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."
Born in Puerto Rico
Paul Simon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We came here when I was a child
Before I made to my sixteenth
I was running with the gang and we were wild.
He keeps looking but don't recognize me.
Some guy from Lexington or Park
Rrd beans and rice from kitchen windows
No one knows you like I do
No one can know your heart the way I do
No one can testify to all that you've been though
But I will.
I was born in Puerto Rico
And my blood is taino
Spanish Caribbean in my soul
We came here wearing summer clothes in winter
Hearts of sunshine in the cold.
Your family rented this apartment
You'd watch the street lamps from your perch
In the sacramental house your stepfather in black
Preached the fire of the pentecostal church.
No one knows you like I do
Nobody can know your heart the way i do
No one can testify to all that you've been through
But this will.
I was born in Puerto Rico
Came here when I was a child.
Small change and sunlight, then I left these streets for good.
My days as short as they were wild.
I'm Frenchy Cordero, I'm Angel Soto
Indio Rivera, 'Baboo' Charlie Cruz
The faces blurred in every grainy photo
And fading headline of the Daily News
Judge's Voice
Wiltwych School for Criminal Children
Auburn, Brooklyn House of D.,
Dannemora, Sing-Sing, Attica,
Greenhaven
Twenty years inside, today you're free
You cannot even read your story
The pages piling up in shame
Before the words released you, the
Guard would kill the light
The night you took The Capeman for your name.
I was born in Puerto Rico
I was born in Puerto Rico
Yo nacir in Puerto Rico
All my heart is Puerto Rico
All my soul is Puerto Rico
The lyrics of Paul Simon's song "Born in Puerto Rico" tell a story of the singer's childhood in Puerto Rico and his eventual relocation to the United States. The first stanza describes his early life in Puerto Rico, noting that he ran with a gang and was "wild" before he turned sixteen. The second and third stanzas describe his life in the United States, including memories of street food in the "barrio" and his knowledge of a woman's life story. The fourth and final stanza depicts a character named "The Capeman," who has spent twenty years in prison and has taken his name from a play.
The first stanza reveals a sense of nostalgia and longing for the singer's past. Through the lyrics, we learn that the singer was born in Puerto Rico and moved to the United States when he was young. The second stanza uses food imagery to create a sense of place, as it describes the smell of beans and rice from kitchen windows. The third stanza is the most personal and emotive, as it relates to a woman whose story the singer knows intimately. The final stanza takes a darker turn, introducing a troubled character named The Capeman.
Line by Line Meaning
I was born in Puerto Rico
The singer was born in Puerto Rico and identifies strongly with their cultural heritage.
We came here when I was a child
The singer and their family immigrated to a new country when they were young.
Before I made to my sixteenth, I was running with the gang and we were wild.
The singer was involved in dangerous and reckless behavior as a teenager.
He keeps looking but don't recognize me.
The artist has changed so much that someone who knew them before would not recognize them now.
Some guy from Lexington or Park
A passerby on the street who does not know the artist.
Red beans and rice from kitchen windows
A common food in the singer's neighborhood.
It's supper-time and the barrio is dark.
The singer's neighborhood is quiet and empty at night.
No one knows you like I do
The artist understands the person they are addressing on a deep and personal level.
No one can know your heart the way I do
The artist has a unique and intimate connection with the person they are addressing.
No one can testify to all that you've been through
The artist has a deep understanding of the challenges and experiences the person they are addressing has faced.
But I will.
The singer is willing to speak on behalf of the person they are addressing and share their experiences with others.
And my blood is taino
The artist is connected to the indigenous people of Puerto Rico through their ancestry.
Spanish Caribbean in my soul
The singer's identity is shaped by their heritage in the Spanish-speaking Caribbean region.
We came here wearing summer clothes in winter
The singer and their family were poorly prepared for the weather of their new home when they first arrived.
Hearts of sunshine in the cold.
Despite the difficult transition, the singer and their family remained hopeful and maintained a positive attitude.
Your family rented this apartment
The artist is addressing someone who lived in a certain place at a certain time.
