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."
Graceland
Paul Simon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Was shining like a national guitar
I am following the river
Down the highway
Through the cradle of the Civil War
I'm going to Graceland, Graceland
Memphis, Tennessee
Poor boys and pilgrims with families
And we are going to Graceland
My traveling companion is nine years old
He is the child of my first marriage
But I've reason to believe
We both will be received
In Graceland
She comes back to tell me she's gone
As if I didn't know that
As if I didn't know my own bed
As if I'd never noticed
The way she brushed her hair from her forehead
And she said, "losing love
Is like a window in your heart
Everybody sees you're blown apart
Everybody sees the wind blow"
I'm going to Graceland
Memphis, Tennessee
I'm going to Graceland
Poor boys and pilgrims with families
And we are going to Graceland
And my traveling companions
Are ghosts and empty sockets
I'm looking at ghosts and empties
But I've reason to believe
We all will be received
In Graceland
There is a girl in New York City
Who calls herself the human trampoline
And sometimes when I'm falling, flying
Or tumbling in turmoil I say
"Whoa, so this is what she means"
She means we're bouncing into Graceland
And I see losing love
Is like a window in your heart
Well, everybody sees you're blown apart
Everybody feels the wind blow
Ooh, ooh, ooh
In Graceland, in Graceland
I'm going to Graceland
For reasons I cannot explain
There's some part of me wants to see
Graceland
And I may be obliged to defend
Every love, every ending
Or maybe there's no obligations now
Maybe I've a reason to believe
We all will be received
In Graceland
Whoa, oh, oh
In Graceland, in Graceland, in Graceland
I'm going to Graceland
In Paul Simon's Graceland, the singer takes a journey down the Mississippi Delta to Memphis, Tennessee, where he believes he will find solace at Elvis Presley's Graceland Estate. The opening lines describe the Mississippi Delta as "shining like a national guitar," which is a metaphor that compares the Delta to a guitar, a highly valued and essential instrument to American culture. The journey serves as a metaphor for Simon's quest to find inner peace and redemption, as he passes through the "cradle of the Civil War," which represents America's violent history.
The chorus of the song, "I'm going to Graceland," is repeated throughout, highlighting Simon's desire to find a sense of belonging and comfort, which he hopes to achieve by visiting the iconic mansion of one of his musical heroes. He is joined on this journey by "poor boys and pilgrims with families," suggesting that others are also searching for a similar sense of belonging.
Throughout the song, Simon reflects on the themes of loss and heartache. He speaks about losing love, and how it feels like a "window in your heart" that everyone can see. He also talks about a young boy who is his traveling companion, and how he hopes they will both be received at Graceland. The final lines of the song suggest that Simon may not know exactly why he is going to Graceland, but he feels obligated to explore every reason and every ending of love.
Overall, Graceland is a deeply introspective song that addresses themes of loss, redemption, and finding a sense of belonging. By using the imagery of Elvis Presley's iconic estate, Paul Simon crafts a powerful message about the power of music and the search for inner peace.
Line by Line Meaning
The Mississippi Delta
The region located near the Mississippi River
Was shining like a national guitar
It was a beautiful sight to behold
I am following the river
The singer is following the Mississippi River
Down the highway
The artist is traveling on a highway
Through the cradle of the Civil War
The artist is traveling through the area where the American Civil War began
I'm going to Graceland, Graceland
The singer is excited to go to Graceland
Memphis, Tennessee
Graceland is located in Memphis, Tennessee
I'm going to Graceland
The artist is repeating their excitement about going to Graceland
Poor boys and pilgrims with families
The artist is traveling with poor families and religious pilgrims
And we are going to Graceland
The artist and their companions are all going to Graceland
My traveling companion is nine years old
The singer is traveling with a young child
He is the child of my first marriage
The child is the product of the artist's previous marriage
But I've reason to believe
The singer has hope or faith in something
We both will be received
The singer and the child will be welcomed at Graceland
She comes back to tell me she's gone
The singer's ex-lover returns to say goodbye
As if I didn't know that
The artist already knew that their lover was leaving
As if I didn't know my own bed
The artist is aware of their own situation
As if I'd never noticed
The singer is pretending not to have seen signs of the looming breakup
The way she brushed her hair from her forehead
The singer remembers a particular gesture their lover would make
And she said, "losing love
Is like a window in your heart
Everybody sees you're blown apart
Everybody sees the wind blow"
Losing love is a painful experience that everyone can see and feel
And my traveling companions
Are ghosts and empty sockets
The artist is surrounded by emptiness and loss
I'm looking at ghosts and empties
The artist is confronted with memories of the past
But I've reason to believe
The singer still has hope or faith in something
We all will be received
The artist and their companions will be welcomed at Graceland
There is a girl in New York City
Who calls herself the human trampoline
The singer remembers someone in NYC who is full of life and energy
And sometimes when I'm falling, flying
Or tumbling in turmoil I say
"Whoa, so this is what she means"
The singer remembers this girl when they are going through difficult times
She means we're bouncing into Graceland
The girl's words mean that life is always moving forward and heading towards something better
And I see losing love
Is like a window in your heart
Well, everybody sees you're blown apart
Everybody feels the wind blow
Losing love is a painful experience that is visible to everyone
Ooh, ooh, ooh
In Graceland, in Graceland
The artist repeats their excitement about going to Graceland
I'm going to Graceland
For reasons I cannot explain
The singer is going to Graceland for a reason they can't quite put into words
There's some part of me wants to see
Graceland
The singer is drawn to Graceland for some unknown reason
And I may be obliged to defend
Every love, every ending
The artist may have to justify or explain their past relationships and breakups
Or maybe there's no obligations now
Perhaps the artist no longer feels obligated to explain themselves
Maybe I've a reason to believe
The artist still has hope or faith in something
We all will be received
In Graceland
The singer and their companions will be welcomed at Graceland
Whoa, oh, oh
In Graceland, in Graceland, in Graceland
The artist repeats their excitement about going to Graceland
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Paul Simon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@leokimvideo
Graceland & Rhythm Nation are two albums that are rare because there's no fillers. Every song is a hit single
@NzuidNzuid
🎉
@NzuidNzuid
😮😅😅
@NzuidNzuid
patat😅😅lekker k
@hasmetkansiz3741
@@NzuidNzuid 😢
@peggybrilli2642
No, no, no!!! It’s a whole album and the South African concert is a live concert on video!!!!! Saves my soul every time I put it on. ❤❤❤
@jamesbadham9665
"Losing love is like a window in your heart, everybody sees you'e blown apart, everybody feels the wind blow..." one of the great lines ever. Lucked out in a mini-lottery and scored fifth-row center seats for this concert. Best performance of my life.
@Reladan187
That is one of the greatest line of lyric ever
@lynncohen2897
Bouncing into Graceland… ❤️
@khr1705
❤️