Art Garfunkel (born Arthur Ira Garfunkel on 5 November 1941 in Forest Hills… Read Full Bio ↴Art Garfunkel (born Arthur Ira Garfunkel on 5 November 1941 in Forest Hills, Queens, NYC, USA) is an American singer and actor, best known as half of the folk duo Simon & Garfunkel. He is of Romanian Jewish ancestry.
He met his future singing partner, Paul Simon, in the sixth grade. Between 1956 and 1962, the two had performed together as Tom & Jerry. Garfunkel ("Tom Graph") chose his nickname because he liked to track, or "graph" hits, on the pop charts. Garfunkel attended Columbia University in the early sixties, where he sang with the Kingsmen, an all-male a cappella group. While at Columbia, he was also a Brother of the Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity. In 1962 Garfunkel earned a Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in art history, followed eventually by a Master's degree in mathematics.
In 1963 he and Simon reformed the duo under their own names as Simon and Garfunkel and released their first album, Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. on Columbia Records in October 1964. It was not a critical success, and the duo effectively split again after recording. The next year their producer Tom Wilson lifted the song "The Sound of Silence" from the record, redubbed an electric backing onto it, and released it as a single, which eventually went to #1 on the Billboard pop charts. They reunited and went on to become two of the most popular artists of the 1960s, releasing a total of five studio albums. However, citing personal differences and divergence in career interests, they split following the release of their most critically acclaimed album, Bridge Over Troubled Water, in 1970.
Solo career
In the 1970s, Garfunkel released a few solo albums, and although he did not reach the heights that Simon and Garfunkel had reached, he still scored hits with "I Only Have Eyes For You" (a 1934 song originally written by Harry Warren [1]) and "Bright Eyes" (both British #1 hit singles), and "All I Know" (#9 in the United States). A version of "Bright Eyes" also appeared in the movie Watership Down. He briefly reunited with Paul Simon in the 1975 hit "My Little Town".
Art Garfunkel (centre) with his band after the show at Liseberg fairground on June 4 1998
Enlarge
Art Garfunkel (centre) with his band after the show at Liseberg fairground on June 4 1998
In between, he also acted in a few movies, including Catch-22 and Carnal Knowledge (1971) with Jack Nicholson, Candice Bergen, and Ann-Margret.
Following disappointing sales of his 1981 album Scissors Cut, Garfunkel reunited with Paul Simon for the famous concert in Central Park. The subsequent world tour went well musically, but they had disagreements during the tour, with the disappointment for Art Garfunkel that Paul Simon excluded Art's voice from the new album that was announced as a S&G album and came out as a new Paul Simon solo album Hearts and Bones. The reason for that was that Paul Simon's songs were very personal. After this, Garfunkel left the music scene for several years, but returned in 1988 with the album Lefty. None of these projects garnered much critical success, and Garfunkel did not release another album until 1993's Up 'til Now. Perhaps his most noteworthy recent release is his live 1996 concert Across America, recorded live at the registry hall on Ellis Island. The concert features several musical guests, including James Taylor, Garfunkel's wife, Kim, and his son James Arthur.
Garfunkel also performed the theme song for the 1991 television series, "Brooklyn Bridge", and in 1998 Garfunkel sang "The Ballad of Buster Baxter" for an episode of the PBS Kids cartoon Arthur.
Recent events
In 2003, Garfunkel made his debut as a songwriter on his well-received Everything Waits to Be Noticed album. Teaming up with singer-songwriters Maia Sharp and Buddy Mondlock, the album represented some of Garfunkel's strongest solo performances to date, and contained several songs whose origins were poems penned by Garfunkel. Everything Waits to Be Noticed is recognized as his first true effort at songwriting, save his teenage years with Paul Simon in Tom and Jerry.
In 2003, Art Garfunkel and Paul Simon reunited one more time and buried their disagreements once and for all. The world tour in 2003 and 2004 that followed was this time very joyful and was a big success. After the tour, they went their own ways.
Garfunkel made news in early 2004 when he was arrested for possession of cannabis.
The only new recording on the collection The Art Garfunkel Album (1984), the song "Sometimes When I'm Dreaming" (written by Mike Batt), was re-recorded in 2005 by ex ABBA singer Agnetha Fältskog on her comeback album My Colouring Book.
In August 2005, Garfunkel received his second cannabis possession charge after a state police trooper found a joint in the ashtray of his car while in New York State. [2]
In 2006, Garfunkel signed with Rhino Records (revived Atco Records,) and his first Rhino/Atco album Some Enchanted Evening was released in America on January 30, 2007. [3] In late February 2007 during a German television interview to promote his new album Some Enchanted Evening, Garfunkel expressed interest in reuniting with Paul Simon on a new album.
