Kathy's Song
????&??????? Lyrics
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Like a memory it falls
Soft and warm continuing
Tapping on my roof and walls
My mind's distracted and confused
My thoughts are many miles away
They lie with you when you're asleep
And as I watch the drops of rain
Weave their weary paths and die
I know that I am like the rain
There before the grace of you go I
The opening lines of the song imply introspection, as the singer hears the "drizzle of the rain" in a way that evokes memories, and it falls "soft and warm continuing" much like the feelings they associate with it. However, this seemingly peaceful moment is disturbed by the singer's confusion and distraction, which takes their thoughts many miles away to a person they are separated from. The following lines introduce a sense of longing and tenderness as the singer confesses that they think of this person even when they are asleep, and that the thought of kissing them good morning when they wake up is enough to distract them from the present. In the final lines, the singer compares themselves to the rain, recognizing that they too are subject to forces beyond their control, and that they exist in a state of vulnerability and dependence on the person they are singing to. This acknowledgement of frailty is matched with an expression of gratitude as the singer acknowledges the grace and kindness of this person, subtly revealing the depth of their emotions for them.
Overall, this song captures the feeling of being lost in thought while facing adverse circumstances, as well as the comfort and vulnerability that come with love. The imagery of the rain is used to evoke a sense of calm and quietness, while also drawing attention to the connection between the singer and the person they miss. The repeated line "There before the grace of you go I" is a powerful affirmation of the role that this person plays in the singer's life, highlighting how they owe their own well-being and sense of purpose to the presence of this other person.
Line by Line Meaning
I hear the drizzle of the rain
I sense the sound of the raindrops falling gently from the sky
Like a memory it falls
The sound of the raindrops falling evokes a memory in me
Soft and warm continuing
The rain continues to fall gently, soothingly and with warmth
Tapping on my roof and walls
The sound of the raindrops tapping against my roof and walls is comforting
My mind's distracted and confused
My thoughts are scattered and I'm unable to focus
My thoughts are many miles away
My mind is preoccupied with thoughts that are far away
They lie with you when you're asleep
My thoughts are with you even when you're asleep
Kiss you when you start the day
My thoughts of you give me a sense of warmth and affection each morning
And as I watch the drops of rain
As I look at the raindrops falling outside
Weave their weary paths and die
I notice the raindrops following their path, slowly losing energy and eventually disappearing
I know that I am like the rain
I see a reflection of myself in the raindrops – following a similar path and eventually fading away
There before the grace of you go I
Without you, I am nothing – you are the source of my happiness, beauty and grace
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PAUL SIMON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jucameron
Paul Simon met Kathleen Mary “Kathy” Chitty at the very first English folk club in which he played, the Railway Inn Folk Club in Brentwood, Essex, on 12th April, 1964. Kathy, who worked there, was then 17, Paul was 22, and it appears to have been love at first sight.
A few weeks later Simon wrote "Homeward Bound" as he sat on Widnes Railway Station waiting for the train that would take him back to her. There's a plaque at the station recalling this event. Later that year he invited her to the US where they toured around mainly by bus.
Kathy returned to England on her own with Simon returning to her some weeks later. During this separation he wrote "America" clearly a love song to Kathy:
"Kathy, I'm lost," I said, though I knew she was sleeping
"I'm empty and aching and I don't know why"
During their separation he also wrote the immortal "Kathy’s Song", one of the most beautiful love songs ever written:
I gaze beyond the rain-drenched streets
To England where my heart lies.
My mind's distracted and diffused
My thoughts are many miles away
They lie with you when you're asleep
And kiss you when you start your day.
When he returned to London he recorded the album "The Paul Simon Songbook" that included "Kathy’s Song", and had a photo of Simon and Kathy on the cover. In the meantime, "The Sound of Silence" started to receive major air-play in America eventually becoming No 1 in the US charts in 1965. Simon felt the need to return to the US to continue his career but this meant splitting up with Kathy because she wanted no part of the crazy US music scene.
Kathy later married and brought up three children in a remote mountain village in North Wales where she still lives - she is now a grandmother. Now well into his 70s, Simon recalls their months together with great tenderness and says it was "by far the most peaceful time of my life". In fact he didn't hear from her for over 20 years but after the success of "Graceland" she wrote to congratulate him. When, in 1991, Simon toured the UK, Kathy and her family attended his show in Sheffield. They met again in July 2004 after his "Old Friends Reunion Tour" stop at Hyde Park in London (where her three children now live).
@TheDaRkUs06
I hear the drizzle of the rain
Like a memory it falls
Soft and warm continuing
Tapping on my roof and walls
And from the shelter of my mind
Through the window of my eyes
I gaze beyond the rain-drenched streets
To England where my heart lies
My mind's distracted and diffused
My thoughts are many miles away
They lie with you when you're asleep
And kiss you when you start your day
And a song I was writing is left undone
I don't know why I spend my time
Writing songs I can't believe
With words that tear and strain to rhyme
And so you see I have come to doubt
All that I once held as true
I stand alone without beliefs
The only truth I know is you
And as I watch the drops of rain
Weave their weary paths and die
I know that I am like the rain
There but for the grace of you go I
@JamesHH
I’ve just heard this song for the first time at the age of 33, it had me starting to think about life, career and family.
I started to sob. This hits deep and I wonder if others feel as lost as me when they hear it.
Buonanotte 🙏🏻
@christinadrummond8062
@-JamesHH - I first heard this song just three years after the album came out, I was a young teen - and since then I've not heard a more beautiful love song. (I wasn't a typical thirteen-year-old, I loved poetry and history and writers like Dostoyevsky). I didn't know the story behind the song then, but many years later when I read about it I understood the sense of loss that I had felt but couldn't put a name to. You are so right, it does hit deep, and still does. I never did meet anyone who I felt could have written such a song for me, but maybe I expected too much.........
@JamesHH
@@christinadrummond8062 what a beautiful comment. ❤️ Thank you for sharing. I hope you’re well.
@christinadrummond8062
@@JamesHH - bless you and thank you! I do hope that life will be good to you, and that the sense of loss will diminish.
@rimmersbryggeri
I first heard it when I was about 15 or 16 and it has been one of my favourite songs ever since. Had a love interest called Catherine that lived in england for a time to. :)
@axiesimon5252
Growing up, my father sang this song to me as a lullaby. I remember falling asleep to the sound of him singing, and though I am 23 now, I still haven't discovered a greater peace than listening to it or singing it. I'll sing it to my fiancé, I'll sing it to my children, and I know one day, if I'm blessed to be there during his final moments, I'll sing it to my dad once more. There is love in these chords, and it's a shame we don't have artists like Paul Simon in the spotlight nowadays.
@triplem9805
Artists of his stature don't happen along very often, but I'm sure they will continue to appear from time to time. For me, it's important not to miss wonderful songs by expecting them to be similar to the ones we already love. So 'The Winner Takes It All' by Abba, and Billy Joel's 'Innocent Man', and The Hollies' 'The Air That I Breathe' (particularly as covered by kd lang) in very different ways capture something uniquely brilliantly about life and love.
Having said that (and maybe it's because of my generation) it does seem that lyrics that speak right into the soul, woven into wonderful melodies and arrangements, pop up less often now than they did a while ago.
@Videojohnnyboy
Axie Simon - what a lovely memory to share
@mindfulharmony1816
Yes, I agree with you. What lovely memories. And your fiancé , your children and especially your Dad will love hearing you sing it. ❤️🌺🌹
@patriciaryan2134
Thats truly beautiful. Its what life is all about