Duncan (Paul Simon song)

Last updated

"Duncan"
Duncan cover.jpeg
Single by Paul Simon
from the album Paul Simon
B-side "Run That Body Down"
ReleasedJuly 1972
Recorded1971
Genre
Length4:34
Label Columbia
Songwriter(s) Paul Simon
Producer(s)
Paul Simon singles chronology
"Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard"
(1972)
"Duncan"
(1972)
"Kodachrome"
(1973)

"Duncan" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Paul Simon. It was the third and final single from his second self-titled studio album (1972), released on Columbia Records in July 1972 backed with "Run That Body Down". [1]

Contents

A ballad in E-minor, "Duncan" tells the story of Lincoln Duncan, a fisherman's son. An inability to fall asleep in a cheap motel due to the loud sex that a couple is having next door sends Duncan off on a long reverie. He recalls his decision to leave "the boredom and the chowder" of his hometown in the Canadian Maritime Provinces and head towards New England. He recalls running out of money, losing his confidence and faith in himself, and gaining them back after losing his virginity to a young female street preacher – "just like a dog I was befriended". The cult Children of God, later known as the Family International, founded by David Berg used girls and women in their group to proselytize towards the cult with sex, sometimes referred to as, "Happy Hookers for Christ". The cult referred to this as, "Flirty Fishing," in. [2] This verse may describe an encounter with one of these girls. In the last stanza, he is lying on the ground at night playing his guitar and thanking God for his fingers. Between the stanzas, the song features instrumental interludes, played on 2 flutes, by Los Incas, an Andean group which had previously collaborated with Simon & Garfunkel on "El Condor Pasa (If I Could)" in 1970. [3] [4]

Cash Box said that "the instrumental bridge is straight out of the Pied Piper mystique." [5] Record World felt it was "slightly more subdued" than the first two singles from the album. [6]

"Duncan" peaked at No. 52 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart in 1972. [7] [4]

A concert rendition featuring Urubamba performing the interludes was included on the 1974 album Paul Simon in Concert: Live Rhymin' . It gained radio airplay itself, and has gone on to become a semi-regular on satellite radio's Deep Tracks station. [8] Simon has included the song in his set lists for some subsequent tours as well.

A demo version of the song appears as a bonus on the 2004 CD rerelease of the album. This version is shorter and faster, and has very different lyrics, yet displays the same melancholy tone as the released version.

The song was used in the 2006 film 10 Items or Less .

During a show in Toronto on May 7, 2011, Rayna Ford, a fan from Conception Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, called out for Simon to play the song, and said something to the effect that she learned to play guitar on the song. Paul Simon invited her on stage, handed her a guitar and asked her to play it for the crowd. [9] [10] [11]

Personnel

Charts

Chart (1972)Peak
position
Canada ( RPM ) [12] 39
US Easy Listening ( Billboard ) [13] 30
US Billboard Hot 100 [14] 52

Notes

    Related Research Articles

    <i>Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme</i> 1966 studio album by Simon & Garfunkel

    Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme is the third studio album by American folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel. Produced by Bob Johnston, the album was released on October 24, 1966, in the United States by Columbia Records. Following the success of the re-release of their debut single "The Sound of Silence", Simon & Garfunkel regrouped after a time apart while Columbia issued their second album, a rushed collection titled Sounds of Silence. For their third album, the duo spent almost three months in the studio working on instrumentation and production.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">The Sound of Silence</span> Song by Simon & Garfunkel

    "The Sound of Silence" is a song by American music duo Simon & Garfunkel, written by Paul Simon. The duo's studio audition of the song led to a record deal with Columbia Records, and the original acoustic version was recorded in March 1964 at Columbia Studios in New York City for their debut album, Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M., released that October to disappointing sales.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">American Tune</span> 1973 single by Paul Simon

    "American Tune" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Paul Simon. It was the third single from his third studio album, There Goes Rhymin' Simon (1973), released on Columbia Records. The song, a meditation on the American experience, is based on the melody of the hymn "O Sacred Head, Now Wounded" and bears a striking resemblance to JS Bach’s “Erkenne mich, mein Hüter“. The song reached number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">I Am a Rock</span> 1965 song written by Paul Simon

    "I Am a Rock" is a song written by Paul Simon. It was first performed by Simon alone as the opening track on his album The Paul Simon Songbook which he originally recorded and released in August 1965, only in the United Kingdom. Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel, as the American folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel, re-recorded it on December 14, 1965, and included as the final track on their album Sounds of Silence, which they released on January 17, 1966. It was released as a single in 1966, and subsequently included as the B-side of the 1971 A-side reissue of "The 59th Street Bridge Song ".

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard</span> 1972 single by Paul Simon

    "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard" is a song by American singer-songwriter Paul Simon. It was the second single from his second, self-titled studio album (1972), released on Columbia Records.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Mother and Child Reunion</span> 1972 single by Paul Simon

    "Mother and Child Reunion" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Paul Simon. It was the lead single from his second studio album, Paul Simon (1972), released on Columbia Records. The song reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in March 1972.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Kodachrome (song)</span> 1973 single by Paul Simon

    "Kodachrome" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Paul Simon. It was the lead single from his third studio album, There Goes Rhymin' Simon (1973), released on Columbia Records. The song is named after Kodak's now-discontinued reversal film brand Kodachrome.

