Paul Simon on the manipulative nature of protest music and the Paul McCartney song he calls “garbage”
One of the most powerful aspects of music is that it can, on rare occasions, incite change. Throughout history, music has provided the backdrop for some of the most pivotal movements, proving it to be a significant medium for communicating solid political messages. The progressive nature of music versus the rigid and often immovable ideologies at the crux of politics and governments often serves as the ideal grounds for protest music to shout loud, forcing those whose views remain archaic to adapt to the times. Unfortunately, however, protest music isn’t always done right, according to Paul Simon.
After his time with The Beatles, John Lennon spread his wings and embarked on a solo career that would primarily be driven by his political views and desire to improve the world. Many of the songs that he released communicated various messages about hope, love, and acceptance – all of which reflected his steadfast commitment to philanthropy and his belief that global peace was not only necessary but completely attainable.
‘Give Me Some Truth’, ‘I Don’t Want to Be a Soldier Mama, I Don’t Wanna Die’, and ‘Give Peace a Chance’ are just some of the many songs Lennon wrote as a way of pleading for change. There was also, of course, ‘Power To The People’ and ‘Imagine’, the former of which rallied against the control and ownership of governments and institutions, encouraging people to take a stance against problematic policies.
According to Paul Simon, although these types of records came from a good place, there’s nothing inherently powerful about them. In fact, in his view, they came across as “condescending” and “manipulative”. Generally, Simon argues that songs like ‘Power To The People’ come with an assumption that people will know what Lennon means and already have insight into the sort of actionable solutions to the cause – he’s “consciously aware that this is going to be broadcast over the airwaves”, Simon says, effectively accusing the singer of pandering to Leftist ideology.
It’s not just Lennon that he disagrees with; he also expressed his views on Lennon’s fellow Beatles band member Paul McCartney, specifically his track ‘Give Ireland Back to the Irish’, which Simon deemed “garbage”. While he contends that people can write protest songs, they have to do so in a way that truly works. He labels ones like ‘Power To The People’ and ‘Give Ireland Back to the Irish’ “in bad taste” and even offensive.
“I don’t feel it talking to me at all,” he told Rolling Stone. “John Lennon’s not interested in me when he makes that statement.”
Make no mistake, he did admit that he has a longtime respect for Lennon and even describes The Beatles as “great”, but Lennon’s music, in his view, always falls short in terms of communicating anything truly meaningful. “I am a potential audience for him,” he says, alluding to the fact that he always expects great things from his fellow musician.
He adds: “But I find that he seldom says anything that’s interesting or innovative to me, and yet, I listen, based on a long-standing respect.”
What Simon begins to tap into elsewhere is that he admired acts like The Beatles and Bob Dylan when they were in their prime. Although he regarded their later music as lacking substance, he remained tuned into their ongoing activity due to his own personal expectations. Regardless of his views on protest music, he found it difficult to sever his interest in musicians like McCartney, mostly because he instinctively felt that they were on the verge of providing greatness again. Even if such greatness never arrived, the power of their music was once strong enough to keep his undivided attention.
