Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American singer-songwrite… Read Full Bio ↴Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. One of the most celebrated artists of the twentieth century, Simon's career has spanned six decades. Born in New Jersey, Simon grew up in the borough of Queens in New York City and developed an interest in rock music in his teens.

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."

Another Galaxy
Paul Simon Lyrics

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On the morning of her wedding day
When no one was awake
She drove across the border
Leaving all the yellow roses on her wedding cake
Her mother's tears, her breakfast order

She's gone, gone, gone

There is a moment, a chip in time
When leaving home is the lesser crime
When your eyes are blind with tears
But your heart can see
Another life, another galaxy

That night her dreams are storm-tossed as a willow
She hears the clouds
She sees the eye of a hurricane
As it sweeps across her island pillow

But she's gone, gone, gone

There is a moment, a chip in time
When leaving home is the lesser crime
When your eyes are blind with tears

But your heart can see
Another life, another galaxy

Overall Meaning

The song "Another Galaxy" by Paul Simon is a powerful commentary on the pain and difficulty of leaving home to pursue one's dreams. The opening verse sets the scene of a bride driving across the border on her wedding day, leaving behind her mother's tears and breakfast order. The image of the yellow roses on her wedding cake symbolizes the sacrifices she is making in order to chase a new life, as she abandons the traditional, expected path of marriage and domesticity. The repetition of "gone, gone, gone" emphasizes her firm resolve to leave and start anew.

The second verse deepens the theme of leaving, but adds a surrealist twist. The chip in time refers to a fleeting moment when it feels okay to leave home and all that is familiar. The line "when your eyes are blind with tears but your heart can see" is particularly poignant, as it suggests that it's possible to feel a sense of clarity even amidst extreme emotional turmoil. This clarity leads to the desire for "another life, another galaxy," a sense that one's true home or destiny lies beyond the current reality.

The final verse brings together the themes of leaving, dreams and surrealism, painting a vivid picture of a storm-tossed night. The bride hears the clouds and sees the eye of a hurricane as it sweeps across her pillow. This image suggests both the turbulence of leaving and the excitement of entering into the unknown. The final repetition of "gone, gone, gone" reaffirms her decision to leave, and the song ends on a note of promise, as the idea of "another galaxy" contains within it a sense of hope and possibility.

Line by Line Meaning

On the morning of her wedding day
At the time when she was supposed to get married

When no one was awake
When everyone was still asleep

She drove across the border
She went beyond the limits and boundaries

Leaving all the yellow roses on her wedding cake
Abandoning everything she has ever known including things that hold sentimental value

Her mother's tears, her breakfast order
Leaving her mother's sorrowful tears and a breakfast order that may never be fulfilled

She's gone, gone, gone
She has left and won't return soon

There is a moment, a chip in time
There is a point in time where a decision can change everything

When leaving home is the lesser crime
When choosing to leave home is not as bad as staying in a bad situation

When your eyes are blind with tears
When emotions have overtaken you

But your heart can see
But deep down, you know what needs to be done

Another life, another galaxy
A completely new and different life, far from what is known