American Tune
Song by Paul SimonWikipedia
16
MENTIONS
3
EPISODES
3
PODCASTS
Search complete. 16 mentions across 3 episodes found for "American Tune".
Oct 12, 2026
Ben EisenHOST
I was asking you guys, what is your favorite non-cheesy song about America? Good stuff from you guys.
Ben EisenHOST
America by Simon & Garfunkel, America from West Side Story, Styx with Sweet Madame Blue, America the Beautiful by Ray Charles, America by Waylon Jennings, David Bowie, This Is Not America, and I'm Afraid of Americans, uh, America's Dream by Pat and the Pissers, America by Neil Diamond, Woody Guthrie with This Land Is Your Land, with a great version of that by Mojo Nixon, uh, What's Going On by Marvin Gaye, Childish Gambino, This Is America, 'Merican by The Descendants, Paul Simon with American Tune, and America by Razorlight.
Ben EisenHOST
But, uh, you know, we gotta go back to Woodstock and that iconic moment, The Star-Spangled Banner played in, with incredible flair and, like, ridiculous ridiculousness.
Ben EisenHOST
That's right, by Jimi Hendrix.
Elvis CostelloGUEST
Not, not as good as, you know.
Elvis CostelloGUEST
Anybody that's written American Tune, you can't judge them.
Elvis CostelloGUEST
You just can't.
Bruce HeadlamHOST
Right.
Ben MarlinHOST
So this one's not going to be listed on Paul Simon's eventual years from now epitaph, but it's still a really fun record.
Ben MarlinHOST
Okay, let's go on to American Tune.
Paul SimonSOUNDBITE_SPEAKER
Many's the time I've been mistaken And many times confused Yes, and I've often felt forsaken And certainly misused Oh, but I'm all right, I'm all right Just weary to my bones Still you don't expect to be bright and bon vivant So far away from home So far
Amanda RogersHOST
away from home Okay, I gotta ease into this one because this song emotionally destroys me.
Amanda RogersHOST
So...
Amanda RogersHOST
This is what he had to say.
Amanda RogersHOST
Paul Simon based the melody for American tune on a German song composed around 1600.
Amanda RogersHOST
A hymn writer named Paul Gerhardt reworked this tune 50 years later into the Lutheran hymn, O Hauptfall Blut und Wunden, usually known in English as O Sacred Head Now Wounded.