On Aug. 25, 1986, Paul Simon released his seventh solo album, “Graceland,” the title track of which features the songwriter singing about his road trip to Elvis Presley’s house of the same name. I grew up listening to “Graceland” during family road trips and recently gave my dad a signed vinyl copy for Father’s Day.
The song “Graceland” is partially autobiographical, as Simon actually took a trip to Graceland while working on the lyrics. He has said in the past that he felt an inexplicable desire that he “should investigate” whether he’d find some larger truth at the house.
Simon ended up being “unimpressed” until the end of the tour when he came upon the singer’s grave and saw a sign that read, “Elvis Presley, whose music touched millions of people all around the world.” As the musician tells the story, this touching note made him cry.
With the 30th anniversary of Simon’s album coming up, I decided I should make my own equivalent road trip. Just as Simon went to the house of an icon in his creative world, I would go to the house of a fixture that loomed over my field. Just like Simon, I would road trip across America seeking answers. All the answers.
As a content creator on the internet, I would drive to the ends of the Earth to get to the house of whoever created the iconic bass-filled “Seinfeld” theme music.
This would be my “Bassland.”
I just hoped I wouldn’t fail to live up to a pun of this magnitude.
Given the confines of the contemporary journalism industry, I tend to write many trivia-based stories about the same handful of television shows that aren’t even on the air anymore. Such as “Seinfeld.” But as I run past an intentionally bizarre mural of “Seinfeld” every day near my New York City apartment, I’m repeatedly reminded of the possibility to leech on to the show’s existing popularity to try and create new content that’s more about me.
Hence this quest.
After a bit of research, I reached out to the “Seinfeld” theme creator, Jonathan Wolff, and explained my plan. Instead of ignoring me or laughing me away, he graciously invited me to make the trip. And with fate already being on my side, Wolff informed me he lives just a few hours north of Elvis’ Graceland home.
On the “Graceland” album, Simon sings of a “national guitar.” In my version, it’s a “viral guitar.” Simon sings about having a traveling companion who’s 9 years old. I traveled with my far-too-patient girlfriend. The slap bass that’s all throughout “Graceland” would now be slap bass all throughout “Bassland.”
On the cover of Simon’s album is the knight, St. George, who battled a dragon and, at least in one contemporary take on the myth, sought The Holy Grail. I’d be stopping at nothing in seeking the pop culture Holy Grail, the iconic “Seinfeld” bass, which nobody has known the fate of ... until now.
As Simon sings in “Graceland”:
For reasons I cannot explain
There’s some part of me wants to see
Graceland
A long tradition exists of mashing up the “Seinfeld” bass theme with other songs. Wolff told me he’s proud that this happens. And so, to start the journey, my friend Nora Knight made the official “Bassland” track with updated lyrics:
Part I/4: “The Boy In The Bubble”
On Thursday, Aug. 11, 2016, Arianna Huffington announced she would be leaving The Huffington Post after 11 years.
Ever since joining HuffPost roughly three years ago, Arianna Huffington has obviously been a large presence in my career. So, along with most of my co-workers, I had no idea her recent announcement of departure from the site was coming. Despite the teachings about abundant rest that she’s known for, her decision certainly led to a sleepless night.
Unsure of what would come next, I became filled with a strong visceral desire to make sense of my Simon-esque journey.