My Heart Beats Like A Fist

Paul Simon “Wristband”

“Wristband” starts off as a joke about a rock musician stepping out for a smoke but getting locked out of a venue, and trying and failing to get back in despite being a headliner. But that’s just the jumping-off point, as Simon’s character reckons with losing his privilege even just for a few minutes, and then snaps back into proper perspective by imagining all the “homeless and the lowly” who will never get that metaphorical wristband granting them access to wealth, success, and comfort. Simon’s voice is relaxed but sardonic, and the groove is funky but a bit busy and vaguely agitated. He gets just the right balance of lightness, aggravation, and introspection, which is pretty key for a song like this – knock it too much in any direction, and I think the sentiment might become ridiculous or kinda douchey.

Buy it from Amazon.