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."
All Around the World or the Myth of Fingerprints
Paul Simon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lives a former talk-show host
Everybody knows his name
He says there's no doubt about it
It was the myth of fingerprints
I've seen them all and man
They're all the same
Well, the sun gets weary
And the sun goes down
Ever since the watermelon
And the lights come up
On the black pit town
Somebody says what's a better thing to do
Well, it's not just me
And it's not just you
This is all around the world
Out in the Indian Ocean somewhere
There's a former army post
Abandoned now just like the war
And there's no doubt about it
It was the myth of fingerprints
That's what that old army post was for
Well, the sun gets bloody
And the sun goes down
Ever since the watermelon
And the lights come up
On the black pit town
Somebody says what's a better thing to do
Well, it's not just me
And it's not just you
This is all around the world
Over the mountain Down in the valley
Lives the former talk-show host
Far and wide his name was known
He said there's no doubt about it
It was the myth of fingerprints
That's why we must learn to live alone
Uh uh uh
Uh uh uh
Uh uh uh
Uh uh uh
All around the world
All around the world
The song "All Around the World or the Myth of Fingerprints" by Paul Simon is a poetic commentary on the human condition and our desire for individuality while grappling with our collective sameness. The song’s first verse references a former talk-show host, who claims that all fingerprints are the same, reducing the supposed individuality of each person to a myth. The chorus then speaks to humanity's shared experiences, as the sun rises and sets for everyone, and the world is both beautiful and brutal. The second verse references an abandoned army post in the Indian Ocean, where the myth of fingerprints was once used for identification purposes, reminding us that even in far-flung corners of the world, we are all the same.
The song's message is ultimately about the tension between individuality and our collective sameness as human beings. It seems to suggest that while we all struggle with our own uniqueness, we are ultimately bound together by our shared experiences and the things that make us all human. Simon is using the idea of the myth of fingerprints as a way to explore this tension, and as a metaphor for the things that separate us from each other while also paradoxically connecting us.
Line by Line Meaning
Over the mountain Down in the valley
Geographical locations where people live
Lives a former talk-show host
A person who was once famous but now living a secluded life
Everybody knows his name
A public figure with widespread recognition
He says there's no doubt about it
Assurance from the talk-show host
It was the myth of fingerprints
Misconception about the uniqueness of fingerprints
I've seen them all and man
The host has observed numerous fingerprints
They're all the same
All fingerprints have a similar pattern
Well, the sun gets weary
Reference to the tiring day
And the sun goes down
Sunset time
Ever since the watermelon
Unknown reference possibly to a significant event
And the lights come up
Illuminated land around the black pit town
On the black pit town
Grungy, grimy, or depressing community
Somebody says what's a better thing to do
A call for advice
Well, it's not just me
Implying everyone should be involved
And it's not just you
Acknowledging everyone present
This is all around the world
A worldwide issue
Out in the Indian Ocean somewhere
A reference to a faraway place
There's a former army post
A deserted military base
Abandoned now just like the war
The military post is no longer in use
And there's no doubt about it
An incontrovertible fact
It was the myth of fingerprints
The fallacy of fingerprint distinctions
That's what that old army post was for
Indicating that the military used to believe in this myth
Well, the sun gets bloody
Sunset with red shades, denoting negativity
And the sun goes down
Sunset time
Somebody says what's a better thing to do
A request for guidance
Well, it's not just me
Encouraging participation from everyone
And it's not just you
Addressing everyone present
This is all around the world
A global challenge
Over the mountain Down in the valley
Reference to earlier mentioned geographic locations
Lives the former talk-show host
A reiteration of the former famous person's residence
Far and wide his name was known
The host's name had global recognition
He said there's no doubt about it
Reemphasizing the host's conviction
It was the myth of fingerprints
Restating that fingerprint uniqueness is an overestimated concept
That's why we must learn to live alone
Empowering people to consider solitude as a positive state of being
All around the world
A reaffirmation of this global myth issue
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Paul Simon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Delphine Rachel
This is my favourite song on the album!!
Ashra Tempel
Amazing masterpiece from the summer of my years
Maurino Júnior
Fantastic!!!
TheInsensitiveAsshole
"Over the mountain, down in the valley
Lives the former talk show host
Far and wide his name was known"
Just reminds me of Jon Stewart. Miss him. (Course, he's not dead, but you know.)
Miguel Angel Gutierrez Gloria
Los Lobos Sound!!
David Rogers
Well Los Lobos are one of the most down to earth bands we've ever met. They've played twice for our community, and this song definitely has their DNA written all over it.
chris draghi
it took all of about 30 seconds to determine who was telling the truth on this one. i would not be surprised if he ripped off the other songs on the album but the african artists who created them don't have the sway of los lobos.
this has been going on a long time in various forms, eg., duke ellington's compositions give co composer credit to Irving Mills who did nothing but front for the mob.
trump grabbed my pussy trump grabbed my pussy
This story is A.) old, and B.) has been pretty much been discredited - as LL never mentioned or made it an issue until long after the album was released and became the international phenomenon it became. I read Simon as very exact and particular over who gets credit for what. he may not be loose and overly generous , but he does give due when deserved - as was the case throughout Graceland.
Mark Zwilsky
Not on this cut. This was a Los Lobos song the group brought to the recording session that Paul Simon outright ripped off. He gave the band no publishing right or acknowledgment's for this cut. About a year ago Los Lobos put out a self titled biography {Dream in Blue} all FIVE members stated Simon outright ripped them off on this song. When the band contacted him to ask why... he threatened to lawyer up. At that point they said 'fuck it' he's just an asshole and backed off. Very unfortunate ... its one hell of an album. Top five all-time...
Soul Refix
What do you mean they were asked by the studio to help Paul write a song. They played this song FOR PAUL and he liked it enough where he told them to keep jamming that tune and he made this song. At any point they could have stopped or play another song but they full on committed to this and pretend to have shocked faces that he used a song they played for him specifically for a writing session to help him write a song for his album. Lol like..what??