You'd watch the street lamps from your perch
The person being addressed had a vantage point from which they could watch the world outside.
In the sacramental house your stepfather in black
The person being addressed had a stepfather who was involved in a religious community.
Preached the fire of the pentecostal church.
The religious message of the singer's stepfather was passionate and intense.
Small change and sunlight, then I left these streets for good.
The artist had a difficult life in their old neighborhood but eventually moved away from it.
My days as short as they were wild.
The artist's youth was chaotic and turbulent, and they acknowledge that it did not last very long.
I'm Frenchy Cordero, I'm Angel Soto
The artist is listing off the names of other people who were involved in their past experiences.
Indio Rivera, 'Baboo' Charlie Cruz
More names of people who the singer knew in their past.
The faces blurred in every grainy photo
The artist's memories of these people are blurry and unclear.
And fading headline of the Daily News
The singer's past experiences were reported on in the news but have since faded from public memory.
Judge's Voice
The singer is recalling a legal proceeding from their past.
Wiltwych School for Criminal Children
The singer was likely incarcerated at this institution.
Auburn, Brooklyn House of D.
Other prisons that the artist was incarcerated in.
Dannemora, Sing-Sing, Attica, Greenhaven
More places where the artist was imprisoned.
Twenty years inside, today you're free
The singer has spent a long time incarcerated but has finally been released.
You cannot even read your story
Even if the singer has a record of their past experiences, they may not be able to read it themselves.
The pages piling up in shame
The artist feels embarrassed or ashamed of their past experiences.
Before the words released you, the guard would kill the light
The artist was not permitted to read or understand their own record while they were in prison.
The night you took The Capeman for your name.
The artist is recalling a moment when they chose a new identity for themselves.
Yo nacir in Puerto Rico
The singer repeats the opening line, but in Spanish.
All my heart is Puerto Rico
The artist feels a deep connection to their cultural heritage.
All my soul is Puerto Rico
The singer's cultural identity is central to their personal identity.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DEREK WALCOTT, PAUL SIMON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Sherlock Holmes lives.
Thanks for the reply, C A Campbell!
I think the word 'Pedantic' comes to mind!
I have nothing but respect for the mastery of the master singer / songwriter that is Paul Simon.
He is now an expert on brain chemistry and has an alleged IQ of 155!
He also famously wrote, "I'd rather be a sparrow then a snail. / I'd rather be a hammer than nail." My father said, "Sparrows don't actually eat snails, and as I knew myself, swifts are faster fliers as well."
I think that is irrelevant to the greatness of those lyrics though, and the lines, "I'd rather be a forest than a street. / I'd rather feel the Earth beneath my feet." Are pure beautiful poetry!
I can't write poetry! So I am hypocritical to make comments on those who can!
Anyway, it's great words and music and a masterly constructed album!
With Best Wishes, C A Campbell!
Cheers - Mike.
RightWingCon81
I saw this show on broadway as a young high school kid. A half PR kid in the Bronx. It spoke to me and still does.
andy gross
I listen to this song over and over again.. Paul Simon's genius and compassion shines through
You cannot even read your story
The pages piling up in shame
Before the words released you, the guard would
Kill the light
The night you took the capeman for your name
candida alicea
una realidad puertorriqueña durante decadas, el exodo. excelente canción.
punchjudy
This little-known album by Paul is a true gem. Thanks for the upload!
Ken Ztopolovky
Paul's voice sounds so youthful , this is very fine music and lyrics that have meaning and plenty love and humanity in them , our mainstream pop is mostly full of filth and violence , this is so refreshing
clement templeton
The magnetidute of his work is Incredible!
Been Jammin
This is an incredible song.
Pedro
I love this album.
Georg Hägglund
Paul Simon has recently (earlier this month) released a new album called "Stranger to Stranger". On youtube you can find two versions of "Wristband" and two other songs called "The Werewolf" and "Cool Papa Bell". There is also a song with Dion called "New York Is My Home" with an official video to it. Don't miss out on it!
C A Campbell
Thanks very much! 👍😍