The Late Great Johnny Ace

Paul Simon

About The Late Great Johnny Ace

"The Late Great Johnny Ace" is a song by Paul Simon, which appears on his 1983 Hearts and Bones album.


Year:
2004
4:53
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I was reading a magazine
And thinking of a rock and roll song
The year was 1954
And I hadn't been playing that long

When a man came on the radio
And this is what he said
He said I hate to break it to his fans
But Johnny Ace is dead, yeah, yeah, yeah

Well, I really wasn't
Such a Johnny Ace fan
But I felt bad all the same
So I sent away for his photograph

And I waited till it came
It came all the way from Texas
With a sad and simple face
And they signed it on the bottom
From the Late Great Johnny Ace, yeah, yeah, yeah

It was the year of The Beatles
It was the year of The Stones
It was nineteen 1964
I was living in London
With the girl from the summer before

It was the year of The Beatles
It was the year of The Stones
A year after J.F.K.
We were staying up all night

And giving the days away
And the music was flowing amazing
And blowing my way

On a cold December evening
I was walking through the Christmas tide
When a stranger came up and asked me
If I'd heard John Lennon had died

And the two of us went to this bar
And we stayed to close the place
And every song we played
Was for The Late Great Johnny Ace, yeah, yeah, yeah

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Paul Simon

Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an award-winning musician whose talents in composing, performing, and vocal harmony placed him at the forefront of the singer-songwriters on an international scale. Simon's fame, influence and commercial success began as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, formed in 1964 with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached No. 1 on the U.S. singles charts: "The Sounds of Silence," "Mrs. Robinson," and "Bridge Over Troubled Water." The duo split up in 1970 at the height of their popularity, and Simon began a successful solo career, recording three highly acclaimed albums over the next five years. In 1986, he released Graceland, an album inspired by South African… more »

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Written by: PAUL SIMON

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


10 facts about this song

Release Date
"The Late Great Johnny Ace" was first released on Paul Simon's fifth solo studio album, "Hearts and Bones", which came out in November 1983.
Song Inspiration
Simon wrote the song in tribute to three individuals named Johnny Ace, all of whom tragically died. These include the R&B singer Johnny Ace, JFK (whose middle name was Fitzgerald, a likely reference to the song’s phrase "Johnny Ace, Johnny Ace"), and John Lennon. It serves as a tribute to the passing of different eras of American music history.
Lyrics Content
The first part of the song recounts the story of R&B singer Johnny Ace who supposedly shot himself in a game of Russian Roulette in 1954. The second part deals with the death of JFK in 1963. The third part refers to John Lennon’s murder in 1980, which was a traumatic event for Paul Simon as they were contemporaries and friends.
Song Performance
Paul Simon first performed the song live at "The Concert in Central Park" with Art Garfunkel in 1981, two years before it was recorded for the "Hearts and Bones" album.
Controversial Reception
When Simon performed "The Late Great Johnny Ace" for the first time in 1981, it was a controversial moment as the audience thought he was exploiting John Lennon's death for his own popularity. A man even ran on stage during performance shouting about the disrespect he felt Simon was showing towards Lennon.
Emotional Composition
Simon noted that the creation of the song was a very emotionally charged experience for him. As he grappled with the sudden death of John Lennon, he used the song as a way to process his feelings.
Music Style
The song is characterized by its slow, mournful pace and its focus on the melodic elements, which are typical of Simon’s music during the period when "Hearts and Bones" was produced.
Music Video
The song also has a music video directed by Simon and cinematographer Edward Lachman, providing a stylized, surreal visual interpretation of the song.
Pop Culture Impact
"The Late Great Johnny Ace" continues to influence pop culture, with references being made in other music works and literature.
Unusual Song Structure
Unlike traditional songs that follow the verse-chorus-bridge structure, "The Late Great Johnny Ace" is composed of three distinct parts, which are separated by instrumental interludes. Each part pays tribute to a deceased figure named Johnny Ace.

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