"Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard"
File:PAUL SIMON me and julio.jpg
Single by Paul Simon
from the album Paul Simon
A-side "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard"
B-side "Congratulations"
Released May 1972
Format 7" (45 rpm)
Recorded 1971
Genre Soft rock, Adult contemporary
Length 2:44
Label Columbia
Writer(s) Paul Simon
Paul Simon singles chronology
"Mother and Child Reunion"
1972
"Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard"
(1972)
"Duncan"
(1972)

"Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard" is a song by American singer-songwriter Paul Simon from his 1972 self-titled album.

Contents

Lyrical subject [link]

The song is about two boys who have broken a law, although the exact law that has been broken is not stated in the song and has become a matter of some debate. When "the mama pajama" finds out what they have done, she goes to the police station to report the crime. The boys are later arrested, but released when a radical priest intervenes. The protagonist of the song had to say goodbye to "Rosie, the Queen of Corona".

It is possible, however, that the name "Rosie, the Queen of Corona" reflects that the events of the song took place in Corona, Queens.

Debate [link]

Some believe the incident in the song refers to an arrest at an antiwar protest on a college campus (the "schoolyard"), with the "radical priest" (who appeared with the singer of the song "on the cover of Newsweek") being either Philip or Daniel Berrigan, priests noteworthy for their antiwar activity during the Vietnam War. It has been said also that the "radical priest" could be the Rev. William Sloane Coffin, chaplain from Yale University, upon whom the Scot Sloan character in Doonesbury was based.

In a July 20, 1972 interview for Rolling Stone, Jon Landau asked: "What is it that the mama saw? The whole world wants to know." Simon replied "I have no idea what it is... Something sexual is what I imagine, but when I say 'something', I never bothered to figure out what it was. Didn't make any difference to me." This implies that Paul Simon left the crime up to the imagination of the listener, allowing each person who listens to the song to draw their own conclusion from their own thoughts and experiences. This has not stopped speculation on a definite interpretation: commentators have detected references to recreational drug use, and believe that the mother saw the boy buying drugs.

Video [link]

In 1988, Simon released a video for the song to promote his greatest hits compilation Negotiations and Love Songs. The video features an introduction by hip hop emcees (and then-fellow Warner Bros. Records label mates) Big Daddy Kane and Biz Markie. The video depicts adults interacting with the youth of an inner-city schoolyard. It shows Simon playing basketball and baseball with the children, and it also features basketball player Spud Webb, baseball legend Mickey Mantle, and football coach-commentator John Madden giving tips to young athletes.

Performances by other artists [link]

  • Jack Johnson also covered this song in a medley following the song "Sexy Plexi", available on the J.O.T.C. bootleg compilation.
  • Wheat quotes "Me and Julio" in their song "Body Talk (Part 2)".
  • In 2003, the band !!! released a single called "Me and Giuliani Down by the School Yard", a play on the title of this song, referring to Rudolph Giuliani.

In popular culture [link]

The song appears in a montage in the 2001 classic movie The Royal Tenenbaums directed by filmmaker Wes Anderson. It also appears in the film A Home at the End of the World, over the opening credits of Maid in Manhattan, within The Muppets, and during the opening credits in Real Women Have Curves.

Simon himself performed the song on Sesame Street.

Canadian musician Sam Roberts performed a shortened version of the song on the Kids' CBC program "Mamma Yamma," altering some of the lyrics to fit the scene he was in.

Charts [link]

Chart (1972) Peak
Position
Australian Singles Chart 40
Canadian Singles Chart 19
Dutch Singles Chart 26
Irish Singles Chart 19
UK Singles Chart 15
US Hot 100 Singles Chart 22

References [link]


https://wn.com/Me_and_Julio_Down_by_the_Schoolyard

Miss Piggy

Miss Piggy is a Muppet character known for her breakout role in Jim Henson's The Muppet Show. Since her debut in 1976, Miss Piggy is notable for her volatile diva personality, tendency to use French phrases in her speech and practice of karate. She was also known for her tenacious romantic relationship with Kermit the Frog, which lasted from 1978 to 2015.Frank Oz performed the character from 1976 to 2000, and was succeeded by Eric Jacobson in 2001.

In 1996 TV Guide ranked her number 23 on its 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time list.

Characterization

Origins and personality

In a 1979 interview with The New York Times, performer Frank Oz outlined Piggy's biography: "She grew up in a small town in Iowa; her father died when she was young, and her mother wasn't that nice to her. She had to enter beauty contests to survive, as many single women do. She has a lot of vulnerability which she has to hide, because of her need to be a superstar." During development of The Muppet Show, Oz assigned a hook for each Muppet he performed; Miss Piggy's hook was a "truck driver wanting to be a woman". Oz has also stated that while Fozzie Bear is a two-dimensional character, and Animal has no dimensions, Miss Piggy is one of the few Muppet characters to be fully realized in three dimensions.

Podcasts:

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PLAYLIST TIME:

Me Party

by: Miss Piggy

I look around
And once again I'm on my own
My man ain't here
He's gone and done me wrong
No one's gonna stop this girl from having fun
I throw my hands up high and have a party for one
I'm having a me party; A party by myself
A me party; I dont need nobody else
I'm having a me party; I'm the first and last to show
There's no one at this party that I don't already know
I'm not gonna sit around by myself and wait for you
Haven't you heard, "one is the new two"
I'm gonna make a scene, I'm gonna make a fuss
Tonight I'm gonna celebrate for just the one of us
I'm having a me party; I don't need no invitation
A me party; I just love the conversation
Me party; But no one else there to
You do the math, frog,
It means I'm not with you
I won't lie, there are times when I wish I was with you
There are days when all this girl can see is a world that's made for two
At times like this I feel all alone and it's like nobody cares
But I only have to call my name and darling I'll be there
I'm having a me party, haven't I seen you here before?
A me party; I'm the last one on the dance floor
Me party; A party just for one
Me party; It's a solo mardi gras
Me party; I'm such great company
A me party; I'll save the last dance for me
What happens at a me party
Stays at a me party




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