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."
Fifty Ways To Leave Your Lover
Paul Simon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
"The answer is easy if you take it logically
I'd like to help you in your struggle to be free
There must be fifty ways to leave your lover"
She said, "It's really not my habit to intrude
Furthermore, I hope my meaning won't be lost or misconstrued
But I'll repeat myself at the risk of being crude
There must be fifty ways to leave your lover
You just slip out the back, Jack
Make a new plan, Stan
You don't need to be coy, Roy
Just get yourself free
Hop on the bus, Gus
You don't need to discuss much
Just drop off the key, Lee
And get yourself free
Ooh, slip out the back, Jack
Make a new plan, Stan
You don't need to be coy, Roy
You just listen to me
Hop on the bus, Gus
You don't need to discuss much
Just drop off the key, Lee
And get yourself free
She said, "It grieves me so to see you in such pain
I wish there was something I could do to make you smile again"
I said, "I appreciate that and would you please explain
About the fifty ways?"
She said, "Why don't we both just sleep on it tonight?
And I believe in the morning you'll begin to see the light"
And then she kissed me and I realized she probably was right
There must be fifty ways to leave your lover
Fifty ways to leave your lover
You just slip out the back, Jack
Make a new plan, Stan
You don't need to be coy, Roy
Just get yourself free
Oh, you hop on the bus, Gus
You don't need to discuss much
Just drop off the key, Lee
And get yourself free
Slip out the back, Jack
Make a new plan, Stan
You don't need to be coy, Roy
You just listen to me
Hop on the bus, Gus
You don't need to discuss much
Just drop off the key, Lee
And get yourself free
In Paul Simon's song 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover, the singer is struggling with his current relationship and seeking advice to end it. The song opens with a conversation between the singer and a woman who offers him support and encourages him to leave his lover. The woman tells the singer that the problem is inside his head and that there must be fifty ways to leave his lover. Later in the song, the woman offers more practical advice like slipping out the back, making a new plan, or dropping off the key, all in an effort to emphasize how easy it can be to walk away from a relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
The problem is all inside your head
She believes that his issue is his own personal problem.
The answer is easy if you take it logically
She thinks that it is possible for him to find the solution simply by thinking it through.
I'd like to help you in your struggle to be free
She wants to aid him in his quest for freedom.
There must be fifty ways to leave your lover
She suggests that there are 50 methods to end a relationship.
She said, "It's really not my habit to intrude
She does not like to interfere in other people's affairs.
Furthermore, I hope my meaning won't be lost or misconstrued
She hopes that her message will not be misunderstood.
But I'll repeat myself at the risk of being crude
She is willing to repeat herself even if it comes across as impolite.
You just slip out the back, Jack
One way to leave is through the back door.
Make a new plan, Stan
Create a new strategy for leaving.
You don't need to be coy, Roy
Don't play games; be straightforward.
Just get yourself free
Liberate yourself from the relationship.
Hop on the bus, Gus
Leave via public transportation.
You don't need to discuss much
Avoid long conversations about why you're leaving.
Just drop off the key, Lee
Return the house key.
And get yourself free
And be free.
Oh, you hop on the bus, Gus
Again, leave via public transportation.
You just listen to me
Take her advice into consideration.
And then she kissed me and I realized she probably was right
After the kiss, he came to the conclusion that she was probably right.
There must be fifty ways to leave your lover
The refrain is repeated again as a reminder of the many possible ways to break up.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Paul Simon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@RevelationTwelve11
@@lynnecarnivale5085 .... Your story is sweet too! I found it because I came to listen to this song to refresh my memory ... because I'm in the process of "re-writing" the lyrics for a parody song - "Fifty Ways to Flee Corona!" I figure if we don't keep laughing through times of trouble, we'll succumb to all the fear-mongering. So far, the verse with your brother's name in it goes like this:
"DON'T hop on the bus, Gus,
Be sure you DON'T touch much,
Disinfect all your keys, Lee,
And keep yourself free!
Just stay home and chill, Jill,
And head for the hills, Bill,
DON'T go to your job, Bob,
And DON'T touch a door knob!
There must be fifty ways to flee Corona - fifty ways to flee Corona!"
:-) God bless you, Sister!
@wildmike951
STEVE GADD....iconic drum groove. This is a legendary song in the drumming community.
@gloria-jeanortega2957
I woke this morning with this song in my head. Decided to find and play it. I'm 71yrs now and this was a favorite of mine in my youth .
@greeniis2004
I did the same. My dad listened to it when I was a child. I haven't heard the song in years, but woke up with it stuck in my head this morning.
@martin1953music
69…here
@tonys4396
72 here . Bought it when it came out. The first thing that his me was Steve Gadds remarkable drumming on this cut.
@BillCallahanMusic
Thanks for the great love and support you show me as a special fan of mine, I hope you won't stop listening to music, and thanks for your sincere
Compliment and love towards my music❤️❤️may god bless you.
@ttgyuioo
Me too, 62
@CarolineA-jy4mg
A few years ago I quit a toxic job, and this song was playing as I walked out of the building for the last time. Perfect timing. Almost cinematic.
@BillCallahanMusic
Thanks for the great love and support you show me as a special fan of mine, I hope you won't stop listening to music, and thanks for your sincere
Compliment and love towards my music❤️❤️may god bless you.
@Winterstick549
Fifty ways to leave your employer.