Monday, November 21, 2011

Rene and Georgette Magritte with their Dog After the War

The title comes from a caption Simon liked to a photo of exactly that: the Belgian surrealist painter, his wife, and their dog, after WWII. The photo, I think, was in an intro of a book about Magritte and his work.

But the song, while somewhat evocative of Magritte's magical-realist art (everything normal, but with a dream-like twist), the song focuses more on the idea that even great artists have somewhat normal lives. They shop, they dine... they dance to popular music in their underthings in their hotel room.

In this case, they dance to the doo-wop groups that prefigured 1950s harmony groups like Dion and the Belmonts and The Crew Cuts, and may have even been smoother and more sophisticated than such street-corner hoodlums: "The Penguins/ The Moonglows/ The Orioles/ And The Five Satins."

Why was this music "fobidden"? Under the Nazis, all music made by African-Americans (and African-Europeans) was considered overly sexual and rhythmic and therefore "degenerate" (their word). Completely unlike Beethoven or Wagner, of course, whose works were restrained and refined. Magritte's work was also less than approved-of by the Nazis.

The next verse has the couple shopping on Manhattan's "Christopher Street," although I saw nothing of a trip to the States in the brief bio I just read, let alone their becoming American "immigrants." As far as I know, they (and their dog) remained Belgian citizens their entire lives, although there were exhibits of Magritte's work, I see, in New York in both 1936 and "after the war" in 1965. Magritte lived until 1967, so I suppose the couple could have come in for that.

And seeing suits in the American "style" might have driven home the pain that they were between worlds. They lived in Europe, with its stodgy ways, and Europe lived in them as well. But Magritte also was struggling in Europe, especially under the Nazis. Why could he not have been American? And free to have his strange artistic visions, and have them accepted? And be free to dance to this pretty music that never should have been "forbidden" to anyone?

The music that they loved but could never fully embrace also "brought tears to their eyes," but it also seems to have cheered them back up, as it is mentioned before-- their "easy stream of laughter."

It is the bridge of the song in which things become slightly surreal. We have the image of time slipping past like hunters stalking prey (or, possibly, evading becoming prey).

And then we have, again, the image of things "intertwined." In "Hearts and Bones," Simon wrote "You take two bodies and you twirl them into one... and they won't come undone." In "When Numbers Get Serious," he wrote: "Four rolls into three/ Three turns into two/ Two becomes a one." Here, it is the couple's "belongings" that have become enmeshed. (Possibly, also, their sense of "belonging," in that one member's social circle is now the other's as well.)

The final verse of the song sees Magritte in his later years, vindicated as a great artist and "dining with the power elite" with some regularity. Then the couple finds some old recordings in their "bedroom drawer." (Evidently, they had done more than "dance" to these records.)

But why were these things "hidden away"? And why were their hearts a lifeless "cabinet" that was "cold"? Did the weariness of want wear away their passion... or was it the drive to success that sidelined it? Was it the strain of being caught between being European in body and American in spirit? Was it simply the passing of years and the onset of age?

It matters not, now. The recordings have been recovered, and with them, the fresh bloom of youth. And "now," their relationship can be as wonderful "as it was before."

It is always popular to see which musicians influenced a given musician, or what painters a given painter. But it is less common-- and perhaps even more revealing-- to discover which musicians influenced what painter... and vice versa. We can only imagine that Simon, knowing that he was influenced by both Magritte and The Moonglows, wanted Magritte to love them, too.

Lyrical Note:
When remaking this song for his In the Blue Light album, Simon made two changes to the lyrics.
Now, the "laughter" is "flowing" through the air (instead of "floating") and they "peeked" in their bedroom drawer (instead of "looked"). I agree that these words are stronger, better, and more evocative word choices.

(Note: The video is worth seeing, too. Also, I originally had a paragraph in here about how Simon did not perform this song live much; the commenters have corrected me on this, so I removed that paragraph.)

Next Song: Cars are Cars

23 comments:

  1. Love this song. Had not realised he didn't perform it in public. That's sad...

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    1. He played it in Hyde Park London in 2018 during the James Taylor and Bonnie Raitt concert. Brilliant!

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    2. BevandRog-- Hello to you both! I am glad to hear that Simon did eventually start playing this one live. I think he is really proud of this album and started playing this, Johnny Ace, and Hearts and Bones more and more as time went on.