    "The Only Living Boy in New York" is a song written by Paul Simon and performed by Simon & Garfunkel. It is the eighth track from the duo's fifth and final studio album, Bridge over Troubled Water. The song was also issued as the B-side to the duo's "Cecilia" single.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Homeward Bound (Simon & Garfunkel song)</span> 1966 single by Simon & Garfunkel

    "Homeward Bound" is a song by the American music duo Simon & Garfunkel, released as a single on January 19, 1966, by Columbia Records. It was written by Paul Simon and produced by Bob Johnston. Simon wrote the song during his time in England, possibly while waiting for a train at Widnes railway station in the northwest of England.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Mrs. Robinson</span> 1968 single by Simon & Garfunkel

    "Mrs. Robinson" is a song by American music duo Simon & Garfunkel from their fourth studio album, Bookends (1968). The writing of the song was begun before the 1967 film The Graduate, which contained only fragments of it. The full song was released as a single on April 5, 1968, by Columbia Records. Produced by the duo and Roy Halee, the song was written by Paul Simon, who offered parts of it to movie director Mike Nichols alongside Art Garfunkel after Nichols rejected two other songs intended for the film. The Graduate's soundtrack album uses two short versions of "Mrs. Robinson"; The full song was published on the album Bookends. The song was additionally released on the Mrs. Robinson EP in 1968, which also included three other songs from the film: "April Come She Will", "Scarborough Fair/Canticle", and "The Sound of Silence".

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">A Hazy Shade of Winter</span> 1966 single by Simon & Garfunkel

    "A Hazy Shade of Winter" is a song by American music duo Simon & Garfunkel, released on October 22, 1966, initially as a stand-alone single, but subsequently included on the duo's album Bookends (1968). It peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Late in the Evening</span> 1980 single by Paul Simon

    "Late in the Evening" is a song by American singer-songwriter Paul Simon. It was the lead single from his fifth studio album, One-Trick Pony (1980), released on Warner Bros. Records.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Fakin' It (Simon & Garfunkel song)</span> 1967 song by Simon & Garfunkel

    "Fakin' It" is a song recorded by American music duo Simon & Garfunkel for their fourth studio album, Bookends (1968). The song was initially released only as a single on July 7, 1967 through Columbia Records. It was later compiled into the second half of Bookends.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her</span> 1966 song by Simon & Garfunkel later released as a single

    "For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her" is a song written by Paul Simon and recorded by American music duo Simon & Garfunkel on their third studio album, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme (1966). It is sung solely by Art Garfunkel, and consists mainly of his vocals with heavy reverb and a 12-string acoustic guitar. The lyrics concern finding a lover, although Simon once characterized the subject matter as being about a "belief," rather than about a specific individual.

    <i>Bridge over Troubled Water</i> 1970 studio album by Simon & Garfunkel

    Bridge Over Troubled Water is the fifth and final studio album by American folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel, released on January 26, 1970 on Columbia Records. Following the duo's soundtrack for The Graduate, Art Garfunkel took an acting role in the film Catch-22, while Paul Simon worked on the songs, writing all tracks except Felice and Boudleaux Bryant's "Bye Bye Love".

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes</span> 1987 worldbeat single by Paul Simon

    "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Paul Simon. It was the fourth single from his seventh studio album, Graceland (1986), released on Warner Bros. Records. The song features guest vocals from the South African male choral group Ladysmith Black Mambazo.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Still Crazy After All These Years (song)</span> 1976 single by Paul Simon

    "Still Crazy After All These Years" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Paul Simon. It was the third and final single from his fourth studio album of the same name (1975), released on Columbia Records. Though the song briefly reached the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S., it was a bigger hit on the magazine's Easy Listening chart, where it peaked at number four.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">The Boy in the Bubble</span> 1987 single by Paul Simon

    "The Boy in the Bubble" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Paul Simon. It was the third single from his seventh studio album, Graceland (1986), released on Warner Bros. Records. Written by Simon and Forere Motloheloa, its lyrics explore starvation and terrorism, juxtaposed with wit and optimism.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Proof (Paul Simon song)</span> 1991 single by Paul Simon

    "Proof" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Paul Simon. It was the second single from his eighth studio album, The Rhythm of the Saints (1990), released on Warner Bros. Records.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Gone at Last</span> 1975 single by Paul Simon and Phoebe Snow

    "Gone at Last" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Paul Simon. It was the lead single from his fourth studio album, Still Crazy After All These Years (1975), released on Columbia Records. Phoebe Snow and the Jessy Dixon Singers provide guest vocals, with Snow receiving credit on the single release.

    References

    1. Strong, Martin C. (2006). The Essential Rock Discography, 8th edition. Open City Books. p. 967. ISBN   1-84195-860-3.
    2. Faith Jones' book Sex Cult Nun
    3. Bennighof, James (2007). The Words and Music of Paul Simon. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 53. ISBN   978-0-275-99163-0.
    4. 1 2 Jackson, Laura (2004). Paul Simon: The Definitive Biography. Citadel Press. pp. 138, 142. ISBN   0-8065-2539-8.
    5. "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. June 24, 1972. p. 20. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
    6. "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. June 24, 1972. p. 1. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
    7. "Paul Simon > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles". Allmusic . Retrieved January 31, 2009.
    8. Fitzhugh, Bill. "All Hand-Mixed Vinyl, segment 72". Deep Tracks (XM 40). Archived from the original on December 28, 2008. Retrieved January 31, 2009.
    9. "Kelligrews woman wows Paul Simon audience". CBC.ca . May 9, 2011. Retrieved July 18, 2013.
    10. "Paul Simon And A Moment Of Pure Sobbing Joy". NPR Music . May 14, 2011. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
    11. "Rayna Ford performs Duncan on stage". YouTube . Archived from the original on December 15, 2021. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
    12. "RPM100: Singles" (PDF). RPM . Ottawa: Library and Archives Canada. 17 (26). August 12, 1972. Retrieved November 12, 2015.
    13. "Paul Simon – Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved November 13, 2015.
    14. "Paul Simon Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved November 12, 2015.

    Sources