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Credits
PERFORMING ARTISTS
Paul Simon
Background Vocals
Ray Phiri
Electric Guitar
Bakithi Kumalo
Bass Guitar
Isaac Mtshali
Drums
Ralph MacDonald
Percussion
Rob Mounsey
Synthesizer
Adrian Belew
Guitar Synthesizer
Alan Rubin
Trumpet
Kim Allan Cissel
Trombone
Morris Goldberg
Tin Whistle
Dave Bargeron
Trombone
Jon Faddis
Trumpet
Lew Soloff
Trumpet
Randy Brecker
Trumpet
Ronnie Cuber
Baritone Saxophone
COMPOSITION & LYRICS
Paul Simon
Songwriter
Ray Phiri
Co-Arranger
PRODUCTION & ENGINEERING
Paul Simon
Producer
Roy Halee
Engineer
Mark Cobrin
Assistant Engineer
Lyrics
[Verse 1]
A man walks down the street
He says, "Why am I soft in the middle now?"
Why am I soft in the middle?
The rest of my life is so hard
I need a photo opportunity
I want a shot at redemption
Don't wanna end up a cartoon
In a cartoon graveyard
Bonedigger, bonedigger
Dogs in the moonlight
Far away in my well-lit door
Mr. Beerbelly, Beerbelly
Get these mutts away from me
You know, I don't find this stuff amusing anymore
[Chorus]
If you'll be my bodyguard
I can be your long lost pal
I can call you Betty
And Betty, when you call me, you can call me Al
[Verse 2]
A man walks down the street
He says, "Why am I short of attention?"
Got a short little span of attention
And, whoa, my nights are so long
Where's my wife and family?
What if I die here?
Who'll be my role model
Now that my role model is gone, gone?
He ducked back down the alley
With some roly-poly, little, bat-faced girl
All along, along
There were incidents and accidents
There were hints and allegations
[Chorus]
If you'll be my bodyguard
I can be your long lost pal
I can call you Betty
And Betty, when you call me, you can call me Al
Call me Al
[Verse 3]
A man walks down the street
It's a street in a strange world
Maybe it's the third world
Maybe it's his first time around
Doesn't speak the language
He holds no currency
He is a foreign man
He is surrounded by the sound, the sound
Cattle in the marketplace
Scatterlings and orphanages
He looks around, around
He sees angels in the architecture
Spinning in infinity
He says, "Amen and Hallelujah"
[Chorus]
If you'll be my bodyguard
I can be your long lost pal
I can call you Betty
And Betty, when you call me, you can call me Al
Call me
[Chorus]
If you'll be my bodyguard
I can call you Betty
If you'll be my bodyguard
I can call you Betty
If you'll be my bodyguard
Written by: Paul Simon