Graceland (song)

{{Infobox song

| name = Graceland

| cover = Graceland single cover.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| B-side = Hearts and Bones

| released = November 1986[https://www.nytimes.com/1988/03/03/arts/grammy-awards-honor-u2.html Grammy Awards Honor U2] "...despite the fact that the Graceland album, released in 1986, had been named album of the year at the 1987 awards. The single had been released after Oct. 1, 1986, qualifying it for [the 1988] awards."

| recorded = November 1985

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = {{flatlist|

}}

| length = 4:48

| label = Warner Bros.

| writer = Paul Simon

| producer = Paul Simon

| prev_title = You Can Call Me Al

| prev_year = 1986

| next_title = The Boy in the Bubble

| next_year = 1987

| misc = {{Audio sample

| type = single

| file =

| description = "Graceland"

}}

"Graceland" is the title song of the album Graceland, released in 1986 by Paul Simon. The song features vocals by The Everly Brothers. The lyrics follow the singer's thoughts during a road trip to Graceland after the failure of his marriage. Actress and author Carrie Fisher, Simon's ex-wife, said that the song referred in part to their relationship.{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/features/carrie-fisher-on-lsd-death-and-sex-with-han-solo-w451925 |title=Carrie Fisher on LSD, Death, and Sex with Han Solo |last=Greene |first=Andy |date=28 November 2016 |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=18 January 2017}}

Reception

Billboard said that "Remarkable supporting players from his South Africa sessions make Simon's multiple-meaning musings into something subtly exotic."{{cite magazine|magazine=Billboard|date=November 15, 1986|accessdate=2022-08-07|page=89|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UCQEAAAAMBAJ&q=reviews|title=Reviews}}

The song won the 1988 Grammy Award for Record of the Year. It was the lowest-charting song on any of the world music charts to win Record of the Year until the Robert Plant and Alison Krauss US non-charting song "Please Read the Letter" won the same award in 2009.

In 2004, it was listed at #485 on Rolling Stone{{'}}s 500 Greatest Songs.{{cite web| url =http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/rstone.html#500Songs| title = The Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Songs of All Time|access-date = May 2, 2010|work= Rock List Music}}

A cover by Willie Nelson peaked at number 70 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in 1993.{{cite book|last=Whitburn|first=Joel|title=Hot Country Songs 1944–2012|publisher=Record Research, Inc|page=238|year=2013|isbn=978-0-89820-203-8}}

An acoustic version of the song was included as a track on The Unplugged Collection, Volume One.{{cite magazine |last1=Sinclair |first1=Tom |title=The Unplugged Collection, Volume One |url=https://ew.com/article/1994/12/16/unplugged-collection-volume-one |access-date=2015-11-06 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=1994-12-16}}

Personnel

Paul Simon – lead vocals, background vocals, acoustic guitar (uncredited){{cite episode|title=Classic Albums: Paul Simon: Graceland|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007b6hv|series=Classic Albums|network=BBC|station=BBC Four|credits=Director & Producer: Jeremy Marre|airdate=25 November 2016}}
Ray Phiri – guitar
Demola Adepoju – pedal steel
Bakithi Kumalo – fretless bass
Vusi Khumalo – drums
Makhaya Mahlangu – percussion
The Everly Brothers – guitars, additional vocals

Charts

Chart (1986–87) ! Peak position
class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
scope="row" \| Australia (Kent Music Report){{Cite book\|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992\|last=Kent\|first=David\|author-link=David Kent (historian)\|publisher=Australian Chart Book\|location=St Ives, NSW\|year=1993\|isbn=0-646-11917-6}} \|align="center"\|62
{{single chart\|Belgium (Flanders)\|35\|artist=Paul Simon\|song=Graceland\|access-date=November 12, 2015\|rowheader=true\|refname="Belgium"}}
scope="row" \| Canada (RPM) {{cite magazine\| url= http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.0775.pdf\| title= RPM100: Singles\|volume=45\|number=19\|date=February 14, 1987\| magazine = RPM\| publisher = Ottawa: Library and Archives Canada\| access-date = November 12, 2015}} \|align="center"\|70
scope="row" \| Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM) {{cite magazine\| url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.8857.pdf\| title= RPM: Adult Contemporary\|volume=45\|number=16\|date=January 24, 1987\| magazine = RPM\| publisher = Ottawa: Library and Archives Canada\| access-date = November 12, 2015}} \|align="center"\|14
{{single chart\|Ireland2\|27\|artist=Paul Simon\|song=Graceland\|access-date=November 12, 2015\|rowheader=true\|refname="Ireland2"}}
{{single chart\|Dutch100\|79\|artist=Paul Simon\|song=Graceland\|access-date=November 12, 2015\|rowheader=true\|refname="Dutch100"}}
{{single chart\|New Zealand\|37\|artist=Paul Simon\|song=Graceland\|access-date=November 12, 2015\|rowheader=true\|refname="New Zealand"}}
scope="row" \|UK Singles (OCC){{cite book\| first= David\| last= Roberts\| year= 2006\| title= British Hit Singles & Albums\| edition= 19th\| publisher= Guinness World Records Limited \| location= London\| isbn= 1-904994-10-5\| page= 499}} \|align="center"\|98
scope="row" \|US Album Rock Tracks (Billboard){{cite magazine\|url={{BillboardURLbyName\|artist=Paul Simon\|chart=Mainstream Rock Tracks}}\|title=Paul Simon – Chart history\|access-date=November 13, 2015\|magazine=Billboard\|publisher=Prometheus Global Media}} \|align="center"\|38
{{single chart\|Billboardhot100\|81\|artist=Paul Simon\|song=Graceland\|access-date=November 12, 2015\|rowheader=true\|refname="Billboardhot100"}}

Certifications

{{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|type=single|artist=Paul Simon|title=Graceland|award=Platinum|relyear=1986|certyear=2024|source=radioscope|access-date=January 4, 2025}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|artist=Paul Simon|title=Graceland|award=Silver|relyear=2010|certyear=2020|id=2635-1818-1|access-date=December 11, 2020}}

{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true|noshipments=true|streaming=true}}

References

Category:Paul Simon songs

Category:1986 songs

Category:Grammy Award for Record of the Year

Category:Songs about divorce

Category:Songs written by Paul Simon

Category:Song recordings produced by Paul Simon

Category:Willie Nelson songs

Category:Songs about Memphis, Tennessee

Category:1986 singles

Category:Warner Records singles