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| Headline | James Joyce/A Simple Desultory . . . |
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| Author | Comment |
Brandy
Dec-26-2006, 22:21 GMT
IP:
Canada
 | I´ve been listening to the original version of "A Simple Desultory Philippic" on The Paul Simon Songbook, and I noticed that he mentions the famous Irish writer James Joyce in the song. Being a huge fan of Joyce myself, I looked up an article on the song on Wikipedia.org, and they listed James Joyce as one of the people mentioned in the original version, adding that he was "A writer and poet of whom Simon is very fond."
I have never heard of Paul saying that he admires, or was influenced by, the writing of James Joyce. Has anyone else here heard Paul mention him? I´m just curious. |
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Rosemary In Time
Dec-27-2006, 02:10 GMT
IP:
United Kingdom
 | I suspect that the Mrs Riordan in A Most Peculiar Man is a sly reference to the woman of the same name in Portrait Of The Artist and Ulysses. |
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Simon Dooker
Dec-27-2006, 13:41 GMT
IP:
United Kingdom
| Hi Brandy.In the printed songbook that accompanied The Paul Siimon Songbook from 1965,the personal profile on Paul reveals James Joyce among his favourite writers.
Paul also has an original signed copy of Ulysses ,given to him by Joyce himself. |
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Simon Dooker
Dec-27-2006, 14:05 GMT
IP:
United Kingdom
| I think your right about Mrs Riordan, Rosemary. Though Paul would probably deny it if ever asked about it, he was certainly reading alot of Joyce at the time he wrote AMPM,and from the multitude of names floating around his subconcious that was the one that came to the top. |
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Brandy
Dec-27-2006, 20:42 GMT
IP:
Canada
| Wow, that´s really interesting, Simon! But one thing . . . how could Joyce personally give Paul a signed copy of Ulysses, being as he (Joyce) died during World War 2, when Paul was an enfant? Perhaps Paul got a copy of it from Nora, or James´ son?
And Rosemary, thanks for pointing that out. I hadn´t thought of that before, but now that you mention it, that´s entirely possible. "Riordan" is not exactly a common name, is it? ;) |
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Dara
Dec-27-2006, 20:59 GMT
IP:
Ireland
 | it´s a common enough Irish name... |
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Klausi
Dec-28-2006, 11:29 GMT
IP:
Germany
 | In this joke song A simple... he also complains that if you talk about Dylan, people in England think you are talking about Dylan Thomas... |
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Simon Dooker
Dec-28-2006, 12:56 GMT
IP:
United Kingdom
| LOL.Yes well spotted Brandy...i realised much later. What I really wanted to add was what is in Victoria Kingstons biography, that Paul does have a signed copy of Ulysses in his possession. Exactly HOW she does not say. |
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Brandy
Dec-28-2006, 15:17 GMT
IP:
Canada
| Well, regardless of how he got it, a signed copy of Ulysses is quite the treasure to have. God knows, I´d give my right arm for one, and to think that it´s probably just lying somewhere around Paul´s gigantic house, collecting dust -- !
I was looking at some fancy copies of Ulysses on eBay just the other day (none of them were original), and it´s amazing the prices that are being asked for some of them. I can only imagine what an original, signed copy must be worth . . .!
P.S: Dara, I had no idea that "Riordan" was a common Irish name. I´ve never met anyone by that name here (Canada). It´s kind of pretty, though, I think. |
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Peter
Dec-29-2006, 01:35 GMT
IP:
USA - United Staates America
 | Has he ever performed this song live? |
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Scaaty
Dec-31-2006, 15:20 GMT
IP:
Ireland
| there use to be a farming soap on Irish TV called the Riordans (except they weren´t called soaps) It stopped in the early 80´s. Also the name of the lead singer of the Cranberries is O´Riordan.
Someone asked some time ago what Yeats poem was Paul referring to for the hushabye line in Wartime Prayers - I think its "To The Waters and the wild" - but I also have a suspicion that he may have made a mistake and was really thinking of the nursery rhyme hushabye baby on the tree top. |
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Brandy
Dec-31-2006, 17:08 GMT
IP:
Canada
| I know that in the early 60´s, before his big break, Paul spent a lot of time in England. I´m assuming, with his obvious taste for Irish literature/poetry, that he may also have spent quite a bit of time in Ireland as well? |
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