Paul Simon — Wartime Prayers
Album: SurpriseAvg rating:
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Total ratings: 112
Length: 4:40
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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.
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.
Comments (24)add comment
Paul Simon is one of the greatest American songsters. I like almost everything he does....favorite amongst others is ROTSaints. I'm sad to see so many negative comments.
I missed this in 2006. Thanks for playing again, Bill...
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.
Do I vomit now or later?
Bad song, cute baby.
"People hungry for the voice of God
Hear lunatics and liars"
Man, we've got our share of those, don't we?
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. . . .
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.
MinMan wrote:
Likeable, if nothing else. Nice to hear Paul back with us.
Must hear more before expressing rash evaluations.
Why? Everyone else is doing it...
Likeable, if nothing else. Nice to hear Paul back with us.
Paul Simon & Brian Eno... who who'd of thunk it. Must hear more before expressing rash evaluations. I do enjoy "Rythm of the saints"
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!
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.
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".
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?
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.
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
Great to hear new material from Paul. I love this song, and the lyrics.
Ah - there was an article about this album in the Herald Tribune .... interesting. Not necessarily another Graceland, but it might bear repeated listenings ...
This one just made me stop everything and listen.
Holy crap, this is awful. I can't figure out which is worse, the schmaltz-y "songwriting" or the singing...
Oh gosh, a choir... no fair, i have to +1 my rating now... brb.
I hear just a touch of Dave Matthews in this song.
A touching song. I am always surprised at how spiritual Paul Simon is in his songs.
This, exactly. We want solutions, not vague religiosity. Lyrics are shockingly archaic.