Paul Goldfinger photo.1/1/24. Main Street in Asbury Park.
PAUL SIMON. “Under African Skies”
“His path was marked
By the stars in the Southern Hemisphere
And he walked the length of his days
Under African skies…”
Skywriting in A. Park.
January 1, 2024 by Blogfinger
One Response
When I pair music with a photograph the connections may not be so obvious because the ingredients vary– consisting of the image, the music, and the lyrics: And these create dots that might be connected in a variety of ways, and I may not readily connect them myself; it’s just that I feel connections and I put it out there.
Sometimes I associate feelings rather than specifics. I like to think that my presentations provide the raw materials to tell a story, and the viewer can create a story or just fragments of a story. And the dots may be intangible, such as the music’s rhythm or feeling or melodies.
In this case there is the glowing message in the sky, the run-in words, Simon’s lyrics which reference Africa and the roots of music, and the fact that Asbury is a town with musical roots and that African-Americans in Asbury tie into the story while having their own stories.
Paul Simon himself writes lyrics that are open to interpretation and story-telling.
And this song is from the “Graceland” album. (1986—cassette era) That album borrowed a great deal from South African music and musicians. Linda Ronstadt provided the female part on the song.
So, connect the dots and make up your own story and you can share with us if you wish by clicking on “comments” or sending an email to Blogfinger@verizon.net
We post poetry on Blogfinger, but I rarely ask our poets about their meanings. That’s too presumptuous, but for me, I don’t mind.