My sixth-grade year was chock-full of new problems, people, and pride. My emotions were new and bulky, and it was hard to make sense of them. It still is. But there was one song I could rely on to help sort my feelings out. A filter, if you will, to assist with understanding and calm. “Graceland” by Paul Simon has always been there for me, and since the morning of my first day of sixth grade when my dad had me listen to it, I’ve always associated it with calm and fresh beginnings. Paul Simon is one of the greater musicians of this past era, in my opinion. His words and notes have brought me comfort and release in rocky times. However, though I feel good when listening, Simon has had some hard times himself. In 1984, after months of bargaining and hoping to be back together again, Paul Simon and his ex-wife Peggy Harper finally divorced for good. He was heartbroken, and quite a lot of songs have been written by him about this morose event. But only one song was created about the extraordinary road trip he made to Tennessee with his son, to Elvis Presley’s legendary home in Memphis. Through metaphors and internal conflict, “Graceland” teaches us about finding redemption, and in order to do that, you need to go out of your comfort zone and go on a journey to find yourself.

Paul Simon hints at the need for redemption, which he’s hoping to uncover in “Graceland”. “But I’ve reason to believe we both will be received in Graceland” recites a line early in the song. The selection of the word ‘received’ almost gives this excerpt a godlike quality; almost like Simon is being received in the hands of God. We already know that he’s going on this trip after his first marriage went foul, so you could say his trip feels a little like a pilgrimage to break free from his old and sagging life. “Graceland” also tells about how he went on this journey with his 9-year-old son. Children are often associated with innocence and purity in literature, so this could be a hint that he wants purity back into his life. Whether it’s friends, family, or a significant other, legitimate fights go both ways. If you think someone is being unreasonable, chances are they think that about you as well. He’s asking for forgiveness by going to Graceland, somewhere musicians worldwide go to find inspiration, and taking his small child, a source of untainted energy and comfort for him. 

“Graceland” revolves around Peggy Harper, Paul Simon’s wife who he lost to divorce. He uses this event to shape his point: that you need to get out of our comfort zone to find meaning. The first time we clearly hear about why Simon is grieving as well as why he’s going to “Graceland” is in this excerpt: “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”. If you’ve listened to the song, you know that the way Simon sings that verse is full of longing and confusion. Because of the repetition in these lines, it reads like an angry rant or a tearful sob. Having to reiterate what he’s feeling in order to understand what he’s feeling: hurt. Confused. Angry. Guilty. He keeps going back to the fact that he knew she was leaving. He knows she’s gone, and he’s trying to express that he understands her; he notices her. He gets that he’s at fault and he feels tainted from that, so this spiritual journey of sorts might help him scrub that stain out of his conscience. The line “as if I didn’t know my own bed” can also support this, diving deeper into his feelings of confusion and, again, showing how he is forced out of his comfort zone to find redemption, something that actually helps him find peace in the long run.  “Graceland” is Paul Simon’s apology to his ex-wife, his son, and the world. 

Paul Simon is an icon, a role model, and a top-notch musician. And I’m sure I’m not the only one who thinks “Graceland” is one of the most inspiring pieces of music of its era. Divorce, redemption, and heartbreak all have starring roles in this song, but it’s still uplifting and beautiful in its own way. “Graceland” is about discovering yourself and who you are inside by taking a chance and going on an adventure, something we all should do more often. After all, nobody is going to do it for you.