Sbagliando s'impera

Ho un attacco di Simon & Garfunkel. Non preoccupatevi. Mi succede, poi passa e non lascia conseguenze.

Tra le canzoni meno note, e più belle (forse la più bella in assoluto, melodicamente) c’è questa. Questa è una versione semplicissima e particolarmente toccante:

Anche le parole sono in sintonia con i miei pensieri attuali, pieni di stanchezza:

Many’s the time I’ve been mistaken, and many times confused
Yes and I’ve often felt forsaken, and certainly misused
Ah but I’m alright, I’m alright, I’m just weary to my bones
Still you don’t expect to be bright and bon-vivant
So far away from home, so far away from home

And I don’t know a soul who’s not been battered
I don’t have a friend who feels at ease
I don’t know a dream that’s not been shattered or driven to its knees
But it’s alright, it’s alright, for we lived so well, so long
Still, when I think of the road we’re traveling on
I wonder what’s gone wrong, I can’t help it I wonder what’s gone wrong

And I dreamed I was dying, I dreamed that my soul rose unexpectedly
And looking back down at me, smiled reassuringly
And I dreamed I was flying, and high up above my eyes could clearly see
The statue of liberty, sailing away to sea, and I dreamed I was flying

But we come on a ship they called Mayflower
We come on a ship that sailed the moon
We come in the ages’ most uncertain hours and sing an American tune
And it’s alright, oh it’s alright, it’s alright, you can be forever blessed
Still tomorrow’s gonna be another working day and I’m trying to get some rest
That’s all I’m trying, to get some rest

La canzone è del solo Paul Simon (era nel suo secondo disco da solo, dopo che il duo s’era sciolto, ed è basata su una rielaborazione di un corale di Bach incluso nella Passione secondo Matteo. Bach a sua volta l’aveva tratta da una canzone profana, Mein Gmüth ist mir verwirret, di Hans Hassler.

Qui la canta (inizialmente) Art Garfunkel, nel reunion tour del 1981 (penso):

Questo il corale di Bach (O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden):

L’originale di Hans Leo Hassler non l’ho trovato.