(no subject)

[dewinged]

Okay, humor me for a sec. You know that Paul Simon song, "Me and Julio Down By the School Yard?" What's it about?

Comments

[razorsedge74.livejournal.com]

After a thorough (a google search) investigation and reading of said lyrics, I would guess the song was about a young lad who broke the law and decides to flee, stopping by to see his friends (namely Rosie and Julio) down by the schoolyard before things get bad. Then he gets caught, goes to jail, and gets bailed out by a weirdo.

I have no idea how accurate this is.

[paradisacorbasi.livejournal.com]

from the lyrics [posted below], my guess is:

A good Catholic kid from Queens did something illegal or was framed for doing same. His parents freaked out about it. His mother is disappointed in him and his father wants to put him in jail for it, but the kid himself wants to leave town. A priest gets him out of jail and it becomes a national story.

In the end, the kid still leaves town, but it's like he promises to say goodbye to Rosie by meeting her and Julio down by the schoolyard.







The mama pajama rolled out of bed, and she ran to the police station
When the papa found out, he began to shout, and he started the investigation
It's against the law, it was against the law
What the mama saw, it was against the law.
The mama looked down and spit on the ground ev'ry time my name gets mentioned
The papa say "Oy, if I get that boy
I'm gonna stick him in the house of detention."
I'm on my way, I don't know where I'm goin',
I'm on my way, I'm takin' my time, but I don't know where.

Goodbye to Rosie, the Queen of Corona
See you, me and Julio down by the schoolyard
See you, me and Julio down by the schoolyard

In a couple of days they come and take me away
But the press let the story leak
And when the radical priest come to get me released
We's all on the cover of Newsweek
Well, I'm on my way, I don't know where I'm goin'
I'm on my way, I'm takin' my time, but I don't know where

Goodbye to Rosie, the Queen of Corona
See you, me and Julio down by the schoolyard
See you, me and Julio down by the schoolyard
See you, me and Julio down by the schoolyard

[foomf.livejournal.com]

At the time it came out, the ever-coy Mr. Rhymin' Simon did not actually answer it, but apparently it's connected to something that actually happened, and got media coverage. At least, interesting in NYC.

[foomf.livejournal.com]

And, a bit more research, the 'alleged event' it was based on, apparently never happened, being urban legend.

Truman Capote analyzed it and said it was based on a homosexual experience. Possibly an origin for the legend.
Paul Simon denied that it was ever HIS experience, but then, he's a coy fellow, as I observed before.

There's more information at http://www.medialab.chalmers.se/guitar/me.and.julio.html (http://www.medialab.chalmers.se/guitar/me.and.julio.html)

[gamerguy.livejournal.com]

In a classic case of 'misunderstood lyrics', I always thought the chorus ran 'Seein' me and Julio down by the schoolyard'.

Nah, Capote is full of shit, I think. He links almost everything to homosexuality.

Corona Park, in Flushing, Queens, is the fourth largest park in the NYC area (trivia bit).

I figure his mom found the singer in bed with Rosie and proceeded to have a fit (since it certainly is implied, at least, that they're all underaged, which still fits with 'It's against the law'), dad (who might be a cop or a lawyer, since he 'started the investigation) goes crazy, and the singer can't stay there any more. So he goes down to visit Rosie and Julio (his best friend) before he leaves.

For some reason I always picture some white kid (the singer) playing basketball with a spanish kid (Julio) while this spanish girl (Rosie) looks on, them playing basketball like their lives depended on it while the sun set over this deserted schoolyard on a Saturday night, because it's the last time they'll ever see each other.