Kodachrome
by Paul Simon, 1973, Columbia Records. It is on his third studio album, There Goes Rhymin’Simon
When I think back on all the crap I learned in high school It's a wonder I can think at all And though my lack of education hasn't hurt me none I can read the writing on the wall Kodachrome They give us those nice bright colors Give us the greens of summers Makes you think all the world's a sunny day, oh yeah I got a Nikon camera I love to take a photograph So mama, don't take my Kodachrome away If you took all the girls I knew when I was single And brought 'em all together for one night I know they'd never match my sweet imagination Everything looks worse in black and white Kodachrome They give us those nice bright colors They give us the greens of summers Makes you think all the world's a sunny day, oh yeah I got a Nikon camera I love to take a photograph So mama, don't take my Kodachrome away Mama, don't take my Kodachrome away Mama, don't take my Kodachrome away Mama, don't take my Kodachrome away Mama, don't take my Kodachrome Mama, don't take my Kodachrome Mama, don't take my Kodachrome away Mama, don't take my Kodachrome Leave your boy so far from home Mama, don't take my Kodachrome away Mama, don't take my Kodachrome, mm Mama, don't take my Kodachrome away Okay
Let me explain again why I periodically post song lyrics.
Music, rhythm, great vocal skills all wrap together to create a package that, if really good, will be played on radio stations and music streaming services perhaps for decades. They become the music of our culture.
And every generation gravitates to its own music because it is being created and performed by people close to the age of its listeners.
Every generation has had its musical preferences, but things dramatically changed with the invention of recording devices. And from probably the 1930’s on music has generally reduced in numbers of musicians performing (from orchestras and big bands to just one or a few playing and singing). There are economic reasons for this as well as the fact that amplification equipment enables one musician to compete in decibels against an entire band.
In every generation from probably the 50’s on the personal music of young people was a way to figure out life. For this reason, when you simply look at lyrics, you can see the younger generation rebelling from the older generation.
Kodachrome is a great example of this. Also note that the singer is in his twenties, so his Mamma is probably his wife. He is reflecting back on earlier days and agrees that looking at color pictures results in seeing things as better than they probably were.
Music certainly touches our lives. And different songs can evoke special feelings- Maybe even at times color how we see things.