The Big Bright Green Pleasure Machine
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| "The Big Bright Green Pleasure Machine" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Simon & Garfunkel | |
| from the album Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme | |
| A-side | "The Dangling Conversation" |
| Released | July 1966 |
| Recorded | December 1965 – August 1966 |
| Genre | Folk rock |
| Length | 2:44 |
| Label | Columbia |
| Songwriter | Paul Simon |
| Producer | Bob Johnston |
"The Big Bright Green Pleasure Machine" is a 1966 song by Paul Simon released on Simon & Garfunkel's album Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme, and as a B-side of "The Dangling Conversation", which charted at number 25 on Billboard's Hot 100. It is a commentary on advertising.[1][2]
"The Big Bright Green Pleasure Machine" was written by Simon while he was in London apparently watching his clothes in a washing machine.[citation needed] It takes a cynical view of the advertising on Madison Avenue in New York City.[1] The song includes references to the hippie movement during the Vietnam War as well as a series of unanswered personal questions.[1]
The lyrics are "blisteringly satirical" and aimed at various popular culture targets.[3] In the original album notes, Ralph J. Gleason said this song and "The Dangling Conversation" were criticisms of television and radio commercials.[2] The notes for The Columbia Studio Recordings (1964–1970), a 2001 release of Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme and four other albums, called the track "Simon's caricature of consumer culture".[4]
Release
"The Big Bright Green Pleasure Machine" was released as the B-side of "The Dangling Conversation" in July 1966, reaching number 25 on Billboard's Hot 100.[5] It was the fifth track on Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme, which was released on October 24, 1966 and peaked at number four on the Billboard 200.[6] The song also appeared (in a different version) on the January 1968 release of the soundtrack for the movie The Graduate.[7]
