Paul Simon "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes"

I was watching the Maya Rudolph episode of Track Star* the other day (isn't she just the best?) when the Paul Simon album Graceland came up.



Let's be clear on something: Graceland is a classic album for a reason, and for my money, it's one of the small subset of perfect albums in existence. I have some other works by Simon, whether they are his solo efforts or with his former partner Art Garfunkel, either on vinyl, CD, or mp3, but this is the album that I have owned in various formats throughout the years because I just love it so very much.

Selecting a song is difficult because there are so many strong selections here; the antagonistic side of my refuses to select the obvious choice ("You Can Call Me Al"), but should I have picked "The Boy In The Bubble," "Homeless," or "Graceland?"

All are fantastic selections, but I am a sucker for songs that tell a story (see: almost every Johnny Cash song ever), so my heart goes with this track. Sure, the topic of a poor boy trying to woo a rich girl is a genre unto itself, but I think that Simon has an original take on the subject that combines some unique visuals.

I love it and I hope that you do as well.

Enjoy!