Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.
Simon & Garfunkel
℗ 1964 Columbia Records CK 9049
Wednesday Morning, 3 AM doesn't resemble any other Simon & Garfunkel album, because the Simon & Garfunkel sound here was different from that of the chart-topping duo that emerged a year later. Their first record together since their days as the teen duo of Tom & Jerry, the album was cut in March 1964 and, in keeping with their own sincere interests at the time, it was a folk-revival album. Paul Simon was just spreading his wings as a serious songwriter and shares space with other composers as well as a pair of traditional songs, including a beautifully harmonized rendition of "Peggy-O." The album opens with a spirited (if somewhat arch) rendition of Gibson and Camp's gospel/folk piece "You Can Tell the World." Also present is Ian Campbell's "The Sun Is Burning," which Simon heard on his first visit to England as an itinerant folksinger. But the dominant outside personality on the album is that of Bob Dylan — his "Times They Are A-Changing" is covered, but his influence is manifest on the oldest of the Simon originals here, "He Was My Brother." Simon's first serious, topical song, it was what first interested Columbia Records producer Tom Wilson in Simon & Garfunkel. By the time the album was recorded, however, Simon had evolved beyond Dylan as an inspiration and developed a unique songwriting voice of his own in the title track, a beautifully sung, half-lovely song. Wednesday Morning, 3 AM is surprisingly ambitious but also somewhat disjointed, mostly because the non-original material, apart from "Peggy-O" and "The Sun Is Burning," comes off so arch. The seeds of their future success were here, however, and took root when the version of "The Sounds of Silence" on this album started getting played on the radio. — Bruce Eder. |
- 1. You Can Tell the World (Camp — Gibson) [02:47]
- 2. Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream (McCurdy) [02:10]
- 3. Bleecker Street (Simon) [02:44]
- 4. Sparrow (Simon) [02:48]
- 5. Benedictus (traditional adapted by Simon and Garfunkel) [02:38]
- 6. The Sound of Silence (Simon) [03:07]
- 7. He was my Brother (Simon) [02:47]
- 8. Peggy-O (traditonal) [02:25]
- 9. Go Tell it on the Mountain (traditional — Work) [02:06]
- 10. The Sun is Burning (Campbell) [02:48]
- 11. The Times They Are A-Changin' (Dylan) [02:52]
- 12. Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. (Simon) [02:13]
bonus:
- 13. Bleecker Street [demo] [02:46]
- 14. He Was My Brother [alternate take 1] [02:51]
- 15. The Sun is Burning [alternate take 12] [02:46]
Тексты:
You Can Tell the World
(Camp — Gibson)
Well you can tell the world about this You can tell the nation about that Tell'em what the master has done Tell'em that the gospel has come Tell'em that the victory's been won He brought joy, joy, joy, joy, joy, joy, Into my heart Well my Lord spoke, he spoke so well Yes he did, yes he did Talked about the flames that burn in hell Yes he did, yes he did Now my Lord spoke, he spoke so well Yes he did, yes he did Talked about the children of Israel Yes he did, yes he did He brought joy, joy, joy into my heart Well you can tell the world about this You can tell the nation about that Tell'em what the master has done Tell'em that the gospel has come Tell'em that the victory's been won He brought joy, joy, joy, joy, joy, joy, Into my heart Well my Lord spoke, he spoke to me Yes he did, yes he did Talkin' about a man from Galilee Yes he did, yes he did My Lord spoke, he spoke to me Yes he did, yes he did Talkin' about a man from Galilee Yes he did, yes he did He brought joy joy, joy into my heart Well you can tell the world about this You can tell the nation about that Tell'em what the master has done Tell'em that the gospel has come Tell'em that the victory's been won He brought joy, joy, joy, joy, joy, joy, Into my heart Well I don't know but I've been told Yes he did, yes he did Streets of heaven are paved with gold Yes he did, yes he did Now the Jordan River is chilly and wide Yes he did, yes he did I got a home on the other side Yes he did, yes he did He brought joy,joy,joy into my heart Well you can tell the world about this You can tell the nation about that Tell'em what the master has done Tell'em that the gospel has come Tell'em that the victory's been won He brought joy, joy, joy, joy, joy, joy, Into my heart
Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream
(McCurdy)
Last night I had the strangest dream I ever dreamed before I dreamed the world had all agreed To put an end to war I dreamed I saw a mighty room The room was filled with men And the paper they were signing said They'd never fight again And when the papers all were signed And a million copies made They all joined hands end bowed their heeds And grateful prayers were prayed And the people in the streets below Were dancing round and round And guns and swords and uniforms Were scattered on the ground Last night I had the strangest dream I ever dreamed before I dreamed the world had all agreed To put an end to war
Bleecker Street
(Simon)
Fog's rollin' in off the East River bank Like a shroud it covers Bleeker Street Fills the alleys where men sleep Hides the shepherd from the sheep Voices leaking from a sad cafe Smiling faces try to understand I saw a shadow touch a shadow's hand On Bleeker Street A poet reads his crooked rhyme Holy, holy is his sacrament Thirty dollars pays your rent On Bleeker Street I head a church bell softly chime In a melody sustainin' It's a long road to Caanan On Bleeker Street Bleeker Street
Sparrow
(Simon)
Who will love a little Sparrow? Who's traveled far and cries for rest? "Not I," said the Oak Tree, "I won't share my branches with no sparrow's nest, And my blanket of leaves won't warm her cold breast." Who will love a little Sparrow And who will speak a kindly word? "Not I," said the Swan, "The entire idea is utterly absurd, I'd be laughed at and scorned if the other Swans heard." Who will take pity in his heart, And who will feed a starving sparrow? "Not I," said the Golden Wheat, "I would if I could but I cannot I know, I need all my grain to prosper and grow." Who will love a little Sparrow? Will no one write her eulogy? "I will," said the Earth, "For all I've created returns unto me, From dust were ye made and dust ye shall be."
Benedictus
(traditional adapted by Simon and Garfunkel)
Benedictus (adapted by Simon and Garfunkel) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Sound of Silence
(Simon)
Hello darkness, my old friend, I've come to talk with you again, Because a vision softly creeping, Left its seeds while I was sleeping, And the vision that was planted in my brain Still remains Within the sound of silence. In restless dreams I walked alone Narrow streets of cobblestone, 'Neath the halo of a street lamp, I turned my collar to the cold and damp When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light That split the night And touched the sound of silence. And in the naked light I saw Ten thousand people, maybe more. People talking without speaking, People hearing without listening, People writing songs that voices never share And no one deared Disturb the sound of silence. "Fools" said I, "You do not know Silence like a cancer grows. Hear my words that I might teach you, Take my arms that I might reach you." But my words like silent raindrops fell, And echoed In the wells of silence And the people bowed and prayed To the neon god they made. And the sign flashed out its warning, In the words that it was forming. And the signs said, The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls And tenement halls. And whisper'd in the sounds of silence.
