Mother and Child Reunion

"Mother and Child Reunion"
Single by Paul Simon
from the album Paul Simon
A-side	"Mother and Child Reunion"
B-side	"Paranoia Blues"
Released	February 1972
Format	7" (45 rpm)
Recorded	1971
Genre	Soft rock, reggae
Length	3:05
Label	Columbia Records
Writer(s)	Paul Simon
Paul Simon singles chronology
"I Am a Rock" 1965 "Mother and Child Reunion" 1972 "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard" (1972)

For the Degrassi: The Next Generation episode, see Mother and Child Reunion (Degrassi: The Next Generation).

"Mother and Child Reunion" is a song by Paul Simon on his album, Paul Simon (1972), his first solo album after Bridge Over Troubled Water. It was released as a single on February 5, 1972, reaching #4 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 charts, and was one of the earliest songs by a white musician to feature prominent elements of reggae.

The song is about the death of his family's dog, while the title has its origin in a chicken-and-egg dish called "Mother and Child Reunion" that Simon saw on a Chinese restaurant's menu. James Benninghof writes that Simon predicts the title event, the "mother and child reunion," while the second verse describes the effect of what happened on "the strange and mournful day," but without making clear what it was.^[1]

The song was recorded in Jamaica with singer Jimmy Cliff's backing group. Guitarist Huks ("Hux") Brown and bass guitarist Jackie Jackson were also long-time members of reggae legends Toots & the Maytals. Cissy Houston, mother of singer Whitney Houston, sang background vocals on this song.

Personnel

• Lead Vocal: Paul Simon
• Drums: Winston Grennan
• Lead guitar: Huks Brown
• Organ: Neville Hinds
• Bass guitar: Jackie Jackson
• EP: Larry Knechtel
• Percussion: Denzil Laing
• Rhythm guitar: Wallace Wilson
• Backup singers: Cissy Houston, Von Eva Sims, Renelle Stafford, Deirdre Tuck

In media

Alvin and the Chipmunks sang this song in the 1985 animated television special A Chipmunk Reunion when they were on a search for their biological mother.

"Mother and Child Reunion" was featured on The Simpsons 19th season episode "Mona Leaves-a" in which Homer's mother, Mona Simpson, dies, and also on the episode "My Mother the Carjacker" from season 15, during a montage of Mona catching up on Homer's missed childhood.

It was used in the fourth episode of the American version of Life on Mars, as well as the second season episode of The Sopranos, "Do Not Resuscitate".

Charts

Chart (1972) Peak Position Australian Singles Chart 5 Canadian Singles Chart 4 Dutch Singles Chart 6 German Singles Chart 23 Irish Singles Chart 15 Norwegian Singles Chart 3 UK Singles Chart 5 US Hot 100 Singles Chart 4 References ^ Benninghof, James. "The Words and Music of Paul Simon, Greenwood Publishing Group, 2007, pp. 53–53. Also see "Snopes - Mother and Child Reunion". Snopes. 2007-05-24. http://www.snopes.com/music/songs/mother.asp. Retrieved 2009-03-04.  Further reading Lacitis, Erik (October 7, 1986). "Dig It: 254 Nonstop Hits! (This Offer is Not Available in Many Stores)," The Seattle Times.