Once more, with feeling: Red Rubber Ball
On Saturday I wrote a post comparing the attitudes of the singer in several breakup songs. One of those songs was “Red Rubber Ball,” which I’ve just recently discovered, to my great surprise, was written by Paul Simon (and Bruce Woodley of “The Seekers,” although from what I’ve been able to glean, Woodley’s contribution was small) back in 1966. The song seemed too – well, too bouncy for Simon, but then I remembered that he definitely has his upbeat moods. Sometimes Simon’s even Feelin’ Groovy.
Here’s the original again:
And here’s the entire reason that this post was written. It’s a rare version by Simon and Garfunkel, recorded in concert in 1967. They give it a bit more bite, I think, at least on Simon’s part:
Not a big Simon and Garfunkel or Paul Simon fan as especially the S and G stuff was a little too sedate for my taste but I do like ‘Cecilia’ written by Simon apparently and I would call that bouncy and also a great sing a long song.
You never see much comment about it, but I always find Paul Simon’s guitar virtuosity remarkable – just complex enough to back-fill and compliment the melodies being sung but not overpowering them. It’s a very delicate balance. Of course, I guess it naturally takes a journeyman’s second place to his song-writing artistry.
Griffin:
“Cecilia’s” great. I wouldn’t call it bouncy, though; not exactly, although perhaps it is. I’d call it insouciant, considering the situation. His girlfriend is breaking his heart, but he sounds almost happy or at least indifferent? This was really a daring lyric for the times:
Someone not only takes his place in bed with his girlfriend, but somehow has crept into Simon’s own house to do it??
And is “to wash my face” a euphemism for “to pee”?
Best not to look too closely here. “Jubilation, she loves me again…”
neo,
Long history of masking really daring lyrics in peppy sounding music. But if you sound and look angry and threatening the same words would be viewed differently.
Griffin:
Yes. Case in point – the Beatles’ “Run For Your LIfe.”
OK, for what it’s worth, Simon and Garfunkel graduated from the same High School as me; about 10 years before I graduated.
While I am at it, Captain Kangaroo (I forget his real name) also graduated from my High School.
Neo,
Yep and the Beatles ‘Getting Better’ also. The Beatles vs The Rolling Stones exemplifies this perfectly actually.
John Tyler:
Emmy Lou Harris graduated from my high school (about 10 years before me). I owe all my fantastic musical skilz to her (not and none 🙂 ).
I just wanted to say:
No one of any widespread notability graduated from my High School.
😛
Apparently there are two theories about the song ‘Cecilia’. One is the literal that it’s about a lover breaking the singers heart. The other is it’s about St. Cecilia who is apparently the patron saint of musicians and it’s about Simon expressing his frustration with the writing process.
I love these songs that have multiple levels of understanding. My favorite is ‘Closer To Home by Grand Funk which is either about a captain with a mutinous crew or about a man’s path to religious salvation.
And is “to wash my face” a euphemism for “to pee”?
neo: It rhymes better with “taken my place,” though I can think of one form of intimacy which might encourage face-washing.
“masking really daring lyrics in peppy sounding music”
Paul Simon’s Kodachrome? “Kodachrome … makes you think all the world’s a sunny day”. “Every thing looks worse in black and white”. Does his camera allow him into a dream world where he can hide from his mundane, disappointing life?
John Tyler-
Bob Keeshan played Captain Kangaroo
I got curious, since The Cyrkle is kind of a one-shot wonder (nominally two-shot, this also made the top-40:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khOXYrK90Gk
I still say “one shot”, because I don’t recognize that at all, and I generally would.
It seems that they certainly had a lot of ooomph behind them.
From the wiki:
The band was managed by The Beatles’ Brian Epstein, the band’s name (they were essentially a frat band before Epstein called The Rhondells) comes from a well known roundabout in Britain. The SPELLING of the name was suggested by John Lennon, no less. All this in addition to that song by Simon.
Constrast with another forgotten band of the era (unjustly, I’d assert), The Association…
(Just because the intro, from “The Smothers’ Brothers”, is moderately unique… it’s in no sense OT):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYJhhKSXOBo
They had quite a few hits in the 60s. They also harmonize remarkably well… from an era when harmony was more valued than today.
This one’s pretty good, too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsY8l0Jg3lY
The Beatles vs The Rolling Stones exemplifies this perfectly actually.
Griffin: Not sure of the “vs” above. The Stones needed no lessons in concealing daring lyrics in a peppy sounds. Perhaps I misunderstand.
“Let’s Spend the Night Together”
“19th Nervous Breakdown”
“Brown Sugar”
“Something Happened to Me Yesterday”
“Sweet Black Angel”
OBloodyHell:
The Association, forgotten? Certainly not by me. I can’t be the only one. They had some monster hits in the 60s. “Along Comes Mary” is the most memorable for me.
Huxley,
Yes, in my first comment I also added ‘look angry’ and I think that sort of fits the early perception of the Stones before Jones death. Good boys vs bad boys was the simplistic caricature.
Another example was ‘Light My Fire’ sang by a very intense Jim Morrison which made the ‘higher’ lyric seem more dangerous.
