America", a Paul Simon song, was made popular by 1960s folk duo Simon and Garfunkel. It was included in their album Bookends, released April 3, 1968.
The song was released as a single in 1972, to coincide with the album Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits.
In poetic terms the song describes in first-hand terms the physical and metaphorical journey of two companions in search of the true meaning of America. Their initial hopefulness, indicated by such lyrics as "Let us be lovers," turns to a sense of frustration and sadness, accompanied by the inevitable breakdown of their relationship: "Kathy I'm lost, I said—though I knew she was sleeping."
Finally the realization dawns on the singer that, like El Dorado, the fabled America for which they are searching is an illusion, and all the travelers (and by extension all Americans) are seeking this mythical land in vain.
Tags: Simon and garfunkel
