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."
Bridge Over Troubled Water
Paul Simon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When tears are in your eyes, I will dry
Them all,
I'm on your side. When times get rough
And friends just can't be found,
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down.
Like a bridge over troubled water
When you're down and out,
When you're on the street,
When evening falls so hard
I will comfort you.
I'll take your part.
When darkness comes
And pain is all around,
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down.
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down.
Sail on silver girl,
Sail on by.
Your time has come to shine.
All your dreams are on their way.
See how they shine.
If you need a friend
I'm sailing right behind.
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind.
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind.
In Paul Simon's iconic song "Bridge Over Troubled Water," he offers support and comfort to someone experiencing difficulty. The song is broken into three verses, each one providing a different situation where the singer offers to help. In the first verse, the singer is there to wipe away tears and provide support during troubled times. Conversely, the second verse describes a situation where a person has hit rock bottom, and the singer pledges to give them comfort and take their side. Finally, in the third verse, the lyrics shift to a third-person narrative, describing someone who is shining and has all their dreams coming true. The singer offers their support, saying they are sailing behind and ready to ease the person's mind should they need it.
The chorus is the constant throughout, with the singer offering to be a "bridge over troubled water," ready to lay themselves down and ease the other person's worries. The imagery of the bridge is powerful, as it conjures the idea of something steadfast that provides safety and stability over tumultuous waters. The song is a beautiful reminder that we all need help sometimes, and that reaching out to support those around us is a fundamental part of being human.
Line by Line Meaning
When you're weary, feeling small
When you feel tired and insignificant
When tears are in your eyes, I will dry Them all
I will wipe away your tears and comfort you
I'm on your side. When times get rough
I am here for you, especially in difficult times
And friends just can't be found
When you feel lonely and have nowhere else to turn
Like a bridge over troubled water I will lay me down
I will go to great lengths to help you in your troubles
When you're down and out, When you're on the street
When you are in a bad situation, with little to no hope
When evening falls so hard I will comfort you
I will be there to comfort you, especially when times are tough
I'll take your part
I will support you and defend you
When darkness comes And pain is all around
When you are surrounded by darkness and suffering
Like a bridge over troubled water I will lay me down
I will go to great lengths to help you in your troubles
Sail on silver girl
Keep going, don't give up
Sail on by
Continue on, don't stop
Your time has come to shine
It's your time to succeed and be happy
All your dreams are on their way
Your dreams are coming true
See how they shine
Your accomplishments are shining brightly
If you need a friend I'm sailing right behind
I am here for you, supporting you, and ready to help as needed
Like a bridge over troubled water I will ease your mind
I will provide comfort and support to ease your worries
Like a bridge over troubled water I will ease your mind
I will provide comfort and support to ease your worries
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Paul Simon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
taxisteve929
Excellent, but I always knew how fantastic Paul Simon's voice was!! GREAT to see him getting the applause he always desired and deserved for this!!!!
After he wrote it, Paul Simon could only see Garfunkel singing this. Art Garfunkel said "This song just doesn't work for my voice" (IMAGINE THAT!!!) Paul has written an incredible number of top and beautiful songs, and although I'd bet this would have been a hit no matter who sang it, in the end, it belongs to Garfunkel's vocals. I understand the writer in Simon and how he would feel hollow as Garfunkel got the loudest and longest ovation after singing this when they would do concerts, without the "Author Author!!" calls and accolades....but I would love to tell him something else. He is a musician's musician. I've heard jazz musicians who love his music, which is not common in pop, tell me how great he is.
He's a perfectionist who always sought the perfect sound.
When he had a percussion instrument in his mind for a song, he had to not only FIND that perfect instrument, but would then travel the globe if he had to, just to get the best musician on that instrument to record his song, and he always had the tops of studio musicians at hand. (how many people in the US ever heard of a cuica before Me And Julio....not many pop fans OR players!!!)
The way he should look at it is more that the voice is another instrument, and it was HE, Paul Simon, who decided Garfunkel's voice was the perfect instrument for this tune!!!! Nothing else would do....not his voice, not anyone else.....for perfection, it does need Garfunkel.
And that this song has crossed so many boundaries and has been recorded by so many is testament to that.
Still a great song no matter who performs it, but only 1 vocalist could make it what it became.
I would also point out all the songs Ray Charles sang that instantly became "Ray Charles Songs".....I wouldn't imagine the writers minding much.
Hopefully, at this stage in life, he fully appreciates all that had to happen to make this the song that makes the hair on the back of everyone's neck stand up, brings tears of joy and sorrow to those who hear it, and actually, all the emotions it brings to the surface when people hear it.
Farley Whitfield
I felt so privileged to be in the studio listening to this, and two other songs, a number of times. This is a great mix but hearing it live from 20 feet away was just incredible.
David Dash
This arrangement and performance is incredible. Did Paul do the arrangement?
ebsen raptzski
lies
Rex Goodheart
I'm jealous.
Zakk Davis
In the 60s-70s? 🤔
LMacNeill
God, I can only imagine. I saw him in concert in the late '80s / early '90s (I don't remember the exact year, just that I was still in college) at the Nashville Amphitheatre and he was beyond amazing. One of the best shows I'd ever seen at that point.
James J
Paul Simon retiring is so sad.He was, is, and will always be a genius, a master, an artist, and a really fine human being. Paul, your music has been a bridge over many troubled waters. Thank you.
Dave Bahr
Paul Simon, like Miles Davis, never ceases to reinvent his music. Where Simon’s voice is a bit faulty (a voice that has been on record for upwards of 6 decades now), the instruments fill in for him nicely here. I particularly like the following: 1. The rhythm track and plucked electric guitar to go along with the vocal. 2. The muted trumpet that gives way to the opened horn at the finale. And 3. The piano interlude with the double time break before the full band comes in. I could pick more, but those were the three main things that stood out to me. The point is, if you want to hear the original, it’s still out there, but if I were Paul Simon, I’d want to perform something I’d performed hundreds of thousands of times before in a new way, too. Always reinventing, that’s what an artist does.
Rex Goodheart
How have I missed this? A new shine on perhaps the greatest song ever written. Utterly mesmerizing.
johnnystir
Paul is a musical genius. Putting a new spin on a classic.