McCartney’s ‘Got To Get You Into My Life’ is another example as it’s all about marijuana but very catchy and ambiguous so it slid under the radar.
huxley:
“Pee” isn’t a hard word to rhyme. Very quickly:
“I got up to take a pee
When I come back to bed he’s in there ‘stead of me.”
Granted, Simon’s lyric is far FAR better, but I did that in 10 seconds and I’m sure it can be improved upon.
I remember at the time that “Red Rubber Ball” made me think of Simon & Garfunkel, so naturally was not surprised when I found out Simon wrote it. It’s a first-rate pop song, and still says “summer of 1966” to me.
Totally…well, maybe not 100%, but nearly…off-topic: yesterday something reminded me of the nutty “novelty” song of 1960 or so, “Alley Oop” by the Hollywood Argyles. I was, like, 12 at the time but old enough to think my naive 12-year-old equivalent of “wtf?!?” when I heard it on the radio. So, having Wikipedia at my disposal now, I looked up the song. Basically it’s a pointless song from a nonexistent group. The somewhat legendary Kim Fowley was involved. But it sure made some money for somebody.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alley_Oop_(song)
Re Simon’s guitar: agreed. “Peace Like A River” on his first solo album has some outstanding playing.
This led me further afield, to the Wikipedia article for the Alley Oop comic strip, which always kind of baffled me when I was a kid. Then I realized it was time to climb back into daylight.
Griffin;
Yes, the Beatles vs Stones was good boys vs bad, but the Stones didn’t always look or sing angry.
“Let’s Spend the Night Together” just bops along, though the lyrics are explicitly about a one-night stand and “tongues getting tired” which was still daring in 1967.
“19th Nervous Breakdown” is a fast-talking Chuck Berry homage except it’s about a girlfriend going crazy and the singer taking LSD with her to try to help.
“Brown Sugar,” though it sounds like a good-time rocker, is about sex with black slaves
“Something Happened to Me Yesterday” is a cheerful British music hall number … about the first time Mick or Keith or both did acid.
“Sweet Black Angel” is a happy, calypso song praising black radical, Angela Davis, who had supplied the guns used for political murder.
This is an interesting commentary about the Association song, Along Comes Mary, using the same clip…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDANS7QFhKU
neo:
I was being flip when I mentioned the face/place rhyme.
Given that Simon, we can agree, was a master lyricist, I assume he meant “wash my face” rather than “take a pee.”
Ive always liked the Cyrkle’s “Red Rubber Ball” and am delighted that Paul Simon was the primary songwriter, who IMO is one of the, if not the finest songwriter of our generation.
I point to his songs “Kodachrome” and “You can Call Me Al” as further proof of his lighter side.
I too liked some of the Association’s songs.
Fil, the British guitarist, takes a in-depth look at the Association’s performance:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDANS7QFhKU
Concert, JFK Stadium, Philly, ’66…Bobby Hebb, with his bit hit “Sonny”…The Cyrkle, “Red Rubber Ball….then, as thunder and lightning cracked the sky of that tropical August afternoon, these four guys from Liverpool. The girl behind me just about busted my ear drum. And do I wish I’d saved my damn ticket? (I recall it as orange.)
Interesting duo, S and G.
Simon wrote the songs, played the guitar, and sang.
All G did was sing along.
Cicero,
Art Garfunkel sang lead on ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’.
Six degrees of Seperation!
My sister was best friends with Sandy Fried, Marty Fried’s (The Cyrkle’s drummer) sister.
My wife and I both like S&G hits, tho most of their albums have one or two songs we’d prefer to skip – I still haven’t made a CD of all the ones I do like.
I, alone, also like Paul alone – and even some of Art alone (“99 miles from LA”; tho too many of his songs are too, too, too saccharine.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWwvRlsVULo
Apropos of polarization in America, I was strongly reminded of the way many partisans feel; by the words in Simon’s song Paranoia Blues (first solo album) :
“There’s only one thing I need to know
Whose side are you on,
Whose side are you on?”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IgVfmvbd0I
His clever lyrics can be heard in Papa Hobo:
“Detroit, Detroit, __ Got a hell of a hockey team
Got a left-handed way , Of making a man , sign up on that Automotive dream”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgX_ws7uRTQ
[For those who’ve driven in Great Britain, South Africa, or Japan – the drivers there sit on the right side.]
“Along comes Mary” is a great Association song, but my favorite of theirs is “The Time It Is Today”
Sunrise, sunset
What you’re born with is what you get
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ew3eG3BJoYA
I had wrongly listed it on my tape as Sunrise, Sunset (Still have hundreds of cassette tapes I almost never listen to, SA-90s).
“Windy” is also great. “Cherish” was perhaps their biggest hit, but overplayed – my tape of their greatest hits skips it!
Around 2000, my sister sent me a Barenaked Ladies album with a fun song
“If I had $1,000,000”. They have great happy lyrics, including:
“… I’d buy you a fur coat (but not a real fur coat, that’s cruel)”
“…I’d buy you some art, a Picasso or a Garfunkel”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHacDYj8KZM
Also on that album is their not-quite hit but fun “Be my Yoko Ono”.
Funny sad that YouTube is the fastest way for me to reliably find and listen to just about any song I remember. But it’s also great for such music memory hole diving.