Rene And Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After the War
Encyclopedia
"Rene And Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After The War" is a ballad written and sung
by Paul Simon
.
It first appeared as the eighth track on Hearts and Bones
, the 1983 album that was the fifth in Simon's solo career. It also appears on Negotiations and Love Songs
(1988), Paul Simon 1964/1993
(1993), The Paul Simon Anthology
(1993), Greatest Hits: Shining Like a National Guitar
(2000), and The Studio Recordings 1972-2000 (2004). The 2004 re-release of Hearts and Bones has a 3:47 minute demo version of this song among the bonus tracks.
and dada
ist artist René Magritte
and his wife
Georgette. The title derives from "René and Georgette Magritte With Their Dog During the War", purportedly a World War II
-era photograph by Lothar Wolleh
of the Magrittes in Belgium
under German occupation
. In fact, the photo in question was almost certainly taken during the 1960's shortly before Magritte's death.
"Simultaneously an evocative mood piece and a joyous tribute to the doo wop groups of the '50s
" , the song depicts the Magrittes as secret admirers of The Penguins
, The Moonglows
, The Orioles
, and The Five Satins
. The lyrics refer to this as "the deep forbidden music they've been longing for" and says that others also "have (it) hidden away in the cabinet cold of their hearts."
The song also portrays the Magrittes "strolling down Christopher Street", stopping in a men's store
, and seeing "all of the mannequin
s dressed in the style that brought tears to their immigrant eyes just like" the aforementioned doo wop groups.
to the painter and his work". Another reviewer deemed the song "flat-out terrific...despite its obvious pretensions.
Rolling Stone
lauded this song saying that it "ranks among the best Simon has written" and added:
A reviewer for Amazon.com
described this tune as "a polished gem, both a musical analogue to the artist's dead-pan surrealism and a unique love song."
produced for this song was created by Joan Logue, produced by Alan Kleinberg, and executive produced by Paul Simon. It is described as:
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
by Paul Simon
Paul Simon
Paul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Simon is best known for his success, beginning in 1965, as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached number one on the US singles...
.
It first appeared as the eighth track on Hearts and Bones
Hearts and Bones
Hearts and Bones is the sixth solo album by Paul Simon. It was released in 1983.The album was originally intended to be a Simon & Garfunkel reunion album called Think Too Much, following their Central Park reunion concert in 1981, and the world tour of 1982 - 1983. In fact, some of the songs...
, the 1983 album that was the fifth in Simon's solo career. It also appears on Negotiations and Love Songs
Negotiations and Love Songs
Negotiations and Love Songs is a collection of Paul Simon's songs from 1971-1986. The title of the compilation is taken from a line in the song Train in the Distance.-Track listing:-Chart performance:...
(1988), Paul Simon 1964/1993
Paul Simon 1964/1993
Paul Simon 1964/1993 is a compilation album released in 1993 by Paul Simon. It contains a collection of recordings ranging from his earliest collaboration with Art Garfunkel, the 1957 release "Hey, Schoolgirl", and further Simon & Garfunkel hits to songs from his subsequent solo career...
(1993), The Paul Simon Anthology
The Paul Simon Anthology
The Paul Simon Anthology is a compilation album by American singer-songwriter Paul Simon, which was released in 2002.- Track listing :CD 1#The Sound of Silence#Cecilia#El Condor Pasa#The Boxer#Mrs...
(1993), Greatest Hits: Shining Like a National Guitar
Greatest Hits: Shining Like a National Guitar
Greatest Hits: Shining Like a National Guitar is a compilation album by American singer-songwriter Paul Simon, which was released on May 23, 2000 by the Warner Music Group. This is his fifth compilation so far. This album was also directed by Antonio Luis...
(2000), and The Studio Recordings 1972-2000 (2004). The 2004 re-release of Hearts and Bones has a 3:47 minute demo version of this song among the bonus tracks.
Theme
The song is about the surrealistSurrealism
Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members....
and dada
Dada
Dada or Dadaism is a cultural movement that began in Zurich, Switzerland, during World War I and peaked from 1916 to 1922. The movement primarily involved visual arts, literature—poetry, art manifestoes, art theory—theatre, and graphic design, and concentrated its anti-war politics through a...
ist artist René Magritte
René Magritte
René François Ghislain Magritte[p] was a Belgian surrealist artist. He became well known for a number of witty and thought-provoking images...
and his wife
Wife
A wife is a female partner in a marriage. The rights and obligations of the wife regarding her spouse and others, and her status in the community and in law, varies between cultures and has varied over time.-Origin and etymology:...
