![]() There's an unfaithful man whose wife is finally fed up with him and kicks him out. ![]() Her wanting him to be a better husband is his protection from it, and he'll return to the way he once was when he first started courting her. His wife is his bodyguard, and he is her long lost pal. In this case, "Betty" is Saint Elizabeth of Hungary (or possibly of Portugal), patron saint of those falsely accused (or difficult marriages) and "Al" is Saint Alphonsus, patron saint of those falsely accused. ![]() He may have even accused his wife of the same. The man's marriage is difficult and he's accused of cheating on his wife through some misunderstandings and the fact that he certainly acts like he's cheating on her (he loves getting attention from women and giving them attention). And he will return to the faith that he lost, making him its long lost pal. His faith will help him teach and raise his child, being his bodyguard. In this case, "Betty" is Saint Elizabeth, patron saint of expectant mothers and "Al" is Saint Alban, patron saint of converts. In that moment, his faith comes back to him and he realizes that the child that's coming is a gift and that things will be OK. He goes on a walk to think, and in his meanderings comes across a church. He's trying to learn about pregnancy and being a father, but none of it makes any sense to him. He doesn't think he's ready to be a father, financially, emotionally, or psychologically. So let me give you an example of a possible meaning of this song:Ī man loses his faith and his wife is pregnant (the latter possibly causing the former). Elizabeth of Portugal: Difficult Marriages ![]() Elizabeth of Hungary: Those Falsely Accused Song MeaningI did a little research into this, and there are three possible meanings I've found.įor those of you that don't know, Paul Simon has used patron saints in his work before, and I wondered if this was possibly another case of that. But the parallels (and there are plenty more, but I'll stop here) are pretty striking. Maybe Simon has never read The Divine Comedy. now, maybe this is all just coincidence. There are angels in the architecture, spinning in infinity. There is talk of "redemption" and of being in a "foreign land" (understatement there). It's also worth noting that there are three stanzas, presumably corresponding to the three worlds he visits-Hell, Purgatory, Heaven. And he would be her former friend/companion. In the poem, he wants to get to Heaven to meet her, but also to get her to protect him.she could be. He travels through Hell, guided by Virgil, viewing all the sinners being tormented then through Purgatory and finally makes it to Heaven, where he is reunited with Beatrice, his true love in real life, who died very young. You'll recall (if you've read/studied it) that Dante descends into Hell on Christmas Day in the year 1300. This song can be read as a kind of modern/hip updating of Dante's "Divine Comedy". Which seems to explain why, for example, one would want someone named "Betty" to be one's bodyguard. General CommentI have no reason to doubt any of the explanations given above but I have noticed something about this song of Simon's. As Paul Simon realized, there is so much to be enjoyed by indulging in the language, music, and culture of others. Everything here is so damned Americanized, and we almost force our culture and language upon visitors and immigrants. The Graceland album, along with Paul's follow-up project called The Rhythm of the Saints (recorded in South America), are quite refreshing to one with a wide cultural world view. Listen to authentic African music for a while and you'll understand what I mean. It is so smooth and rhythmic it must have been played by an African. I also love the four measure bass solo towards the end of the song. BTW it was recorded in South Africa, not a thousand miles from where I was living. I realize I may be reading way too much into this, but at that point in my life the song meant so much to me. I especially like the last verse where the man finally sees the good in things, and realizes he doesn't have to be in his familiar surroundings to be comfortable. Believe me, when I moved to a large African city some time ago, this song became my favorite, since I identified so much with it. General CommentThe video notwithstanding, I think of this song as coming from the perspective of a sheltered American lost in another culture. With some roly-poly little bat-faced girl You know, I don't find this stuff amusing anymoreĪnd Betty, when you call me, you can call me Al He says, "Why am I soft in the middle, now?
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