"Mother and Child Reunion" is a song written by Paul Simon, and is on his eponymous debut album. It was released as a single in 1972, and reached #4 on the American charts.
The song was one of the earliest by a white musician to feature prominent elements of reggae. The name has its origin in a chicken and egg dish called "Mother and Child Reunion" that Paul Simon saw on a Chinese restaurant's menu. The song has been interpreted as a meditation on death, specifically the death of a mother and the hope of reunification in the afterlife. The references to a "strange and mournful day" may support this theory.
The song was recorded in Jamaica with singer Jimmy Cliff's backing group; guitarist Hucks (often "Hux") Brown and bassist Jackie Jackson were also long-time members of reggae legends Toots and the Maytals. Cissy Houston, mother of singer Whitney Houston, sang background vocals on this song.
