.

Happy 4th of July to all of you out there! In celebration we have found a live version of ‘America’ by Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel, performed at free benefit concert the duo put on in 1981 in New York’s Central Park in front of 500, 000 people. The concert was staged to raise funds to redevelop and maintain a disused space in the Big Apple’s Manhattan.

America first featured on their 1968 album, Bookends. The song was then released as a B-side in 1971, and then again as a single to in 1972 to coincide with the release of Simon and Garfunkel’s Greatest Hits, creeping on the US Billboard Hot 100 at #97.

The song describes a trip east though America by two young lovers as they traverse from Michigan to Pittsburgh, and then onto the New Jersey Turnpike leading them to New York City.

Wikipedia mentions that the song is notable as one of few rock (Simon and Garfunkel are rock?) records with completely unrhymed lyrics.

NC