You Can Call Me Al - Paul Simon: Song Lyrics, Music Videos & Concerts

You Can Call Me Al

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Singer/Songwriter

You Can Call Me Al was released on August 25, 1986 by Legacy Recordings as a part of the album Graceland

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Song Details

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You Can Call Me Al was discovered most frequently in the first few seconds of the song during the past week

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OVERVIEW

LYRICS

Music Video

Music Video

Credits

PERFORMING ARTISTS

Paul Simon

Background Vocals

Ray Phiri

Electric Guitar

Bakithi Kumalo

Bass Guitar

Isaac Mtshali

Drums

Ralph MacDonald

Ralph MacDonald

Percussion

Rob Mounsey

Synthesizer

Youssou N'Dour

Percussion

Adrian Belew

Guitar Synthesizer

Ronald E. Cuber

Ronald E. Cuber

Saxophone

John Faddis

Trumpet

Earl Gardner

Trumpet

Ronald E. Brecker

Ronald E. Brecker

Trumpet

Lewis Soloff

Trumpet

Alan Rubin

Trumpet

David Bargeron

Trombone

Kim Allan Cissel

Kim Allan Cissel

Trombone

Morris Goldberg

Morris Goldberg

Tin Whistle

COMPOSITION & LYRICS

Paul Simon

Songwriter

Ray Phiri

Co-Arranger

PRODUCTION & ENGINEERING

Paul Simon

Producer

Roy Halee

Engineer

Mark Cobrin

Assistant Engineer

Peter Thwaites

Assistant Engineer

Greg Calbi

Original Mastering Engineer

Dan Hersch

Mastering Engineer

Bill Inglot

Mastering Engineer

Lyrics

[Verse 1]

A man walks down the street

He says, "Why am I soft in the middle now?"

Why am I soft in the middle?

The rest of my life is so hard

I need a photo opportunity

I want a shot at redemption

Don't wanna end up a cartoon

In a cartoon graveyard

Bonedigger, bonedigger

Dogs in the moonlight

Far away in my well-lit door

Mr. Beerbelly, Beerbelly

Get these mutts away from me

You know, I don't find this stuff amusing anymore

[Chorus]

If you'll be my bodyguard

I can be your long lost pal

I can call you Betty

And Betty, when you call me, you can call me Al

[Verse 2]

A man walks down the street

He says, "Why am I short of attention?"

Got a short little span of attention

And, whoa, my nights are so long

Where's my wife and family?

What if I die here?

Who'll be my role model

Now that my role model is gone, gone?

He ducked back down the alley

With some roly-poly, little, bat-faced girl

All along, along

There were incidents and accidents

There were hints and allegations

[Chorus]

If you'll be my bodyguard

I can be your long lost pal

I can call you Betty

And Betty, when you call me, you can call me Al

Call me Al

[Verse 3]

A man walks down the street

It's a street in a strange world

Maybe it's the third world

Maybe it's his first time around

Doesn't speak the language

He holds no currency

He is a foreign man

He is surrounded by the sound, the sound

Cattle in the marketplace

Scatterlings and orphanages

He looks around, around

He sees angels in the architecture

Spinning in infinity

He says, "Amen and Hallelujah"

[Chorus]

If you'll be my bodyguard

I can be your long lost pal

I can call you Betty

And Betty, when you call me, you can call me Al

Call me

[Chorus]

If you'll be my bodyguard

I can call you Betty

If you'll be my bodyguard

I can call you Betty

If you'll be my bodyguard

Written by: Paul Simon

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