At the Zoo
Simon & Garfunkel
A sharp left turn from Simon and Garfunkel's usual emotional register, this is their whimsical song: a jaunt through Central Park Zoo that becomes an absurdist sociopolitical cartoon with each animal standing in for a human type. Hamsters are "turning on," pigeons plot from steeples, bears are "quite impractical and inbred." The production is light and cheerful — acoustic guitar, bouncy rhythm, Art Garfunkel's voice particularly bright and unguarded. What's remarkable is how easily these two committed folk artists found this gear; the wit here is genuine rather than strained. The lyric operates on multiple registers simultaneously — it's a children's song that isn't, a political allegory that refuses to be heavy, a piece of pure New York smartness. Released in 1967 as a single, it captures something of the era's playful psychedelic energy without any actual psychedelic content. Best heard in spring with the windows open, or as a corrective after something too earnest.
medium
1960s
airy, bright, light
United States
Folk-Pop, Pop. Whimsical Folk. Playful, Witty. Consistently light and absurdist from start to finish, political undertones present but never allowed to become heavy. energy 5. medium. danceability 5. valence 8. vocals: bright, unguarded, witty, light, conversational. production: acoustic guitar, bouncy rhythm, cheerful and uncluttered arrangement. texture: airy, bright, light. acousticness 7. era: 1960s. United States. In spring with windows open, or as a playful corrective after something too earnest.