He met his future singing partner, Paul Simon, in the sixth grade. Between 1956 and 1962, the two had performed together as Tom & Jerry. Garfunkel ("Tom Graph") chose his nickname because he liked to track, or "graph" hits, on the pop charts. Garfunkel attended Columbia University in the early sixties, where he sang with the Kingsmen, an all-male a cappella group. While at Columbia, he was also a Brother of the Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity. In 1962 Garfunkel earned a Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in art history, followed eventually by a Master's degree in mathematics.
In 1963 he and Simon reformed the duo under their own names as Simon and Garfunkel and released their first album, Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. on Columbia Records in October 1964. It was not a critical success, and the duo effectively split again after recording. The next year their producer Tom Wilson lifted the song "The Sound of Silence" from the record, redubbed an electric backing onto it, and released it as a single, which eventually went to #1 on the Billboard pop charts. They reunited and went on to become two of the most popular artists of the 1960s, releasing a total of five studio albums. However, citing personal differences and divergence in career interests, they split following the release of their most critically acclaimed album, Bridge Over Troubled Water, in 1970.
Solo career
In the 1970s, Garfunkel released a few solo albums, and although he did not reach the heights that Simon and Garfunkel had reached, he still scored hits with "I Only Have Eyes For You" (a 1934 song originally written by Harry Warren [1]) and "Bright Eyes" (both British #1 hit singles), and "All I Know" (#9 in the United States). A version of "Bright Eyes" also appeared in the movie Watership Down. He briefly reunited with Paul Simon in the 1975 hit "My Little Town".
Art Garfunkel (centre) with his band after the show at Liseberg fairground on June 4 1998
Enlarge
Art Garfunkel (centre) with his band after the show at Liseberg fairground on June 4 1998
In between, he also acted in a few movies, including Catch-22 and Carnal Knowledge (1971) with Jack Nicholson, Candice Bergen, and Ann-Margret.
Following disappointing sales of his 1981 album Scissors Cut, Garfunkel reunited with Paul Simon for the famous concert in Central Park. The subsequent world tour went well musically, but they had disagreements during the tour, with the disappointment for Art Garfunkel that Paul Simon excluded Art's voice from the new album that was announced as a S&G album and came out as a new Paul Simon solo album Hearts and Bones. The reason for that was that Paul Simon's songs were very personal. After this, Garfunkel left the music scene for several years, but returned in 1988 with the album Lefty. None of these projects garnered much critical success, and Garfunkel did not release another album until 1993's Up 'til Now. Perhaps his most noteworthy recent release is his live 1996 concert Across America, recorded live at the registry hall on Ellis Island. The concert features several musical guests, including James Taylor, Garfunkel's wife, Kim, and his son James Arthur.
Garfunkel also performed the theme song for the 1991 television series, "Brooklyn Bridge", and in 1998 Garfunkel sang "The Ballad of Buster Baxter" for an episode of the PBS Kids cartoon Arthur.
Recent events
In 2003, Garfunkel made his debut as a songwriter on his well-received Everything Waits to Be Noticed album. Teaming up with singer-songwriters Maia Sharp and Buddy Mondlock, the album represented some of Garfunkel's strongest solo performances to date, and contained several songs whose origins were poems penned by Garfunkel. Everything Waits to Be Noticed is recognized as his first true effort at songwriting, save his teenage years with Paul Simon in Tom and Jerry.
In 2003, Art Garfunkel and Paul Simon reunited one more time and buried their disagreements once and for all. The world tour in 2003 and 2004 that followed was this time very joyful and was a big success. After the tour, they went their own ways.
Garfunkel made news in early 2004 when he was arrested for possession of cannabis.
The only new recording on the collection The Art Garfunkel Album (1984), the song "Sometimes When I'm Dreaming" (written by Mike Batt), was re-recorded in 2005 by ex ABBA singer Agnetha Fältskog on her comeback album My Colouring Book.
In August 2005, Garfunkel received his second cannabis possession charge after a state police trooper found a joint in the ashtray of his car while in New York State. [2]
In 2006, Garfunkel signed with Rhino Records (revived Atco Records,) and his first Rhino/Atco album Some Enchanted Evening was released in America on January 30, 2007. [3] In late February 2007 during a German television interview to promote his new album Some Enchanted Evening, Garfunkel expressed interest in reuniting with Paul Simon on a new album.
I Shall Sing
Art Garfunkel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I shall sing, sing my song,
Be it right, be it wrong.
In the night, in the day,
Anyhow, anyway, I shall sing:
La la la la la la la la,
La la la la la la la.
