The Afterlife

"The Afterlife" is a song by American singer-songwriter Paul Simon from his twelfth studio album, So Beautiful or So What (2011). The song humorously describes a recently deceased individual standing in line to meet with his heavenly creator in Heaven.

The song peaked at number four on Billboard's Adult Alternative Songs chart.

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Transcription

Background

The song concerns a man dying and getting to heaven, where he waits in line to meet with God, where everyone is "filling out forms and waiting in line to catch 'a glimpse of the divine.'"^[1] While in line, he unsuccessfully hits on a woman. When he finally meets God, he is taken aback, and can only spout gibberish.^[2]

Reception

Will Hermes of Rolling Stone gave the song four stars, commenting, "Packed with internal rhymes, Simon's verses flow like butter over supple lines by Cameroonian guitar master Vincent Nguini and Jim Oblon's syncopated grooves."^[2] Margaret Wappler of the Los Angeles Times praised the song as memorable, commending its "zydeco-inflected shuffle" and remarking, "According to Paul Simon, the afterlife is a bureaucratic bummer as bad as the DMV."^[1]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Paul Simon

Digital download
No.	Title	Length
1.	"The Afterlife"	3:39

Chart positions

Weekly charts

Chart (2011)	Peak position
US Adult Alternative Songs (Billboard)^[3]	4
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)^[4]	50

References

^ ^a ^b Margaret Wappler (April 11, 2011). "Album review: Paul Simon's 'So Beautiful or So What'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
^ ^a ^b Will Hermes (February 18, 2011). "Paul Simon "The Afterlife"". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 21, 2011. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
^ "Paul Simon Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
^ "Paul Simon Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 24, 2014.

v t e Paul Simon songs
Discography
The Paul Simon Songbook	"I Am a Rock" "Leaves That Are Green" "April Come She Will" "The Sound of Silence" "A Simple Desultory Philippic" "Patterns"
Paul Simon	"Mother and Child Reunion" "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard" "Duncan"
There Goes Rhymin' Simon	"Kodachrome" "Loves Me Like a Rock" "American Tune" "Take Me to the Mardi Gras" "Something So Right" "St. Judy's Comet"
Paul Simon in Concert: Live Rhymin'	"The Sound of Silence"
Still Crazy After All These Years	"Gone at Last" "My Little Town" "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" "Still Crazy After All These Years"
Greatest Hits, Etc.	"Slip Slidin' Away" "Stranded in a Limousine"
One-Trick Pony	"Late in the Evening" "One-Trick Pony" "Oh, Marion"
Hearts and Bones	"Allergies" "The Late Great Johnny Ace" "Think Too Much"
Graceland	"You Can Call Me Al" "Graceland" "The Boy in the Bubble" "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes" "Under African Skies" "Homeless"
The Rhythm of the Saints	"The Obvious Child" "Proof" "Born at the Right Time"
You're the One	"Old" "You're the One"
Surprise	"Father and Daughter" "That's Me" "Outrageous"
So Beautiful or So What	"Getting Ready for Christmas Day" "The Afterlife"
Stranger to Stranger	"Wristband" "Cool Papa Bell" "The Werewolf"
Featured singles	"Wonderful World" "The Blues" "The Boxer" "New York Is My Home"
Other songs	"Rene and Georgette Magritte with Their Dog after the War" "Thelma"
Category

This page was last edited on 26 November 2023, at 14:08

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