In a New York Times op-ed in 1999, in the wake of DiMaggio’s death, Simon discussed the meeting and explained that the iconic lines were meant as a candid tribute to DiMaggio’s modest, heroic character, given that we live in an era where popular culture has the power to distort how we perceive our heroes. He accepted the explanation and thanked me. Simon replied, again containing flecks of his countercultural spirit: “I didn’t mean the lines literally, that I thought of him as an American hero and that genuine heroes were in short supply. Coffee commercial, I’m a spokesman for the Bowery Savings Bank and I haven’t gone anywhere!” Simon would bump into DiMaggio in a New York restaurant in the ’70s, and he was asked: “What I don’t understand, is why you ask where I’ve gone. It directly referenced baseball hero, Joe DiMaggio, and instead of using his personal baseball hero Mickey Mantle, Simon elected to discuss DiMaggio due to syllables and more importantly, his off-field personality. The duo’s biggest hit, memorably, made waves as part of the soundtrack for the 1967 Mike Nichols’ classic film The Graduate. This, added to the isolation he felt whilst travelling amongst the post-industrial landscape of England is brilliant. Throughout the song, he discusses emptiness, mediocrity and the desire to be absolved of his current lovesick thoughts. Yearning for his beloved Kathy, the song’s lyrics are drenched in Simon’s longing to be reunited with her. To commemorate the song, there is a plaque on the Liverpool bound platform as Windes train station. It is also alleged by some fans that he also referenced the same train station in 1969’s ‘The Boxer’. Said to have been written in Widnes, Cheshire, of all places, the lovesick ‘Homeward Bound’ was written by Simon when he was missing his girlfriend, Kathy Chitty, of ‘Kathy’s Song’ fame, after a solo show in Liverpool circa 1965. “And each town looks the same to me / The movies and the factories / And every stranger’s face I see / Reminds me that I long to be / Homeward bound / I wish I was.” Lovesick – ‘Homeward Bound’, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme Whilst the basis of the track remains somewhat unclear, there can be no doubt that it is drenched in the spirit and symbolism of the era’s countercultural movement. Originally titled ‘The Sounds of Silence’, the song that became ‘The Sound of Silence’ is one of Paul Simon’s highlights from his career. Paul Simon’s 10 best lyrics: Countercultural Symbolism – ‘The Sound of Silence’, Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.Īlthough the original version of this track was a commercial failure, the redubbed effort is a classic. Join us, then, as we dig into Paul Simon’s greatest lyrics. It is one that not only offers up a great portal in Simon’s mind but also acts as somewhat of a cultural timeline that takes us from the days of counterculture to the hope that the end of the ’80s represented. When one enters the lyrical world of Paul Simon, it is one of oddities and personal tales, humour and great sadness. The first page might have all sorts of lines that will never be used, but as I turn the pages, a little thought might come forward and suggest potential for development.” He continued: “Slowly, a song will begin to emerge although sometimes it will stagger along, day after day, making no progress at all. “I get going fairly early in the morning, because my mind is sharp, and start by dating the pad and putting down personal comments, such as how I am feeling that day, so that it becomes a diary of sorts.” “I work with my guitar and a legal pad and use about 50 pages to develop a song,” Simon wrote.

In George Martin’s 1983 book, Making Music, Simon detailed his songwriting process, and his method is fascinating. It is understandable, then, that to Paul Simon, songwriting is a craft, and one that he takes very seriously. Think Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitane.Īfter the duo split in 1970, Simon would go on to have an equally celebrated solo career, delivering 1986’s most significant record, the iconic and culturally significant Graceland.

Like with many great artists, though, fame and its trappings would get in the way, and the two would subsequently be known as music’s resident warring couple. The pair fused the influences of Woody Guthrie, Lead Belly and The Everly Brothers and made something truly timeless.

The song Paul Simon wrote to parody Bob Dylan

Simon garfunkel bookends spoof