La la la la la la la la,
La la la la la la la la la la la.
With my heart, with my soul,
For the young, for the old.
When I'm high, when I'm low,
When I'm first, When I'm slow, I shall sing:
La la la la la la la la,
La la la la la la la.
La la la la la la la la,
La la la la la la la la la la la.
I shall sing, sing my song,
Be it right, be it wrong.
In the night, in the day,
Anyhow, anyway, I shall sing:
La la la la la la la la,
La la la la la la la la la la la.
La la la la la la la la,
La la la la la la la la la la la.
Be it right, be it wrong.
In the night, in the day,
Anyhow, anyway, I shall sing:
La la la la la la la la,
La la la la la la la.
La la la la la la la la,
With my heart, with my soul,
For the young, for the old.
When I'm high, when I'm low,
When I'm first, When I'm slow, I shall sing:
La la la la la la la la,
La la la la la la la.
La la la la la la la la,
La la la la la la la la la la la.
I shall sing, sing my song,
Be it right, be it wrong.
In the night, in the day,
Anyhow, anyway, I shall sing:
La la la la la la la la,
La la la la la la la la la la la.
La la la la la la la la,
La la la la la la la la la la la.
In Art Garfunkel's song "I Shall Sing," the lyrics suggest a resolve to sing no matter what the circumstances may be. Whether right or wrong, day or night, high or low, fast or slow, Garfunkel will use his heart and soul to sing for everyone, young and old. The repetition of "La la la" in the chorus creates an upbeat and lively atmosphere, emphasizing the joy and appreciation that comes from singing.
The song can be seen as a message of determination and hope, inspiring listeners to pursue their passions without being discouraged by obstacles or setbacks. The use of the word "shall" instead of "will" in the lyrics also gives a sense of inevitability or destiny, implying that singing is Garfunkel's true calling that he simply cannot resist. Additionally, the open-endedness of the song's message leaves it open to interpretation, allowing listeners to find their own personal meanings and connections.
Line by Line Meaning
I am committed to singing my song, regardless of whether it is deemed correct or incorrect by society
Day or night, I will sing my song no matter what happens
The tune will be heard whether it is sung in a particular way or not
With all my heart and soul, I will sing for both young and old generations
Whether I am in a good or bad mood, fast or slow pace, I shall still sing
The melody will continue no matter what life throws my way
I will sing my song, regardless of its popularity and acceptance
The tune will still be heard, regardless of its rightness or wrongness
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Van Morrison
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Doug O
@Johnny Lackland Not really. 1974 is considered a fairly weak year, in terms of Top 40 music. So was 1973 and 1979, 1980. Here are the songs on the chart that blocked the great Art Garfunkel song from going higher:
US Top 40 Singles Week Ending 9th February, 1974
TW LW TITLE –•– Artist (Label)-Weeks on Chart (Peak To Date)
1 3 LOVE’S THEME –•– The Love Unlimited Orchestra (20th Century)-11 (1 week at #1) (1)
2 1 THE WAY WE WERE –•– Barbra Streisand (Columbia)-12 (1)
3 2 YOU’RE SIXTEEN –•– Ringo Starr (Apple)-9 (1)
4 5 AMERICANS –•– Byron MacGregor (Westbound)-6 (4)
5 8 UNTIL YOU COME BACK TO ME (That’s What I’m Gonna Do) –•– Aretha Franklin (Atlantic)-12 (5)
6 7 LET ME BE THERE –•– Olivia Newton-John (MCA)-13 (6)
7 10 SPIDERS & SNAKES –•– Jim Stafford (MGM)-14 (7)
8 4 SHOW AND TELL –•– Al Wilson (Rocky Road)-17 (1)
9 6 I’VE GOT TO USE MY IMAGINATION –•– Gladys Knight and the Pips (Buddah)-12 (4)
10 14 JUNGLE BOOGIE –•– Kool and the Gang (De-Lite)-10 (10)
11 9 THE JOKER –•– The Steve Miller Band (Capitol)-17 (1)
12 11 SMOKIN’ IN THE BOY’S ROOM –•– Brownsville Station (Big Tree)-16 (3)