Georgette. The title derives from "René and Georgette Magritte With Their Dog During the War", purportedly a World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
-era photograph by Lothar Wolleh
Lothar Wolleh
Lothar Wolleh was a well-known German photographer.Until the end of the sixties, Lothar Wolleh worked as a commercial photographer. He took portraits of international contemporary painters, sculptors and performance artists...
of the Magrittes in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
under German occupation
German–occupied Europe
German–occupied Europe or Nazi Empire refers to the countries of Europe which were occupied by the military forces of Nazi Germany at various times between 1938 and 1945....
. In fact, the photo in question was almost certainly taken during the 1960's shortly before Magritte's death.
"Simultaneously an evocative mood piece and a joyous tribute to the doo wop groups of the '50s
1950s
The 1950s or The Fifties was the decade that began on January 1, 1950 and ended on December 31, 1959. The decade was the sixth decade of the 20th century...
" , the song depicts the Magrittes as secret admirers of The Penguins
The Penguins
The Penguins were an American doo-wop group of the 1950s and early 1960s, best remembered for their only Top 40 hit, "Earth Angel ", which was one of the first rhythm and blues hits to cross over to the pop charts...
, The Moonglows
The Moonglows
The Moonglows were an American R&B and doo-wop group based in Cleveland, Ohio.-Early years:Originally formed in their native Louisville, Kentucky as the Crazy Sounds, the group moved to Cleveland, where disc jockey Alan Freed renamed them 'the Moonglows'...
, The Orioles
The Orioles
The Orioles were a successful and influential American R&B group of the late 1940s and early 1950s, one of the earliest such vocal bands who established the basic pattern for the doo-wop sound....
, and The Five Satins
The Five Satins
The Five Satins are an American doo-wop group, best known for their 1956 million-selling song, "In the Still of the Night."-Career:The group, formed in New Haven, Connecticut, consisted of leader Fred Parris, Lou Peebles, Stanley Dortch, Ed Martin and Jim Freeman in 1954. With little success, the...
. The lyrics refer to this as "the deep forbidden music they've been longing for" and says that others also "have (it) hidden away in the cabinet cold of their hearts."
The song also portrays the Magrittes "strolling down Christopher Street", stopping in a men's store
Clothing
Clothing refers to any covering for the human body that is worn. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic and is a feature of nearly all human societies...
, and seeing "all of the mannequin
Mannequin
A mannequin is an often articulated doll used by artists, tailors, dressmakers, and others especially to display or fit clothing...
s dressed in the style that brought tears to their immigrant eyes just like" the aforementioned doo wop groups.
Reviews
While not a chart hit (Allmusic refers to the whole album as "a commercial disaster"), the song was well-received by fans and reviewers. It has been called a "very nice homageHomage
Homage is a show or demonstration of respect or dedication to someone or something, sometimes by simple declaration but often by some more oblique reference, artistic or poetic....
to the painter and his work". Another reviewer deemed the song "flat-out terrific...despite its obvious pretensions.
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
lauded this song saying that it "ranks among the best Simon has written" and added:
There they are, a Belgian surrealist painter, his old lady and their pooch, dancing naked in a hotel room, window-shopping on Christopher Street and getting dolled up to dine with "the power elite." [...] It's a hilarious and magical juxtaposition of images that's also touching, because Paul Simon obviously identifies with the figure of the grown-up, respectable artist irrevocably smitten with those doo-wop groups, "the deep forbidden music" that originally made him fall in love with rock & roll.
A reviewer for Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
described this tune as "a polished gem, both a musical analogue to the artist's dead-pan surrealism and a unique love song."
Video
Also released in 1984, the 3:42 minute music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
produced for this song was created by Joan Logue, produced by Alan Kleinberg, and executive produced by Paul Simon. It is described as:
a witty tribute to Magritte's work and a haunting visual interpretation of Simon's music and lyrics. A photograph of the Magrittes serves as the point of departure for both the song and images, as Logue employs video effects to technologically echo and transform the eerie resonances of the surreal imagery of Magritte's paintings.