Analyze a Song

"You Can Call Me Al" by Paul Simon
http://www.paulsimon.com/song/you-can-call-me-al/

     The song that I chose is  "You Can Call Me Al" by Paul Simon. This song used techniques that include Cacophony, End Rhyme, Onomatopoeia, and Euphony. The earlier lines of the song are Cacophony due to them having little to no rhyme and harsh sounds such as "bone digger." AS a whole these lines appear to be a conversation because the repetition/echoing of questions; “Why am I soft in the middle now?" Next, "You Can Call Me Al" begins to pick up by utilizing the technique, End Rhyme. Paul Simon uses this tool towards the end of longer stanzas. Third, Simon uses an Onomatopoeia Beerbelly to portray the carefreeness of his vision of what they could be. Lastly, the Chorus uses Euphony to make it memorable and soothing to one's ear.
     The techniques used by Paul Simon convey messages to the reader. The Cacophony signals that the author is almost having a conversation alone, due to the regular dialogue and the echoing of lines. Secondly, the End Rhyme connects different lines, creating the impression that the discussion is endless. Lastly, the Euphony conveys an easy to process a string of ideas. All in all, "You Can Call Me Al" by Paul Simon utilizes multiple poetic tools to create a song that is more then what meets the eye.

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