![]() The story of a rich girl - so rich that she has diamonds on the soles of her shoes - and “a poor boy / Empty as a pocket,” the song’s lyrics feature an array of vivid images, which end with the two characters sleeping in a doorway, both clad in diamonds, a symbol of how they have blended together. ‘Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes’ is another highlight of the album which perfectly demonstrates Simon’s idiosyncrasies and his penchant for imagery. But, despite the inevitable backlash, Simon chose to make the trip, touching down in Johannesburg in February 1985. Indeed, for several years after the release of Graceland, people would protest his actions outside his concerts. ![]() Nevertheless, that did not stop him from receiving plenty of (albeit expected) criticism from around the world. “I wasn't going to record for the government of Pretoria or to perform for segregated audiences.” His motivations, then, were purely artistic, not financial. “I was following my musical instincts in wanting to work with people whose music I greatly admired,” he said. It was a difficult decision, one which Simon later defended on grounds of musicianship. But in order to make his vision a reality, he would have to go to South Africa, breaking with the boycott. Upon hearing it when it fell into his lap in 1984, Simon immediately felt revitalised this was it, he realised, this was the inspiration for his next record. The tape in question was of mbaqanga, a type of street music from Soweto, Johannesburg, rooted in traditional Zulu music. It’s amazing how a life can change on a cassette tape. Of all his brilliantly written songs over a long and successful career, ‘Graceland’ perhaps stands out as one of his most thoughtful and considered efforts. It soon becomes clear that Simon’s marriage troubles are the source of his search for grace, with the verse, “And she said losing love / Is like a window in your heart / Everybody sees you’re blown apart / Everybody sees the wind blow.” Simon’s wistful, softly sung vocal performance and soothing backing vocals make this one of the most melancholy and thought-provoking moments on the album, as Simon considers how he has been affected by the very public nature of his divorce and fall from grace. He counts himself among the number of “Poor boys and pilgrims with families / And we are going to Graceland.” The ideas of pilgrimage and grace are used repeatedly in this song, adding to the sense that Simon’s journey is more spiritual than physical. Graceland, Elvis Presley’s old Tennessee mansion, is not just a tourist destination for Simon but represents something more – an opportunity for grace. The title track of Graceland, describing a road trip taken by Simon after the breakup of his marriage with Fisher, is one of the most compelling songs on the record. Maybe it was destiny, maybe it was luck, or maybe it was a bit of both, but his life was to change later that year, thanks entirely to a small, bootlegged cassette tape. Battling a period of depression, Simon privately felt that he had lost his creative vision and would never again ascend to the heights he had previously reached. His musical partnership with Art Garfunkel had deteriorated, with the two deciding to go their separate ways, his marriage to Carrie Fisher had fallen apart, and his record Hearts and Bones was a commercial failure. But in recording Graceland, his unexpected comeback hit which revitalised his fading career and reintroduced South African music to the western world, Paul Simon became the face of the cultural boycott debate.īy 1984, Simon was quickly fading out of the popular consciousness and was facing several personal issues. Many musicians broke with the boycott in order to perform in the country Queen, Rod Stewart and the Beach Boys just to name a few. The boycott was just one part of a series of political and economic measures aimed at forcing the end of apartheid, which had formally persisted in South Africa since 1948. UN Resolution 35/206 of December 1980 was clear: South African culture was to be cut from the world’s tapestry. ![]() Appeals to writers, artists, musicians and other personalities to boycott South Africa.” “The United Nations General Assembly requests all states to prevent all cultural, academic, sporting and other exchanges with South Africa.
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