A SIMPLE DESULTORY PHILIPPIC

(Paul Simon/Art Garfunkel)

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Released on "Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme," 1966
listed as number 3 in "The Ten Worst Dylanesque Songwriting Ripoffs" in Jimmy Guterman & Owen O'Donnell, The Worst Rock n' Roll Records of All Time, New York, 1991. p. 97.

philippic, a discourse full of invective... L. [Latin] Philippicum, pl. Philippica, used to denote the celebrated orations of Demosthenes against Philipp... lit.[literally] 'a lover of horses.'

Walter W. Skeat, The Concise Dictionary of English Etymology, Ware, Hertfordshire, 1993, p. 347.

I been Norman Mailered, Maxwell Taylored,
I been John O'Hara'd, McNamara'd.
I been Rolling Stoned and Beatled 'til I'm blind.
I been Ayn Randed, nearly branded Communist,
Cause I'm left-handed.
That's the hand I use, well, never mind!

I been Phil Spectored, resurrected.
I been Lou Adlered, Barry Sadlered.
Well, I paid all the dues I want to pay.
And I learned the truth from Lenny Bruce,
And all my wealth won't buy me health,
So I smoke a pint of tea a day.

I knew a man, his brain's so small,
He couldn't think of nothing at all,
Not the same as you and me.
He doesn't dig poetry.
He's so unhip that when you say Dylan,
He thinks you're talking 'bout Dylan Thomas,
Whoever he was.
The man ain't got no culture,
But it's alright, Ma, everybody must get stoned.

I been Mick Jaggered, been silver daggered.
Andy Warhol, won't you please come home?
I been Mothered, Fathered, Aunt and Uncled,
Been Roy Haleed and Art Garfunkeled.
I just a-discovered somebody's tapped my phone.
Folk rock --

I've lost my harmonica, Albert...

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