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
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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.
Waters Of March
Art Garfunkel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's the rest of a stump, it's a little alone
It's a sliver of glass, it is life, it's the sun
It is night, it is death, it's a trap, it's a gun
The oak when it blooms, a fox in the brush
The knot of the wood, the song of a thrush
The wood of the wing, a cliff, a fall
It's the wind blowing free, it's the end of a slope
It's a beam, it's a void, it's a hunch, it's a hope
And the riverbank talks of the Waters of March
It's the end of the strain, it's the joy in your heart
The foot, the ground, the flesh and the bone
The beat of the road, a sling-shot stone
A truckload of bricks in the soft morning light
The shot of a gun in the dead of the night
A mile, a must, a thrust, a bump
It's a girl, it's a rhyme, it's a cold, it's the mumps
The plan of the house, the body in bed
And the car that got stuck, it's the mud, it's the mud
Afloat, adrift, a flight, a wing
A cock, a quail, the promise of spring
And the riverbank talks of the Waters of March
It's the promise of life, it's the joy in your heart
A point, a grain, a bee, a bite
A blink, a buzzard, a sudden stroke of night
A pin, a needle, a sting, a pain
A snail, a riddle, a wasp, a stain
A snake, a stick, it is John, it is Joe
A fish, a flash, a silvery glow
And the riverbank talks of the Waters of March
It's the promise of life in your heart, in your heart
A stick, a stone, the end of the load
The rest of a stump, a lonesome road
A sliver of glass, a life, the sun
A night, a death, the end of the run
And the riverbank talks of the Waters of March
It's the end of all strain, it's the joy in your heart
"Waters of March," written by Brazilian musician Antonio Carlos Jobim, is a song that celebrates life's simple and complex elements. The song's lyrics have a stream of consciousness style and present a list of random things, such as a stick, a stone, a sliver of glass or a fish, that don't necessarily have a clear connection. However, by the end of the song, the lyrics build a picture of the Waters of March, metaphorically representing the cycle of life, carrying everything with it.
In the song's chorus, the riverbank speaks of the Waters of March, signifying the natural flow of life's cycle. The lyrics bring up contrasts between life and death, light and dark, joy and struggle. For instance, "it's the end of a slope, it's a beam, it's a void, it's a hunch, it's a hope," suggests optimism and a willingness to move forward, even in difficult circumstances. "It's a trap, it's a gun, it's the oak when it blooms, it's the song of a thrush," encapsulates the duality of life.
The song's ending lines - "It's the end of all strain, it's the joy in your heart" implies that despite the struggles of life, joy and happiness can still be found.
Line by Line Meaning
A stick, a stone, it's the end of the road
Things may come to an end, whether it's a literal road or a metaphorical journey
It's the rest of a stump, it's a little alone
Even when something is incomplete or discarded, it still exists in its own way
It's a sliver of glass, it is life, it's the sun
Life can be fragile and beautiful, but it's also as powerful as the sun
It is night, it is death, it's a trap, it's a gun
Life can also have darkness and danger, but there's still hope and light to be found
The oak when it blooms, a fox in the brush
There is beauty and life all around us, whether it's in nature or unexpected places
The knot of the wood, the song of a thrush
Even the smallest details, like knots in the wood or bird songs, can be meaningful
The wood of the wing, a cliff, a fall
Things that seem opposite or disconnected can still coexist, like the fragility of a wing and the danger of a cliff
A scratch, a lump, it is nothing at all
Some things may seem insignificant, but they can still be part of a bigger picture
It's the wind blowing free, it's the end of a slope
Life can be unpredictable and full of ups and downs
It's a beam, it's a void, it's a hunch, it's a hope
Life can be filled with contradictions and uncertainties, but it's important to keep hoping
And the riverbank talks of the Waters of March
Nature and the changing of seasons can reflect the changes in our own lives
It's the end of the strain, it's the joy in your heart
Even after a difficult time, there can be renewed hope and happiness
The foot, the ground, the flesh and the bone
Life is a physical and tangible experience
The beat of the road, a sling-shot stone
Life can also be full of action and adventure
A truckload of bricks in the soft morning light
There can be beauty and awe in even the most mundane things
The shot of a gun in the dead of the night
Life can take sudden, unexpected turns and be filled with danger
A mile, a must, a thrust, a bump
Life can be full of challenges and obstacles
It's a girl, it's a rhyme, it's a cold, it's the mumps
Life is full of diverse experiences, whether they're good or bad
The plan of the house, the body in bed
Life involves both the physical world and our own private experiences
And the car that got stuck, it's the mud, it's the mud
Even when things go wrong or become stuck, there's still a way out
Afloat, adrift, a flight, a wing
Life can be about exploration, freedom, and discovery
A cock, a quail, the promise of spring
Even small things, like the arrival of spring or the sound of a bird, can be full of hope and potential
It's the promise of life, it's the joy in your heart
Despite any difficulties or darkness in life, there is still potential and happiness to be found
A point, a grain, a bee, a bite
Life can also involve pain or discomfort, but it's not the only thing that defines it
A blink, a buzzard, a sudden stroke of night
Life can be ever-changing and full of surprises
A pin, a needle, a sting, a pain
There will always be some pain and hurt in life, but it can also help us grow and learn
A snail, a riddle, a wasp, a stain
Life can also be full of unexpected challenges and frustrations
A snake, a stick, it is John, it is Joe
People and things can have different meanings or associations for different individuals
A fish, a flash, a silvery glow
Life can also be full of beauty and wonder, like the shimmer of a fish in the water
It's the promise of life in your heart, in your heart
Despite any hardships or trials, there is still potential and hope for life within each of us
A stick, a stone, the end of the load
There will be times in life when things come to an end or we must let go
The rest of a stump, a lonesome road
Even when we feel alone or incomplete, we still have a place in the world
A sliver of glass, a life, the sun
Life can be both beautiful and fragile at the same time
A night, a death, the end of the run
Life also involves loss and endings, but this can lead to new beginnings
And the riverbank talks of the Waters of March
Nature can inspire us and offer insight into the journey of life
It's the end of all strain, it's the joy in your heart
Despite any challenges or difficult times, there can still be happiness and fulfillment in life
Lyrics © CORCOVADO MUSIC CORPORATION
Written by: Antonio Carlos Jobim
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind