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."
Hearts & Bones
Paul Simon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Free to wander wherever they choose
Are traveling together
In the Sangre de Christo
The Blood of Christ Mountains
Of New Mexico
On the last leg of a journey
They started a long time ago
Rainbows in the high desert air
Mountain passes
Slipping into stone
Hearts and bones
Hearts and bones
Hearts and bones
Thinking back to the season before
Looking back through the cracks in the door
Two people were married
The act was outrageous
The bride was contagious
She burned like a bride
These events may have had some effect
On the man with the girl by his side
The arc of a love affair
His hands rolling down her hair
Love like lightning shaking till it moans
Hearts and bones
Hearts and bones
Hearts and bones
Hearts and bones
Whoa whoa whoa
She said why?
Why don't we drive through the night
We'll wake up down in
Mexico
Oh I
I don't know nothin' about nothin'
About Mexico
And tell me why
Why won't you love me
For who I am
Where I am
He said 'cause that's not the way the world is baby
This is how I love you baby
This is how I love you baby
One and one-half wandering Jews
Returned to their natural coasts
To resume old acquaintances
Step out occasionally
And speculate who had been damaged the most
Easy time will determine if these consolations
Will be their reward
The arc of a love affair
Waiting to be restored
You take two bodies and you twirl them into one
Their hearts and their bones
And they won't come undone
Hearts and bones
Hearts and bones
Hearts and bones
Hearts and bones
"Hearts and Bones" by Paul Simon is a song that tells the story of two wandering Jews who are traveling together in the Sangre de Christo Mountains of New Mexico on the last leg of their journey that they started a long time ago. The metaphorical references in the song are in full bloom as it portrays the arc of a love affair, mountain passes slipping into stone, and hearts and bones. As they travel, they recall the season before when they attended a wedding that ended up being a scandalous affair. The singer suggests that the marriage might have had an impact on the man's current relationship with the woman who accompanies him on his wanderings.
The song is rich with imagery and metaphors that give tremendous insight into the workings of love and travel. The Sangre de Christo Mountains are majestic and awe-inspiring, but they are also a symbol of the hardships and struggles that must be overcome in any relationship. The metaphor of twirling two bodies into one represents the union of two people in love as their hearts and bones become unified. The singer invites his listeners to join in the journey and speculate about the effects of the wandering on the two Jews.
Line by Line Meaning
One and one-half wandering Jews
Two people of Jewish descent that are lost in their own thoughts and wanderings
Free to wander wherever they choose
They have the freedom to travel and roam in any direction they want
Are traveling together
Despite their individual journeys, they travel together, possibly as companions or lovers
In the Sangre de Christo
They are currently in the Sangre de Christo (The Blood of Christ) Mountains in New Mexico
The Blood of Christ Mountains
A mountain range in New Mexico that is named after the red light that hits the mountains at sunset, resembling the blood of Christ
Of New Mexico
The location where the wandering Jews are currently traveling
On the last leg of a journey
They are close to completing the final part of their long journey
They started a long time ago
The two individuals have been on this journey for a significant amount of time
The arc of a love affair
The ups and downs of a romantic relationship
Rainbows in the high desert air
Metaphorical representation of the beauty and wonder in the dry and arid environment of the desert
Mountain passes
The paths through the mountains the two wandering Jews traverse
Slipping into stone
The nature surrounding them seemingly swallowing them and closing in around them
Hearts and bones
Refers to the depths of a person, which comprises their emotional (heart) and physical (bones) being
Thinking back to the season before
Somberly recalling the past
Looking back through the cracks in the door
Reflecting on past events through fragmented memories
Two people were married
Two people that were once united in marriage
The act was outrageous
The marriage ceremony might have been shocking or bewildering
The bride was contagious
The bride had an infectious and spellbinding presence
She burned like a bride
The woman had a radiant presence on her wedding day
These events may have had some effect
Suggests that these events (the marriage) may have an emotional impact on the man in the present time
On the man with the girl by his side
A man who is currently with someone that hasn't been mentioned before
His hands rolling down her hair
A tender moment between the man and the girl, signifying intimacy and closeness
Love like lightning shaking till it moans
Love that's so intense it can be compared to a thunderstorm
She said why?
A question from the girl to the man
Why don't we drive through the night
The girl proposes that they travel through the night
We'll wake up down in Mexico
A destination the girl suggests they both may enjoy
Oh I
A response from the man indicating uncertainty or hesitation
I don't know nothin' about nothin'
The man doesn't know much about Mexico or what to expect
And tell me why
The girl asks a follow-up question
Why won't you love me
The girl wants to know why the man can't love her as she is
For who I am
The girl doesn't want to change to fit the man's ideal of who she should be
Where I am
The girl feels that her past or present location shouldn't be a hindrance to them being together
He said 'cause that's not the way the world is baby
The man responds that the harsh reality of the world forces everyone to make changes, including oneself
This is how I love you baby
The man tells the girl the way he loves her may not be perfect, but it's real and genuine
Returned to their natural coasts
The wandering Jews go back to their respective hometowns or places of origin
To resume old acquaintances
The two individuals will continue to meet with old friends and acquaintances
Step out occasionally
Both individuals will continue life as they did before going on their journey
And speculate who had been damaged the most
The man and woman wonder which one of them experienced more pain or damage from their relationship
Easy time will determine
It will take time for them to recover and move on from their past relationship, and maybe they will find consolation or healing
If these consolations will be their reward
The rewards for their time spent healing will be determined by the level of healing and consolation they achieve
Waiting to be restored
Their love is waiting for the right opportunity to resurface or be reignited
You take two bodies and you twirl them into one
Bringing two people together to form a single, connected entity through love and intimacy
Their hearts and their bones
Reiterating that love exists in the spiritual (heart) and physical (bones) aspects of a person
And they won't come undone
The love that they share can never be broken
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PAUL SIMON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@RobyLaPorte
Paul Simon, simply the best American songwriter ever, period.
@GaiaCarney
@RobyLaPorte - truth 🤗 Head & shoulders above the rest, Paul Simon ⭐️
@martinkent333
COCAINE MADE HIM A KING...............................
@martinkent333
COKE IS IT?@@GaiaCarney
@enricomuratore70
Paul Simon, a wonderful poet and songwriter, thanks for all the beauty you gave to the world
@corkykab
My favorite Paul tune, which is slightly astonishing considering his legendary body of work… this one just moves me beyond words. RIP Carrie Fisher.
@betterstill100
Me 2😓🌹😍😍
@MichaelJohnson-su6eu
"Love like lightning, shaking till
it moans"...
@jillking5876
Mine, too!!
@markjohnson1540
I feel much the same; Ben listening to this great troubadour now for 6 decades…