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    3. https://www.setlist.fm/stats/songs/paul-simon-5bd6e3a8.html?songid=63c186c7

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    4. Unknown-- According to the above link, Simon has played it at least 50 times in concert, between 1984-- at the amphitheater I saw shows at in my teens, at that (the album came out in '83) and 2019. I think I will have to delete the paragraph that says he doesn't perform it live.

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  2. Rosalie-- Well, not to my knowledge, and not on any recording or video I have seen or heard, and not the two times I saw him perform live, in any event. And yes, it is a pretty song that probably would find an audience; many more people are familiar with Magritte's name and work that one might guess.

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    1. Just saw Paul Simon perform a benefit concert in Maui. He performed this song, after regaling his captive audience about his inspiration for writing it. It was truly, a magical experience & venue! He even displayed the photo of “Renee and Georgette Magritte & their dog after the war” on the big screen at the closing of the song.

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    2. Unknown-- Lucky you! I have only seen him perform in Chicago and Cleveland.
      The story is great, the song is better, and does show the inspiring photo when he performs it.

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  3. He performed it during his solo acoustic tour in August 1984 (there's a bootleg you can download), but not in a long while. It's one of my favorites. Love this blog, by the way!

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  4. Mariana--
    Thanks for the info... and compliment! I was really hoping he would perform it on his current tour, but I think while he was reviving some of lesser-known material, Simon was also focused on upbeat songs, which is why he chose Crazy Love II instead of Rene and Georgette this time. Just a guess, but I'm happy to know a live version is available.

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  5. You've got the "Indian" reference wrong - the line is "Decades, gliding by like Indians, time is cheap". The Indians in this case are in reference to the song " Ten Little Indians".... get it? 10 Indians- 10 years in a decade.

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  6. CommentGuy-- I am familiar with the nursery rhyme you mean. However, I think the line "gliding by like Indians" refers to the stealthy way they are said to stalk prey-- swiftly, silently, and unnoticed-- not to their number.

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  7. Hi Paul, Love your blog. It's a great source of inspiration and information!

    As for the Indian reference in this song, I always thought it to be about the bikes. Indian were the single biggest motorcycle manufacturing company in the years between the two world wars, and both the Scout and the Chief models were considered to be the pinnacle among roadsters. To me, and given Paul Simon's overall moral compass, that makes more sense. Obviously, it's just my thoughts!

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  8. Anon-- Thanks for the compliments! I was first made aware of the Indian motorcycle brand when the movie "The World's Fastest Indian" came out in 2005. But Indians, the human kind, do "glide by" stealthily and silently while hunting, while there is nothing about a motorcycle that is silent.
    Also, which one would a Frenchman be more likely to know about-- Native Americans or a specific motorcycle brand?

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    1. Hi Paul - I thought I had replied ages ago but I must've done something wrong while posting...

      I appreciate your point of view and I can certainly see where you're coming from!

      My train of thought is along the line of the Indian bikes being the top brand in the years after the war - they were literally the best known brand in the whole world. My thoughts are further fuelled by Simon's use of 'Gliding' in an earlier song, where he states:
      'Believe we're gliding down the highway/when in fact we're slip slidin' away'

      Not trying to right or wrong anybody here - just throwing in my two pennies' worth!

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    2. Anon-- I still think the reference is to the Native American kind of Indians. To know what Simon thought motorcycles sounded like, listen to his song "Motocycle" with Tico and the Triumphs.

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  9. Part of the irony of the song is that the groups in question weren't exactly the most popular style of music at the time in Belgium. It adds to the surrealism.

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  10. Gerkuman-- Aside from some English-language songs and a handful of non-English tracks that hit the charts, most Americans are largely ignorant of the music made in the non-UK parts of Europe (aka The Continent). Most Americans still have never heard of Eurovsion, for example, which is really a huge deal.
    Simon could have learned what music was popular in Belgium at the time, but that really wasn't the point of his song, I agree. Simon doesn't even allude to Magritte's own work with lyrics like "an eye of sky" or "an empty birdcage of a man."

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  11. The Paul Simon Project is a collection of videos sung by various Irish musicians over the last two years (and ongoing once all the Corona Virus has settled down and we can leave our houses again). Thanks to Another Paul for allowing me post links to songs as appropriate here. Hope you enjoy. Feel free to share..

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFx560YOX3w

    Gillian Tuite sings Renee & Georgette Magritte (With Their Dog After The War)

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  12. I just found your blog. Wow. Thank you! I’ve just started playing Simon’s songs and agree with you that his poetry far surpasses all other songwriters of pop music. His artistry is actually blowing my mind.

