America

Simon & Garfunkel

About America

"America" is a song performed by American music duo Simon & Garfunkel, which they released from their fourth studio album, Bookends, in 1968. Produced by the duo and Roy Halee, the song was later issued as a single in 1972 to promote the release of Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits. The song was written and composed by Paul Simon, and concerns young lovers hitchhiking their way across the United States, in search of "America," in both a literal and figurative sense. It was inspired by a 1964 road trip that Simon took with his then girlfriend Kathy Chitty. The song has been regarded as one of Simon's strongest songwriting efforts and one of the duo's best songs. A 2014 Rolling Stone reader's poll ranked it the group's fourth best song. 


Year:
1968
3:35
86 
#4

 Struggling with America? Become a better singer in 30 days with these videos!

Let us be lovers, we'll marry our fortunes together
I've got some real estate here in my bag
So we bought a pack of cigarettes and Mrs. Wagner's pies
And we walked off to look for America
Cathy, I said as we boarded a Greyhound in Pittsburgh
Michigan seems like a dream to me now
It took me four days to hitchhike from Saginaw
I've gone to look for America

Laughing on the bus, playing games with the faces
She said the man in the gabardine suit was a spy
I said, be careful, his bowtie is really a camera
Toss me a cigarette, I think there's one in my raincoat
We smoked the last one an hour ago
So I looked at the scenery
She read her magazine
And the moon rose over an open field

Cathy, I'm lost, I said though I knew she was sleeping
And I'm empty and aching and I don't know why
Counting the cars on the New Jersey Turnpike
They've all come to look for America
All come to look for America
All come to look for America

 Struggling with America? Become a better singer in 30 days with these videos!


Simon & Garfunkel

Simon & Garfunkel were an American music duo consisting of singer-songwriters Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel. They formed the group Tom & Jerry in 1957 and had their first success with the minor hit "Hey, Schoolgirl". As Simon & Garfunkel, the duo rose to fame in 1965, largely on the strength of the hit single "The Sound of Silence". Their music was featured in the landmark film The Graduate (1967), propelling them further into the public consciousness. more »

40 fans

Written by: PAUL SIMON

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


11 facts about this song

Release Date
The song "America" by Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel, who performed as "Simon & Garfunkel," was released on their fourth studio album "Bookends" on April 3, 1968.
Songwriting
Paul Simon wrote the song when he was 26 years old, inspired by a road trip across the U.S. with his then-girlfriend Kathy Chitty in 1964.
Popularity
Despite its popularity, "America" was not released as a single in the U.S at the time, but it reached #35 in the UK when it was eventually released as a single there in 1972.
Lyrics
The song's lyrics chronicle a cross-country journey from Michigan to New York City, capturing scenes of everyday life in America and expressing feelings of both patriotism and disillusionment.
Cultural Significance
"America" is considered a signature song of Simon & Garfunkel and one of the greatest songs ever, regularly featuring on lists made by Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, and other music publications.
Cover Versions
The song has been covered by numerous artists across different genres, including David Bowie, Yes, and most notably by Bert Sommer at the Woodstock Festival in 1969.
Movie feature
In the film "Almost Famous" (2000), "America" is prominently used in a pivotal scene, showing the song's continued cultural relevance decades after its initial release.
Political theme
The line "Michigan seems like a dream to me now" was taken from the 13th-century poet Jalal ad-Din Rumi's line "The whole world is a form for truth."
Tour Influence
A 2018 re-interpreted version by Paul Simon during his Homeward Bound – The Farewell Tour incorporates a recited piece about the fragility of democracy in America, demonstrating the song's enduring topicality.
Musical Structure
"America" is in the key of E major, with the guitars tuned down a full-step (as is common in Simon & Garfunkel's music), creating a rich, resonant sound. It is notable for the harmonic complexity (relative for a pop song) and the intricate fingerpicking guitar work.
Commercial Use
The song was used in an advertisement for Bernie Sanders' 2016 presidential campaign, which helped to introduce it to a new generation of listeners.

Discuss the America Lyrics with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add these lyrics to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "America Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/5010246/Simon+%26+Garfunkel/America>.

    Missing lyrics by Simon & Garfunkel?

    Know any other songs by Simon & Garfunkel? Don't keep it to yourself!

    Watch the song video

    America

    4M
    23,724     1,043

    Top Hot 100 Songs 1972

    Billboard #97


    Browse Lyrics.com

    Quiz

    Are you a music master?

    »
    Gotye: "But _____ didn't have to cut me off"
    A you
    B our classmate
    C we
    D she

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Chrome

    Get instant explanation for any lyrics that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Firefox

    Get instant explanation for any acronym or abbreviation that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Don't miss Simon & Garfunkel's

    Upcoming Events

    »
    Simon & Garfunkel tracks

    On Radio Right Now

    Loading...

    Powered by OnRad.io


    Think you know music? Test your MusicIQ here!

    Movies soundtrack

    America

    »