He was my Brother
(Simon)
He was my brother Five years older than I He was my brother Twenty-three years old the day he died Freedom writer They cursed my brother to his face Go home outsider This town's gonna be your buryin' place He was singin' on his knees An angry mob trailed along They shot my brother dead Because he hated what was wrong He was my brother Tears can't bring him back to me He was my brother And he died so his brothers could be free He died so his brothers could be free
Peggy-O
(traditonal)
As we marched down to Faneri-o As we marched down to Faneri-o Our captain fell n love with a lady like a dove And they called her name, pretty Peggy-o Come a runnin' down the stairs, pretty Peggy-o Come a runnin' down the stairs, pretty Peggy-o Come a runnin' down the stairs, combin' back your yellow hair You're the prettiest little girl I've ever seen-o In a carriage you will ride, pretty Peggy-o In a carriage you will ride, pretty Peggy-o In a carriage you will ride, with your true love by your side As far as any maiden in the ar-e-o What will your mother say, pretry Peggy-o? What will your mother say, pretty Peggy-o? What will your mother say, when she finds you've gone away To places far and strange to Faneri-o? If ever I return, pretty Peggy-o If ever I return, pretty Peggy-o If ever I return, all your cities I will burn Destroying all the ladies in the ar-e-o Destroying all the ladies in the ar-e-o
Go Tell it on the Mountain
(traditional — Work)
Hallelujah! Go tell it on the mountain Over the hills and everywhere Go tell it on the mountain Jesus Christ is born Down the lonely manger The humble Christ was born And God sent salvation That blessed Christmas morn Down the lonely manger The humble Christ was born And God sent salvation That blessed Christmas morn While shepherds kept their watch O'er silent flocks by night Behold throughout the heavens There shown a holy light Down the lonely manger The humble Christ was born And God sent salvation That blessed Christmas morn Hallelujah! Go tell it on the mountain Over the hills and everywhere Go tell it on the mountain Jesus Christ is born Down the lonely manger The humble Christ was born And God sent salvation That blessed Christmas morn
The Sun is Burning
(Campbell)
The sun is burning in the sky Strands of clouds go slowly drifting by In the park the lazy breeze Are joining in the flowers, among the trees And the sun burns in the sky Now the sun is in the West Little kids go home to take their rest And the couples in the park Are holdin' hands and waitin' for the dark And the sun is in the West Now the sun is sinking low Children playin' know it's time to go High above a spot appears A little blossom blooms and then draws near And the sun is sinking low Now the sun has come to Earth Shrouded in a mushroom cloud of death Death comes in a blinding flash Of hellish heat and leaves a smear of ash And the sun has come to Earth Now the sun has disappeared All is darkness, anger, pain and fear Twisted, sightless wrecks of men Go groping on their knees and cry in pain And the sun has disappeared
The Times They Are A-Changin'
(Dylan)
Come gather 'round people Wherever you roam And admit that the waters Around you have grown And accept it that soon You'll be drenched to the bone. If your time to you Is worth savin' Then you better start Swimmin' Or you'll sink like a stone For the times they are a-changin'. Come writers and critics Who prophesise with your pen And keep your eyes wide The chance won't come again And don't speak too soon For the wheel's still in spin And there's no tellin' who That it's namin'. For the loser now Will be later to win For the times they are a-changin'. Come senators, Congressmen Please heed the call Don't stand in the doorway Don't block up the hall For he that gets hurt Will be he who has stalled There's a battle outside And it is ragin'. It'll soon shake your windows And rattle your walls For the times they are a-changin'. Come mothers and fathers Throughout the land And don't criticize What you can't understand Your sons and your daughters Are beyond your command Your old road is Rapidly agin'. Please get out of the new one If you can't lend your hand For the times they are a-changin'. The line it is drawn The curse it is cast The slow one now Will later be fast As the present now Will later be past The order is Rapidly fadin'. And the first one now Will later be last For the times they are a-changin'.
Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.
(Simon)
I can hear the soft breathing Of the girl that I love, As she lies here beside me Asleep with the night, And her hair, in a fine mist Floats on my pillow, Reflecting the glow Of the winter moonlight. She is soft, she is warm, But my heart remains heavy, And I watch as her breasts Gently rise, gently fall, For I know with the first light of dawn I'll be leaving, And tonight will be All I have left to recall. Oh, what have I done, Why have I done it, I've committed a crime, I've broken the law. For twenty-five dollars And pieces of silver, I held up and robbed A hard liquor store. My life seems unreal, My crime an illusion, A scene badly written In which I must play. Yet I know as I gaze At my young love beside me, The morning is just a few hours away.