At the Zoo

Single infobox
Name = At the Zoo


Artist = Simon and Garfunkel
from Album = Bookends
Released = 1967
Format = 7" single
Recorded = January 1967
Genre = Folk rock
Length = 2:11
Label = Columbia Records
Producer = Simon and Garfunkel
Roy Halee
Last single = "A Hazy Shade of Winter" (1966)
This single = "At the Zoo" (1967)
Next single = "Fakin' It" (1967)

"At the Zoo" was one of Simon's and Garfunkel's single releases in 1967.

The song is one of Paul Simon's many tributes to his hometown of New York City. The narrative tells the story of a trip to the Central Park Zoo; when the singer reaches the zoo, he anthropomorphizes the animals in various amusing ways, with a resulting cynical eye towards human life. Such statements as "elephants are kindly, but they're dumb," "antelopes are missionaries" and "pigeons plot in secrecy" reflect more about man than they do about the menagerie. The song was licensed in advertisements for the Bronx Zoo in the late 1970s.

Releases

"At the Zoo" was first released as a single in 1967, reaching #16 on the Billboard Hot 100. After that, it was released on the following albums:

*"Bookends" (1968)
*"The Best of Simon and Garfunkel" (1999)
*"Tales from New York: The Very Best of Simon & Garfunkel" (2000)

The song was also performed live by Simon and Garfunkel in the "" album in 2004, as part of a medley with "Baby Driver".

The Book

In 1991, Paul Simon released a children's book titled "At the Zoo" (ISBN 0-385-41771-3) which combines the lyrics of the song with the very detailed illustrations of Valerie Michaut. To make this book appropriate for children, Simon made changes and additions, including identifying Rum as a beaver (because the original lyric states that "the zookeeper is very fond of rum") and giving the hamsters headlights (because they "turn on frequently").