Here’s a video to accompany my cover of Paul Simon’s song. There is an intro hymn “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded” piece that inspired the song. See the bottom of this writeup for intro on the Hymm,
“American Tune” is a song by the American singer-songwriter Paul Simon. It was the third single from his third studio album, There Goes Rhymin’ Simon (1973), released on Columbia Records. The song, a meditation on the American experience, is based on the melody of the hymn “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded” and bears a striking resemblance to J. S. Bach’s “Erkenne mich, mein Hüter“. The song reached number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100.[2]
Lyrics
In an interview with Tom Moon in 2011, Paul Simon was asked about political references in his songs, and he said: “I don’t write overtly political songs, although ‘American Tune’ comes pretty close, as it was written just after Nixon was elected.”[3]
Reception
Billboard described it as a “discourse on inner security while being far from home”.[4] Cash Box called it a “gorgeous, haunting, highly lyrical track” and said that the “soft vocal performance is heightened by sweet string section.”[5] Record World said that it “should touch the hearts and ears of many Americans” with a “beautiful melody wrapped around meaningful lyrics.”[6]
It is ranked number 262 on Rolling Stone’s list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.[7]
Years after the song’s release, the Los Angeles Times wrote “It does not ring with the loud anger that runs through our time. It is mournful, as if unspooling in the candlelight of a day’s end”, and praised the song for its tender, timeless nature, noting it as a “visceral [reminder] of our history”.[8]
Music
The tune is based on the melody of the hymn “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded” (German: “O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden”, text by Paul Gerhardt). The common name for this hymn tune is “Passion Chorale”. The well-known hymn is itself a reworking of an earlier secular song, “Mein G’müt ist mir verwirret”, composed by Hans Leo Hassler.[9]
Personnel
- Paul Simon – vocals, acoustic guitar
- Bob James – keyboards
- Bob Cranshaw – bass guitar
- Grady Tate – drums
- Del Newman – string arrangement
Live performances
“American Tune” became a concert favorite, both for Simon and in reunion concerts with Simon’s former singing partner, Art Garfunkel. The song appears on several of Simon’s solo live albums and on Simon & Garfunkel‘s post-breakup live albums, most famously The Concert in Central Park. A live version with a string quartet appeared on Simon’s 1977 album Greatest Hits, Etc. Simon performed the song live on November 18, 2008, during the airing of The Colbert Report,[10] and on September 11, 2015, to close out the last show of the first week of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.[11] In his surprise appearance at the 2022 Newport Folk Festival, Simon introduced Rhiannon Giddens to sing the song, with lyrics adjusted to include the lines, “We didn’t come here on the Mayflower / We came on a ship in a blood red moon”. Giddens backed the song with banjo, while Simon accompanied on guitar. [12]
Cover versions
The song has been covered by many artists, notably Rhiannon Giddens, Willie Nelson, Eva Cassidy, Ann Wilson, Shawn Colvin, Allen Toussaint, Gretchen Peters, Indigo Girls, Starland Vocal Band, Dave Matthews, Trey Anastasio, John Boutté, Keane, Glen Phillips, Jerry Douglas, Kurt Elling, Curtis Stigers, Darrell Scott, Storyhill, and Stacey Kent.[13] Mandy Patinkin covered the song in Yiddish on his 1998 album Mamaloshen.
In 2017, Elvis Costello released a non-album single version under the pseudonym “The Imposter”. In 2020, Dave Matthews performed “American Tune” for Jimmy Kimmel Live! during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, Rufus Wainwright performed “American Tune” on his tour with the Amsterdam Sinfonietta through the Netherlands.[14]
Simon’s own unfinished demo recording, with incomplete lyrics, was released as a bonus track on the 2004 CD reissue of There Goes Rhymin’ Simon.
Use and references in popular culture
The song has been featured in the television series The Wonder Years,[15] and used as the opening and closing song to Ken Burns’ documentary The Statue of Liberty.[16] A cover version by Crooked Still was used for the closing credits of the final episode of the 2022 series The English.[17]
Simon performed the song at the pre-inaugural concert for Jimmy Carter, held at the Kennedy Center in Washington on January 19, 1977, the evening before Carter’s swearing-in as president.[18]
In late October 2008, the progressive advocacy group Progressive Future produced a 60-second television ad featuring “American Tune” in support of Senator Barack Obama‘s presidential campaign. The “what’s gone wrong” line underscored a photo of President George W. Bush and Obama’s opponent John McCain standing close together.[19]
Charts
| Chart (1973–74) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada (RPM)[20] | 35 |
| Canada Pop Music Playlist (RPM)[21] | 5 |
| US Easy Listening (Billboard)[22] | 8 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[23] | 35 |
“O Sacred Head, Now Wounded” has one of the most layered and fascinating histories of any Passion hymn—its roots stretch nearly a thousand years, passing through medieval monastic devotion, Lutheran hymnody, and Victorian English poetry.
Origins in Medieval Latin Poetry
- The hymn comes from a long medieval Latin poem titled Salve mundi salutare, a devotional work addressing different parts of Christ’s crucified body.
- The section that became “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded” is the portion addressed to Christ’s head, beginning “Salve caput cruentatum.”
- The authorship is debated:
- Traditionally attributed to Bernard of Clairvaux (12th century), a major theologian and mystic.
- Some scholars instead credit Arnulf of Leuven (13th century).
- The earliest surviving manuscript is from the 14th century, so the exact origin remains uncertain.
German Reworking by Paul Gerhardt (1607–1676)
- In the 17th century, Lutheran pastor and poet Paul Gerhardt adapted the Latin poem into German as “O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden.”
- Gerhardt didn’t merely translate—he reshaped the text into a deeply personal, emotional meditation on Christ’s suffering.
- This German version became the standard form sung in Protestant churches.
English Translations
Multiple English versions appeared over the centuries:
- John Gambold (1752): “O Head so full of bruises.”
- James Waddel Alexander (1830): “O sacred head, now wounded” — the version most widely sung today.
- Robert Bridges (1899): Another influential translation, often used in Anglican contexts.
The Melody: From Love Song to Passion Chorale
- The tune was originally a secular love song by Hans Leo Hassler (early 1600s).
- Johann Sebastian Bach later harmonized it and used it repeatedly in his St. Matthew Passion, giving the melody its now-iconic sacred character.
The Hymn’s Enduring Role
- Today, the hymn is one of the most recognized Passion hymns in Christianity.
- It is especially associated with Lent, Holy Week, and Good Friday, where its themes of suffering, devotion, and gratitude resonate deeply.
- Its longevity comes from the fusion of:
- Medieval monastic devotion
- Reformation-era emotional depth
- Bach’s musical genius
- Victorian English poetic sensibility