lyric analysis- AMERICA BY SIMON AND GARFUNKEL

 

mood board for America- Simon & Garfunkel

 

industrial context: Warner Music Group

Industrial context: 

- Warner Music Group is an American multinational entertainment and record label conglomerate headquartered in New York City. 

- Warner Music Group Corp.,^[6] commonly abbreviated as WMG, is an American multinational entertainment and record label conglomerate headquartered in New York City. It is one of the "big three" recording companies and the third-largest in the global music industry, after Universal Music Group (UMG) and Sony Music Group (SMG).

- Len Blavatnik personally controlled 73.03% of Warner Music Group’s total outstanding shares as of the start of 2023, according to MBW’s calculations based on Warner’s SEC filings. Access Industries founder Blavatnik – who, at last count, ranked in 38th place on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, with a net worth of $33.5 billion. 

- As of March 2025 Warner Music Group has a market cap of $17.12 Billion USD. This makes Warner Music Group the world's 1102th most valuable company by market cap according to our data.

possible locations for my music video

Brick Lane- 

- Brick Lane has a lot of graffiti which I think will add a fun and creative backdrop for my video. Also, the roads are filled with historical buildings which I think will add a vintage aesthetic. 

- Furthermore, the area is full of diverse culture which will add realism and depth to my music video.

Bethnal Green- 

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timeline of folk music

 FOLK MUSIC TIMELINE

Pre-20th Century-

• Folk music develops as an oral tradition, with ballads, work songs, and storytelling.

• British, Irish, and European folk influences shape early American folk music.

Early 20th Century-

• The Carter Family and Lead Belly popularize folk recordings.

• Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger use folk music for activism.

1950s-1960s-

• The Weavers, Joan Baez, and Bob Dylan bring folk to the mainstream.

• 1965: Simon and Garfunkel's The Sound of Silence is remixed with electric elements and becomes a hit, blending folk with pop and rock.

• Simon & Garfunkel's Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme (1966) and Bridge Over Troubled Water (1970) are released.

1970s-1990s-

• Folk-rock thrives with Joni Mitchell, CSNY, and Fairport Convention.

• Paul Simon’s Graceland (1986) globalises folk.

• Simon & Garfunkel reunite for tours in the ’80s and ’90s.

2000s-Present-

• Indie-folk emerges (Iron & Wine, Fleet Foxes, Sufjan Stevens).

• Mumford & Sons and The Lumineers bring folk-pop into the mainstream.

timeline of music videos

 

themes for the song: America by Simon & Garfunkel

chosen song- America by Simon & Garfunkel 

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who are Simon and Garfunkel? 

Simon & Garfunkel were an American folk rock duo comprising the singer-songwriter Paul Simon and the singer Art Garfunkel. They were one of the best-selling music acts of the 1960s. Their most famous recordings include three US number ones—"The Sound of Silence" and the two Record of the Year Grammywinners "Mrs. Robinson" and "Bridge over Troubled Water"—and "Homeward Bound", "I Am a Rock", "Scarborough Fair/Canticle", "A Hazy Shade of Winter" (also a cover hit for the Bangles), "America", "The Boxer" and "Cecilia".

Meaning behind the song:  

I feel it refers to the elusive American Dream, the promise young people are assured as they set out on the world that they can conquer anything. A theme seen throughout the works of Hemmingway, Fitzgerald, and Kerouac; it is merely that: a dream. As the two lovers here progress on their journey, they run out of cigarettes, they grow bored, and they go to sleep. There is nothing left to do but count the cars in the turnpike, who are of course all doing what they are doing- looking for America. 

themes:

- longing

- existential uncertainty

- romantic optimism

- lost idealism

- the fading American Dream

- dissatisfaction

America by Simon & Garfunkel explores themes of an unachievable dream- this being the American Dream. It follows a man and his girlfriend going on a road trip in search of this 'New America' where they will be free from all their troubles. It begins hopeful with the man thinking of this trip as romantic; however, as the song goes on, this optimistic perspective shifts into one of dissatisfaction and uncertainty as he realises that this ideal world doesn't exist and he comes to the understanding that everyone is looking for the same thing in life yet no one will reach it.

planning- target audience profile

 

planning- NEA brief and initial ideas

 music video brief: 

- target audience: a primarily 16-25 year old middle and up market audience of style-conscious people 

- theme: pop ballad 

- definition of a pop ballad -> Pop ballads are slow tempo or mid-tempo emotional songs with an aesthetic blend of melody and harmony. Although this style of music is associated with romance, intimate relationships, and breakups, a number of modern ballads showcase varied themes about loneliness, war, death, religion, drug abuse, and religion. Feelings that come forth through unrequited love and desire are expressed in a solemn but endearing manner.

- for the theme of pop ballad, I am planning to use a popular song and for the theme of ballad I will choose a slow paced song with lyrics about emotional topics in order to fit the brief 

initial song options: 

- And I love her by The Beatles 

I believe this song fits the brief well, however, I am not too sure how I would interpret the lyrics into a video. 

- Kiss Me by Sixpence None the Richer 

- My Sweet Lord by George Harrison 

I like this song a lot and I believe it fits the brief well, however, I worry that the song doesn't have many lyrics or lyrics which can be easily interpreted into a music video which will make it harder to film. 

- America by Simon & Garfunkel

I would love to create a music video for America but I am worried that the pace is extremely slow and it will therefore be harder to cut the song and keep it entertaining the whole way through. 

- Be My Baby by The Rosettes

- Hard Times by Paramore

initial music video inspiration: 

- The Beastie Boys -> I really like the playful elements to the Beastie Boys' music videos and will probably take inspiration from their 'film' like videos such as the title cards and story plots. I also like the 'fish eye' lens which adds a fun and playful effect to the video. Additionally, I love Blur's Parklife official video for the same reason as the Beastie Boys' so I will use that for inspiration also. 

- Feminine Urge by The Last Dinner Party -> I like the use of different shot types in this video as well as the way that the video is edited so that the cuts match the song. I will edit my video to match the its to the pace of the track.  

- Back on 74 by Jungle -> I love how this music video looks to be one take and the way that the camera pans between people. I will try to use this panning technique in my own video. 

- Bob Dylan's Subterranean Homesick Blues -> I am inspired by the use of lyrics being physically shown on the screen especially on pieces of paper and will therefore try to add aspects of this music video in my own. 

- The Beatles' I Am The Walrus -> I will draw inspiration from the video because I really like the surreal and even psychedelic elements of the video.