13 17 ROCK ON –•– David Essex (Columbia)-14 (13)
14 19 BOOGIE DOWN –•– Eddie Kendricks (Tamla)-6 (14)
15 18 PUT YOUR HANDS TOGETHER –•– The O’Jays (Philadelphia International)-8 (15)
16 13 LIVING FOR THE CITY –•– Stevie Wonder (Tamla)-14 (8)
17 22 DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO (Heartbreaker) –•– The Rolling Stones (Rolling Stones)-5 (17)
18 12 TIME IN A BOTTLE –•– Jim Croce (ABC)-13 (1)
19 23 I LOVE –•– Tom T. Hall (Mercury)-10 (19)
20 15 NEVER, NEVER GONNA GIVE YA UP –•– Barry White (20th Century)-16 (7)
21 27 LAST TIME I SAW HIM –•– Diana Ross (Motown)-6 (21)
22 25 MIDNIGHT RIDER –•– Gregg Allman (Capricorn)-8 (22)
23 29 LOVE SONG –•– Anne Murray (Capitol)-9 (23)
24 26 THE AMERICANS (A Canadian’s Opinion) –•– Gordon Sinclair (Avco)-5 (24)
25 21 THE MOST BEAUTIFUL GIRL –•– Charlie Rich (Epic)-20 (1)
26 28 JIM DANDY –•– Black Oak Arkansas (Atco)-9 (26)
27 49 SEASONS IN THE SUN –•– Terry Jacks (Bell)-5 (27)
28 16 ME AND BABY BROTHER –•– War (United Artists)-14 (15)
29 33 BABY COME CLOSE –•– Smokey Robinson (Tamla)-13 (29)
30 30 JOY (Part 1) –•– Isaac Hayes (Enterprise)-8 (30)
31 40 DARK LADY –•– Cher (MCA)-4 (31)
32 36 SEXY MAMA –•– The Moments (Stang)-5 (32)
33 24 LIVIN’ FOR YOU –•– Al Green (Hi)-10 (19)
34 37 ABRA-CA-DABRA –•– The DeFranco Family Featuring Tony DeFranco (20th Century)-7 (34)
35 43 CAN THIS BE REAL –•– Natural Four (Curtom)-6 (35)
36 32 LEAVE ME ALONE (Ruby Red Dress) –•– Helen Reddy (Capitol)-15 (3)
37 20 HELEN WHEELS –•– Paul McCartney and Wings (Apple)-12 (10)
38 45 I SHALL SING –•– Garfunkel (Columbia)-7 (38)
39 42 I LIKE TO LIVE THE LOVE –•– B.B. King (ABC)-10 (39)
40 51 COME AND GET YOUR LOVE –•– Redbone (Epic)-5 (40)
Nancy Ann Prohira
I will always love Art's beautiful tenor soprano voice. It's gorgeous!
Fele Ramos
Señor. Garfunkel. Feliz cumpleaños aunque me temo que se lo llevó el tiempo con. Sus. E. O. N. E. S.
Harry S. Anchan
Got this LP and the CD. Every song a gem. A legend in his own right, it is sad he is underappreciated. His voice was part of the reason one of the greatest songs in musical history, "The Boxer" is what it is.
Brian Rankin
He certainly was under-appreciated...
Jose Garcia
..UFFFF MUSICA 🎶 DEL ALMA DEL ESPIRITU DEL CORAZON MUSICA 🎶 DE MI INFANCIA DEL COLEGIO DE MIS LIBROS DE MIS RECREOS ...HERMOSA CANCION DE ESTE MARAVILLOSO ARTISTA ...VOY A CANTAR .. ..DESDE SANTIAGO DE CHILE UN FRATERNO ABRAZO HERMANAS Y HERMANOS QUE DISFRUTAMOS DE ESTAS MAGICAS LEYENDAS DE LA HERMOSA MUSICA 🎶 SALUDOS Y BENDICIONES ...☮️✌️☯️
Ladybug
What a great piece of music: the musician are awesome! What's to be said about Art Garfunkel?!? Great Van Morrison song! Thanks for posting.
Mike Maddox
We LOVE Artie lots of us still listen to him and go to his concerts.
Elle Pennell
Great song and great singer. Love you Art Garfunkel.
Manny T
I have been looking for this song for 30 years. I kept mixing up the title of the song and it never showed up on many of the searches I have done. I even posted online and had friends looking but I just could never find it. The into music beat sounds like horses running and stomping the ground and as kids my brothers and I would sit on the floor while my parents played this and we would be tapping our legs to the beat. Crazy enough I bought a record player and went to a used record store and just for kicks I checked out the single and it was there on 45. Hearing this song for the first time since I was 15 brought tears to my eyes. Amazing song and the words came back as if I had been singing it the entire time.
hans Miller
😂🤣🤓 I have been searching this for over FOURTY YEARS! I never knew it's a Garfunkel song.
Heard it on the Radio on Feb 2nd 2021!!! And revealed it by Shazam!
This Song was released when I was in school, now, aging 60 I still love it.
SO WE MADE IT, MATE!🤓🍀🎺🎷🎶🎉😃