The older sister of musician Carly Simon, her older sister is an opera singer and her younger brother a photographer. Simon grew up in Fieldston, a section of Riverdale in the Bronx. She attended the Fieldston School, graduating in 1958 and Bennington College.
Simon began her professional career at the age of sixteen as The Simon Sisters singing folk tunes with sister Carly and later folk-rock.
Lucy Simon made her Broadway debut as the composer of The Secret Garden, for which she was nominated for a 1991 Tony Award for Best Original Score and a 1991 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music. She also wrote songs for the off-Broadway show A...My Name is Alice.
Simon's setting of Wynken, Blynken, and Nod has been recorded by many diverse artists, including The Doobie Brothers, Mitzie Collins, and The Big Three (Cass Elliot, Tim Rose, and James Hendricks). In the seventies, Simon made two singer/songwriter-styled albums for RCA Records, the self-titled Lucy Simon, followed by Stolen Time.
She composed the music for a musical version of the Russian novel Dr. Zhivago,, with lyricists Michael Korie and Amy Powers and book writer Michael Weller. The musical had its world premiere at the La Jolla Playhouse, San Diego, California, in May 2006. In 2011 Sydney Australia hosted the new musical version starring Anthony Warlow and produced by John Frost with Des McAnuff as Director.
She won a Grammy award in 1981 together with her husband, David Levine, in the Best Recording for Children category for "In Harmony/A Sesame Street Record", and again in 1983 in the same category for "In Harmony 2".
Opening
Lucy Simon Lyrics
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Clusters of crocus,
Purple and gold
Blankets of pansies,
Out from the cold.
Lilies and iris,
Safe from the chill.
Safe in my garden,
FAKIR:
Ah
A'o jadu ke mausam,
A'o garmiyo ke din.
A'o mantra tantra yantra,
Us ki bimari hata'o.
CHILDREN'S VOICE:
Mistress Mary, quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
Not so well, she said, see the lily's dead,
Pull it up and out you go.
Mistress Mary, quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
Far too hot, she cried, see my rose has died,
Dig it up, and out you go.
Mistress Mary, quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
Had an early frost, now it's gone, it's lost,
Dig it up, you're out, you're up
You're out, you're up
And out you go.
The first two stanzas of Lucy Simon's song, "Opening," describe a beautiful garden filled with different flowers. The singer mentions groups of crocuses, pansies, lilies, iris, and snowdrops, all of which have bloomed despite the chill of the weather. The garden represents a place of safety, where flowers can thrive and grow despite the conditions surrounding them. This image offers a message of hope and resilience, suggesting that even when external forces are harsh, we can still find small moments of beauty and peace.
The third stanza introduces a new voice, the Fakir, who begins singing in a foreign language. The title "A'o jadu ke mausam" suggests that he may be speaking Hindi, referencing magic and the change of seasons. It's possible that he is performing a spell to protect the garden or heal the flowers. His verse offers a sense of mystery and intrigue, adding to the poetic and mythical atmosphere of the song.
Finally, the last half of "Opening" features a children's choir singing a familiar nursery rhyme: "Mistress Mary, quite contrary." This playful and yet somewhat ominous addition creates an interesting juxtaposition with the rest of the song. The repetition of the verse highlights the cyclical and unpredictable nature of gardening, as even the most careful efforts can still lead to failure. This idea reflects the wider themes of the song, which suggest that despite the beauty and resilience of the natural world, there is still an inherent fragility that we must respect and protect.
Line by Line Meaning
Clusters of crocus,
Groups of purple and gold-colored flowers (crocuses) growing together.
Purple and gold
The colors of the crocus flowers mentioned in the previous line.
Blankets of pansies,
Layers of purple-colored flowers (pansies) covering the ground.
Out from the cold.
The pansies are emerging from the cold weather and are now blooming.
Lilies and iris,
Different types of flowers (lilies and irises).
Safe from the chill.
These flowers are protected from the cold temperature and harsh weather conditions.
Safe in my garden,
The flowers are safe and protected within the confines of the garden.
Snowdrops so still.
A type of flower (snowdrops) that is still and frozen.
A'o jadu ke mausam,
Come, the season of magic (in Hindi).
A'o garmiyo ke din.
Come, the days of summer (in Hindi).
A'o mantra tantra yantra,
Come, the spells, doctrines, and instruments of magic (in Hindi).
Us ki bimari hata'o.
Let us heal their sickness (in Hindi).
Mistress Mary, quite contrary,
Addressing a character named 'Mistress Mary.'
How does your garden grow?
Asking how 'Mistress Mary's' garden is doing.
Not so well, she said, see the lily's dead,
Mistress Mary responds by saying her garden isn't doing well and points out the dead lily flower.
Pull it up and out you go.
She instructs the person to remove the dead lily flower and leave.
Far too hot, she cried, see my rose has died,
Mistress Mary exclaims that it is too hot and points out the death of a rose flower.
Dig it up, and out you go.
She orders the person to uproot the dead rose flower and leave.
Had an early frost, now it's gone, it's lost,
Mistress Mary explains that her garden was hit by an early frost, and now it's gone.
Dig it up, you're out, you're up
Again, she instructs the person to uproot the affected part of the garden.
You're out, you're up
She repeats herself, emphasizing the urgency of the situation.
And out you go.
Finally, she tells the person to leave the garden completely.
Contributed by Sydney I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Swampzoid
Lucy Simon was so beautiful on many levels
Makeji
Judy needs a better wig. Oh, dear, she was so natural when (all of us) were young.