[peel] A new England

[John Gray]

I remember hearing him explain once how he thought they were great opening lines for a song, and didn't think anyone would mind if he used them - then he got a letter from Paul Simon's lawyers!  He didn't say how things were resolved though.

john Gray


On 19 May 2012, at 22:32, lorcan58 wrote:

> I'm sure most of you already know this but I never realised that Billy Bragg's iconic opening lines:
> 
> I was 21 years when I wrote this song
> 22 now but I won't be for long
> 
> were actually lifted from a 1967 Simon & Garfunkel song "The Leaves That Are Green". You can listen to the original here:
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeTMPyLP5YM
> 
> Mind you, I always wondered how he aged a year between the first and second lines...
> 
> Lorcan
> 
>