8.18.2026 – rest of life so hard

rest of life so hard
you know I don’t find this stuff
amusing anymore

From You Can Call Me Al by Paul Simon (in the Album, Graceland, 1986).

In a recent interview on NPR, A Martinez spoke with Ashley Kahn, author of “Days of Miracle and Wonder,” a look back at the 40 year history of the Paul Simon album, Graceland.

Mr. Martinez asked “How did “Graceland” change the way Paul Simon composed music?”

Mr. Kahn responded, “Well, “Graceland” was pretty much a kind of a 90-degree shift for him as far as how he approached songwriting, building songs up, starting with a rhythm track, as opposed to starting with a lyric.

One of the best examples has to be “You Can Call Me Al,” a tune that was written about an old dinner party.

And Paul was mistakenly referred to throughout the evening by one of the celebs at the party as Al.”

You are Paul Simon.

You are the Paul Simon.

You are the Paul Simon of Simon and Garfunkel.

You are Paul Simon and it’s been 20 years since “The Sound of Silence” was released in 1965.

And someone at a dinner party calls you Al all throughout the evening.

Not even Art, confusing you with the other guy, but Al.

No one calls me Al.

No one calls me nothing.

Why is the rest of life so hard.

I looks around, around.

I see angels in the architecture.

Spinning in infinity.

I says, “Amen!” …

and “Hallelujah!”

But …

You know I don’t find this stuff amusing anymore.