Graceland

上周末到林肯中心借了盘Paul Simon谈Graceland的纪录片，关健
是给孩子看，同时又把这盘Graceland拿出来听，Mississippi Delta
was shining Like a National guitar, 一边是听，一边也是回忆。

Paul Simon是国人熟悉得不能的歌手，毕业生，Scarborough Fair，
静寂之声，Boxer，山鹰，Bridge over the troubled water……我
却最钟意他的Graceland，不单是专辑，还有单曲。Simon说这是他
写过的最好的一首歌，也是他最钟爱，诚然！

我头一回听这歌还是在中国，首曲Boy in the Bubble给我异常迷幻
的感觉，It was a slow day，这跟以往的Simon大不一样。那时跟
着学唱，怎么也唱不来。算是Simon的革新，就象迪伦从民谣走向摇
滚，就是凭一首Like a Rolling Stone。

说民谣，总让人想到校园歌曲。摇滚的境界会大一些，至少已走入了
社会。Simon是土生土长纽约人，Queens High，Queens College，
Simon与Garfunkal的二重唱，是美国流行音乐的风景。说Beatles，
我避开Jolly Beatles，说Simon，我也略去Scarborough Fair。我
喜欢摇滚歌手自己的原创，以往音乐家创作，都是写给别人唱的，此
包括歌剧，艺术歌曲。摇滚乐不同，歌手自创自唱，管他是什么破锣
嗓子，只要唱得自然、真切就是。

纪录片说到那时候，八十年代中，Simon出了盘Hearts and Bones，
反应冷。这时他重复听一盘Boyoyo Boys的器乐Gumboots，那南
非特色音乐，让他着迷。他决定，只身闯南非，用Boyoyo的音乐风
打造一盒新专辑。行前，他心里没底，但脑海里充满了音乐。

依他说，他是依曲填词，许多词句切磋了千百遍，很多无意识的句子
，真到磨合成了一首首歌才满意。当然，他也能配器，混音处理，亲
历南非确实给他音乐带来了新鲜魅力。Graceland一举鲤鱼翻身，第
一首写的是南非，第二首还是写的自己的心灵之旅：

The Mississippi Delta was shining
Like a National guitar,
I am following the river
Down the highway
Through the cradle of the civil war,

I'm going to Graceland
Graceland
In Memphis Tennessee
I'm going to Graceland,

Poorboys and Pilgrims with families
And we are going to Graceland,
My traveling companion is nine years old
He is the child of my first marriage,
But I've reason to believe
We both will be received
In Graceland,

She comes back to tell me she's gone,
As if I didn't know that
As if I didn't know my own bed,
As if I'd never noticed,
The way she brushed her hair from her forehead,
And she said losing love
Is like a window in your heart,
Everybody sees you're blown apart,
Everybody sees the wind blow,

I'm going to Graceland,
Memphis Tennessee
I'm going to Graceland,
Poorboys and Pilgrims with families
And we are going to Graceland,

And my traveling companions
Are ghosts and empty sockets
I'm looking at ghosts and empties,
But I've reason to believe
We all will be received
In Graceland,

There is a girl in New York City,
Who calls herself the human trampoline,
And sometimes when I'm falling flying
Or tumbling in turmoil I say
Whoa so this is what she means,
She means we're bouncing into Graceland,
And I see losing love
Is like a window in your heart,
Everybody sees you're blown apart,
Everybody feels the wind blow,

In Graceland Graceland,
I'm going to Graceland,
For reasons I cannot explain
There's some part of me wants to see
Graceland,
And I may be obliged to defend
Every love every ending
Or maybe there's no obligations now,
Maybe I've a reason to believe
We all will be received
In Graceland

若干年前，我也开车去了一回Graceland，Memphis Tennessee，
一路就放这盘CD。也沿密西西比河开了一段，朝南朝北，密西西比河
那一段的地名还真有点古埃及。记得刚来美国的时候，看过Boyoyo
Boys的义演，他们灵动身体，源于南非的畜牧的声音，还有Zulu族特
有语言中的吸音，又有人说瓶灌声音，都显得很有风味。

没有赶上Simon&Garfunkal中央公园的演出，只买了一盘CD。听久了
也腻味。Graceland要好得多，风格取胜，鲜活灵动的非洲风，Simon
可有功绩。说Simon在此实现了摇滚乐的革命，不知是非洲风还是南
非的政治运动，反正以后他就走向政治了。这个Sting也有一拚。

曾经听过一场Simon&Dylan的音乐会，在Madison Square Garden，
听了什么歌都忘记了。只是想见识这两位纽约音乐的英雄，后来才知
道，两位都还是人犹太人。那回是不是反战？记得迪伦有一次专门反
战的音乐会，Master of wars，舞台上一点表情都没有。

再早些看过一部百老汇，Capeman，讲西班牙裔的，最后又是一场失
败，百老汇迪伦的翻版歌舞剧，一样失败。Capeman是Simon的音乐
，他为此损失千万。商业摇滚不容易！

再说什么呢？The Boy in the Bubble里面的几句：

It's a turn-around jump shot
It's everybody jump start
It's, every generation throws a hero up the pop charts,
Medicine is magical and magical is art think of
The Boy in the Bubble
And the baby with the baboon heart

Simon也老了，巴西风的The Rhythm of the Saints并没有再现奇迹。
顺便说一声，我不喜欢中文“西蒙”这个译名。