This song is for Song Lyric Sunday for Jim Adams’s blog. This week’s prompt Begin/End/Finish/Start…This song is about the beginning and the end of love affairs.
I watched the Graduate in the mid-eighties and I sat there transfixed watching this classic film. How the music kept the movie going and this song hit me for some reason. I spent weeks (pre internet) tracking down the soundtrack of the film. I went to different record stores but with no luck but finally found it at the Great Escape, a second hand record store.
It was one of the first movies that I recognized how much music can make a movie. It was a great film regardless but without the music the movie would not have been the same.
April Come She Will was composed by Paul Simon. Running just 1:51, it is the shortest track on the album Sounds of Silence released in 1966. It was also on the Graduate soundtrack.
The song was the B side to the Scarborough Fair single.
From Songfacts
This song is also featured in the soundtrack to the film The Graduate. Meant to evoke the capriciousness of a young girl while relating it to how the seasons change, the lyrics were inspired by a nursery rhyme recited by an English girl with whom Simon had an affair. It stands to reason, then, that this would go along with the plot of The Graduate.
Listen for an echo of this song in “For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her,” from S&G’s subsequent album Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme.
This song isn’t the only one with a classical lyric inspiration on that album; “Richard Cory” is also based on the poem of the same name by American poet Edwin Arlington Robinson.
April Come She Will
April, come she will
When streams are ripe and swelled with rain
May, she will stay
Resting in my arms again
June she’ll change her tune
In restless walks she’ll prowl the night
July, she will fly
And give no warning to her flight
August, die she must
The autumn winds blow chilly and cold
September, I remember
A love once new has now grown old
It gets used in an episode of Parks and Rec too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh ok…I didn’t know that. Funny with the movie The Graduate…this is the song that stuck with me the most when I watched it.
It could be one of the first movies to use contemporary rock/pop music to shape the movie…those old fifties movies used rock music more as a selling point…I may be missing a movie but it’s good nonetheless.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s a mix of existing material and songs written specifically for the movie, which is common practice now I guess?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes. Some movies use it better than others like Goodfellas.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great choice
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pleasure
LikeLike
Nice choice, for some reason I never saw the movie. But always loved the song .💜
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you. If you ever get a chance it’s worth the watch.
LikeLike
Yes it is on my list 💜
LikeLiked by 1 person
Beautiful, tender, slightly disillusioned song from the film “The Graduate”. The song reinforces the scene of the film, and the film underlines the song.
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is a lovely song. I sort of rediscovered it when I was in college, and have appreciated it ever since.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I was going to run this one by you first but it was too late. It was the beginning and ending of a love affair… I’ll make sure I’m literal next time…
LikeLiked by 2 people
I wouldn’t expect it any other way…Jim…I thought too much in it.
If I can I will…I’ve had some time these past few weeks.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Beautiful mellow tune – perfect for a Sunday morning. As for the movie, I haven’t watched it in ages!
LikeLiked by 2 people
even their b-sides were pretty good!
LikeLiked by 1 person
One of their best. I love the guitar in the original (not sure it quite works digitally, but then a lot of older stuff doesn’t.) I keep meaning to get The Graduate on DVD but haven’t yet. Am trying to catch up with some DVDs at the moment.
Hope you’re okay, sorry I’ve not been around. My colouring blog is now open again, but only til the Spring, but the other… not sure what to do about that.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The song stuck with me more than the others. I love the others but this one made me hunt for the soundtrack.
We are doing fine and I still owe you an email. I’m glad you opened back up. I should close this one for a while and get caught up on other things.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I saw them in concert at the University of Oklahoma in 68. Two men, one guitar mesmerized the crowd for two hours. That was about the time that The Graduate movie premiered. Their music is made for a cold rainy day, smoke, and some good scotch. I believe I may have most of their albums stored away in my memory bins.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Phil, you were at the right place at the right time to see these acts in their prime. I agree with your assessment completely of Simon and Garfunkel
Paul wrote some moving songs at that time…like Sound of Silence and America.
LikeLike
A wonderful example of Paul Simons beautiful poetry. I’ve always loved this song ☺️
LikeLiked by 1 person
The man’s lyrics are something else combined with those great melodies.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Just beautiful 💕
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sheer musical and lyrical poetry!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I swear, Max, I think you are the most popular music blogger I know! Every single one of your posts gets a lot of comments, more than nearly any other blog I’ve come across. I think it’s the personal aspect of your posts, as well as the fact you always engage with those who comment. Plus, you frequently comment on post of the many blogs you follow, something not many other bloggers do.
Now, back to the song and movie: I love Simon & Garfunkel’s music, and ‘The Graduate’ is one of my top 10 all-time favorite films. It’s absolutely brilliant, and I never tire of watching it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I do make my posts personal…that would not fly on a professional level but I do have fun meeting people and finding out what they have to say. We all have something in common…I like learning…new and old music…and pop culture in general.
Like you…you actually saw CCR! That puts you over someone who met a president to me. You were in the middle of a generation I wish I could have been in.
It’s in my top 10 also. I almost used the soundtrack in the draft. The ending on that bus is one of the best endings I’ve ever seen. Would you say it was one of the first movies to use music to as part of the movie? Not counting those 50s rock movies?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow, Max, you make me feel almost like royalty because I saw CCR perform at the height of their career!
‘The Graduate’ was certainly one of the earliest films to use popular music as a soundtrack that didn’t involve the artists actually starring in the film, like the Beatles did in ‘A Hard Days Night’ and ‘Help!’.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hmmm a politician or John Fogerty? John wins!
The music became part of the movie like Goodfellas and Apocalypse Now.
LikeLiked by 1 person
A beautiful, beautiful song. Perfect.
LikeLiked by 1 person