He began performing with his schoolfriend Art Garfunkel in 1956; together the two came to prominence in the 1960s as Simon & Garfunkel. The duo's blend of folk and rock music in hits like "The Sound of Silence", "Mrs. Robinson", "America", and "The Boxer" served as a soundtrack to the counterculture movement. Their career together peaked with their last album, Bridge over Troubled Water (1970), at one point the best-selling album of all time. Throughout his subsequent solo career, Simon has continued to explore an eclectic mixture of genres, including gospel, reggae, soul, and more. His celebrated 1970s output—comprising Paul Simon (1972), There Goes Rhymin' Simon (1973), and Still Crazy After All These Years (1975)—kept him in the public spotlight and saw critical and commercial acclaim, spawning the hits "Mother and Child Reunion", "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard", and "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover".
Across his life, Simon has intermittently reunited with Garfunkel for several tours, including the famed Concert in Central Park. The widely lauded Graceland (1986) became Simon's biggest album of his career, melding his rock sound with worldbeat flavors; its single "You Can Call Me Al" became one of Simon's top hits. A sequel of sorts, The Rhythm of the Saints (1990), preceded his own successful Concert in the Park, attended by a half-million fans. That decade, Simon focused his energies on a Broadway musical The Capeman (1997), which was poorly received. In the first quarter of the next century, Simon continued to record and tour; his later albums, such as You're the One (2000), So Beautiful or So What (2011), and Stranger to Stranger (2016), have introduced him to new generations. He retired from touring in 2018. His most recent work, Seven Psalms, will see release in May 2023.
Simon is among the most acclaimed musicians and songwriters in popular music, and one of the world's best-selling music artists, both for his solo work and with Garfunkel. He is a two-time inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and has been the recipient of sixteen Grammy Awards, including three for Album of the Year. Two of his works, Sounds of Silence and Graceland, have seen induction into National Recording Registry for their cultural significance, and in 2007, the Library of Congress crowned him the inaugural winner of the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. He is a co-founder of the Children's Health Fund, a nonprofit that provides medical care to children.
In an in-depth interview reprinted in American Songwriter, Simon discusses the craft of songwriting with music journalist Tom Moon. In the interview, Simon explains the basic themes in his songwriting: love, family and social commentary (as well as the overarching messages of religion, spirituality and God in his lyrics). Simon explains the process of how he goes about writing songs in the interview: "The music always precedes the words. The words often come from the sound of the music and eventually evolve into coherent thoughts. Or incoherent thoughts. Rhythm plays a crucial part in the lyric-making as well. It's like a puzzle to find the right words to express what the music is saying."
A Church Is Burning
Paul Simon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The flames rise higher
Like hands that are praying
They grow in the sky
Like hands that are praying
The fire ascends
You can burn down my churches
But I shall be free
Three hooded men through the back roads did creep
Torches in their hands while the village lies asleep
Down to the church where, just hours before
Voices were singing, and
Hands were meeting, and
Saying, "I won't be a slave anymore"
A church is burning
The flames rise higher
Like hands that are praying
They glow in the sky
Like hands that are praying
The fire ascends
You can burn down my churches
But I shall be free
Three hooded men, their hands lit the spark
And they faded in the night, they vanished in the dark
And in the cold light of morning, there was nothing that remained
But the ashes of a Bible and a can of kerosene
A church is burning
The flames rise higher
Like hands that are praying
They glow in the sky
Like hands that are prayin'
The fire ascends
You can burn down my churches
But I shall be free
A church is more than just timber and stone
And freedom is a dark road when you're walking it alone
But the future is now, and it's time to take a stand
So the lost bells of freedom can ring out in my land
A church is burning
The flames rise higher
Like hands that are praying
They glow in the sky
Like hands that are praying
The fire ascends
You can burn down my churches
But I shall be free
The song, "A Church Is Burning," by Paul Simon was released on his 1980 album "One-Trick Pony." The song explores the destructive power of racial prejudice and how it can lead to the burning down of a church, a symbol of hope, resilience, and an important part of people's spiritual and communal lives.
The lyrics describe the scene of a church burning down as flames rise higher like hands that are in prayer. The act of burning the church is an attempt by three hooded men to oppress and extinguish the spirit of freedom and resistance that the church represents. The song argues that while people can burn down the church, they cannot take away the spirit of freedom that keeps the church alive. The fire's ascension in the sky is a symbol of hope that even in the face of such destruction, people can continue to move forward.
The song's poignant lyrics expose the deep-seated racism in America and the violence that people of color have had to face throughout the country's history. It is a call to action that says freedom is worth fighting for and that people should be willing to take a stand against oppression.
Line by Line Meaning
A church is burning
A place of worship is on fire
The flames rise higher
The fire is growing larger
Like hands that are praying
The fire appears as if it is a sign of prayer
They grow in the sky
The flames continue to rise towards the heavens
Like hands that are praying
The fire continues to look like a symbol of prayer
The fire ascends
The flames are reaching higher and higher up
You can burn down my churches
The attackers may try to destroy the church
But I shall be free
The artist will not be held captive, even if the church is destroyed
Three hooded men through the back roads did creep
Unknown attackers sneak through the village unnoticed
Torches in their hands while the village lies asleep
The attackers carry torches while the rest of the village is sleeping
Down to the church where, just hours before
The attackers go to the church, soon after meeting and singing took place
Voices were singing, and
People were lifting their voices in song and unity
Hands were meeting, and
People were coming together and joining hands in unity
Saying, "I won't be a slave anymore"
People were making a declaration they will no longer be held captive or oppressed
Three hooded men, their hands lit the spark
The unknown attackers light the fire on the church
And they faded in the night, they vanished in the dark
The attackers disappeared into the darkness, unseen
And in the cold light of morning, there was nothing that remained
When daylight appeared, nothing was left of the church
But the ashes of a Bible and a can of kerosene
Only the remnants of a Bible and kerosene can were found after the attack
A church is more than just timber and stone
The singer acknowledges that a church represents more than its physical structure
And freedom is a dark road when you're walking it alone
Freedom can be a difficult path to follow, especially without support
But the future is now, and it's time to take a stand
The artist challenges themselves and others to stand up for their beliefs
So the lost bells of freedom can ring out in my land
The artist wants the voice of freedom to be heard everywhere
Contributed by Emma S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.