    I’ve been sitting with this line for awhile:
    “Decades gliding by like Indians, time is cheap”, and I’m seeing Hindus on pilgrimage or the devout of India heading to Mecca. Magritte would’ve known “Indians” in such a context, and not in as Native Americans. For Simon, it would play on the same strange anthrocentric American magical realist habit of viewing American history as mere history and the world as American centric. On pilgrimage, one is mediativately walking, almost asleep, through the moments, days, years, decades, when time is irrelevant, “for now and ever after as it was before”, time is certainly not money on this journey, heading toward a place they can consecrate themselves, clarify their lives, and bring back some wisdom to their homes. This analogy seems to make more sense in this song, though I could be wrong. I love your blog. What a beautiful project. Thank you so much.


    “Side by side
    They fell asleep
    Decades gliding by like Indians
    Time is cheap
    When they wake up they will find
    All their personal belongings
    Have intertwined”

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  13. Sister in Circle (since only one of you wrote this): First of all, thank you for the compliment! I finished writing this years ago when Simon released his last album, the remixes of Blue Light, in 2018, but I am very gratified that people such as yourself continue to discover it.
    As it happens, my office is having anti-"Implicit Bias" workshops this month, so your timing is excellent. Yes, I assumed Simon meant Native Americans stealing silently after prey when hearing this line. The song does take place in the US, as the other references are to American pop groups and New York streets, and are described as immigrants.
    But Magritte himself, as you point out, was French. And so, as you say, he might be thinking of the Indians from India, which is in his own (Eastern) hemisphere-- gliding serenely as they walk, or gliding spiritually while meditating. It is an intriguing idea I admit I had not considered.
    So thank you again, for making me aware of my American-centric worldview and helping me broaden my interpretive horizons.

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  14. I commend you for replying so beautifully, as well as for engaging with the content of such workshops. I truly appreciate being in that conversation.

    The song is clearly, as you say, about the effect of American pop culture on influential immigrants fleeing oppression. It also appears to be about when such immigrants assimilate, they find themselves fitting into whatever socio-economic strata they would’ve held in their home country, and potentially losing the magical initial appeal of American pop culture. The falling asleep line mentioning Indians as decades likely does allude, as you say, to Indians hunting stealthily from the cover of foliage. Just as time is an unseen strategic hunter of our passions, we fall asleep in the comfort of a society that protects our comfort. Thus, we miss out. Paul Simon would likely want to highlight this, as a pull that follows all our ambitions.

    I play my favourite songs on guitar to my kids for bedtime. I started playing Paul Simon’s songs last month as they were as familiar to me as any nursery songs from my childhood, having been born in 1975. The sounds were immensely soothing to all of us, and as I played and sang, I came to realize Simon’s extraordinarily rich and complex themes and musical structure. Last week I listened to Into the Blue Light and heard this song I’d loved in my university days. The Indians line jarred me, and I searched out the meaning of the lyric, which brought me to your blog. I especially enjoyed your Mother and Child Reunion analysis, which I’ll respond to in time.

    My husband teaches corporate social responsibility and working respectfully cross culturally in a business school at a University in Alberta, Canada. I’m American from Seattle who immigrated to Canada fifteen years ago. My husband and I have deep discussions on white privilege, patriarchy, and the North American caste system. There’s collective trauma as well as individual identity adults share on this continent that our kids usually don’t. In talking to my nine year old son, I realize how much doesn’t make sense about our society. I think Paul Simon really wanted to highlight these contradictions in a digestible form. I’m grateful to him for this important work.

    I had thought the Indians from India take might apply because the line made me uncomfortable, and because I thought of the passage of time as people on a pilgrimage; though I now see the wisdom of time as a stealthy predator. Thank you for engaging this conversation as well as for your work on this blog years ago. I will be using it extensively.

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  15. Sister in Circle-- Thank you. I agree that the relationship of culture with both native/immigrant status and socio-economic strata is a fascinating topic.
    I also agree that part of the magic of Simon's songs is that they are at once so direct and so complex, both musically and lyrically.
    The Mother and Child Reunion post has been one of the most-discussed on the blog, and I look forward to your input, but I would only ask that you read the other comments first, even though there are many.
    I am glad that you and your husband are working toward helping society heal. My professional life has been spent in the social-service sector, with a charity, and my wife runs her family business while constantly volunteering.
    While Simon has written protest songs, I think his work usually goes beyond this or that specific issue and really investigates larger questions of societal structures and their impact.
    As for time, I think that one of the lessons I have learned is that time enjoyed is not time wasted. It is good to be productive, but also good to lie under a tree and just... be.

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