hearings. I like the music on Surprise more and more as I hear more of it. |
| chucklesalmon | Posted: May 14, 2006 - 18:47 hanssachs wrote: Ah - there was an article about this album in the Herald Tribune .... interesting. Not necessarily another Graceland, but it might bear repeated listenings ...
Aargh. Graceland, Graceland, Graceland. Just because Graceland happens to be the only Paul Simon record people know does not mean that it is universally considered his best. And does not mean that it IS the best. Everything he's recorded since then seems like it is compared to Graceland.... why not compare it to "One Trick Pony"? Ok, I will. Surprise is an interesting recording, and yet anonther new direction from Paul Simon. Although there is a full host of top flight musicians, all the sequencing and programming makes it seem much more sterile and lifeless than the recording with his band on "One Trick Pony". |
| marktberry | Posted: May 14, 2006 - 18:46 SoundsGoodToMe wrote: I hear just a touch of Dave Matthews in this song.
Or, perhaps, you hear a touch of Paul Simon in Dave Matthews? |
| rcurrier (San Juan Capistrano, CA) | Posted: May 14, 2006 - 18:45 SoundsGoodToMe wrote: I hear just a touch of Dave Matthews in this song.
Sounds to me like the two were involved in a horrible transporter accident. My wartime prayer is that what came out doesn't live long. |
| Aud (lost in lakecity) | Posted: May 11, 2006 - 23:06 bschena wrote: Holy crap, this is awful. I can't figure out which is worse, the schmaltz-y "songwriting" or the singing... Oh yes, I agree. If the words are suppose to have some sort of significance-I can't get to it- It's just mumble & almost like drug induced depression |
| kephra (Santa Clara, CA) | Posted: May 10, 2006 - 13:32 Great to hear new material from Paul. I love this song, and the lyrics. |
| hanssachs (Old Europe) | Posted: May 10, 2006 - 13:25 Ah - there was an article about this album in the Herald Tribune .... interesting. Not necessarily another Graceland, but it might bear repeated listenings ... |
| AlienRelic (Lost in time and lost in space) | Posted: May 10, 2006 - 13:25 This one just made me stop everything and listen. |
| bschena (SillyValley, CA) | Posted: May 10, 2006 - 13:25 Holy crap, this is awful. I can't figure out which is worse, the schmaltz-y "songwriting" or the singing... |
| jyoull (Cambridge, MA) | Posted: May 10, 2006 - 13:24 Oh gosh, a choir... no fair, i have to +1 my rating now... brb. |
| SoundsGoodToMe | Posted: May 10, 2006 - 13:23 I hear just a touch of Dave Matthews in this song. |
| hippiechick | Posted: May 10, 2006 - 13:23 A touching song. I am always surprised at how spiritual Paul Simon is in his songs. |
