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."
Homeward Bound
Paul Simon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Got a ticket to my destination
On a tour of one-night stands
My suitcase and guitar in hand
And every stop is neatly planned
For a poet and a one-man band
Homeward bound
Homeward bound
Home where my thought's escapin'
Home where my music's playin'
Home where my love lies waitin'
Silently for me
Every day's an endless stream
Of cigarettes and magazines
And each town looks the same to me
The movies and the factories
And every stranger's face I see
Reminds me that I long to be
Homeward bound
I wish I was
Homeward bound
Home where my thought's escapin'
Home where my music's playin'
Home where my love lies waitin'
Silently for me
Tonight I'll sing my songs again
I'll play the game and pretend
But all my words come back to me
In shades of mediocrity
Like emptiness in harmony
I need someone to comfort me
Homeward bound
I wish I was
Homeward bound
Home where my thought's escapin'
Home where my music's playin'
Home where my love lies waitin'
Silently for me
Silently for me
The lyrics to Paul Simon's "Homeward Bound" tell the story of a musician who is traveling by train to perform at one-night stands. With his suitcase and guitar in hand, every stop is planned out for him. However, the mundane nature of everyday life is getting to him and he longs to return home. He sings about how each town he stops in looks the same and how every stranger's face reminds him of his desire to be home. When he performs, he feels like he's just going through the motions, as his words feel empty and mediocre. He longs for someone to comfort him and can't wait to be reunited with his loved one.
The song is a reflection on the costs of life on the road, especially for musicians. Despite the romanticized notion of touring, it can be a lonely and tiring experience where everything starts to blur together. The longing for home, for a place where one's thoughts and music can escape, resonates with anyone who has been away from home for an extended period of time. The desire for love and comfort is universal and adds a unique poignancy to the song's message.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm sittin' in the railway station
I am currently sitting at the railway station
Got a ticket to my destination
I have purchased a ticket to where I am headed
On a tour of one-night stands
I am traveling around and playing at different venues each night
My suitcase and guitar in hand
I am carrying my suitcase and guitar with me
And every stop is neatly planned
I have carefully scheduled each stop of my tour
For a poet and a one-man band
As a musician and songwriter, I am traveling alone
Homeward bound
I wish I was on my way back home
Home where my thought's escapin'
I want to be home where my mind can relax
Home where my music's playin'
I want to be home where my music resonates
Home where my love lies waitin'
The person I love is at home waiting for me
Silently for me
They are waiting patiently and quietly for my return
Every day's an endless stream
Every day feels like a monotonous river that never ends
Of cigarettes and magazines
I am constantly smoking and reading magazines to pass the time
And each town looks the same to me
Every town I visit on tour seems identical and unremarkable
The movies and the factories
Everything I see reminds me of the production of art and industry
And every stranger's face I see
Even when I see new faces, I still feel lonely and long for home
Reminds me that I long to be
Seeing strangers reminds me of how homesick I am
Tonight I'll sing my songs again
Tonight I will perform and share my music with an audience
I'll play the game and pretend
I will put on a façade and pretend that everything is fine
But all my words come back to me
Despite performing, I am left with my own thoughts and emotions
In shades of mediocrity
I feel that my music is not as great as it could be
Like emptiness in harmony
My music feels empty and unsatisfying
I need someone to comfort me
I am lonely and in need of emotional support
Silently for me
I know that someone is waiting for me at home with open arms
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Paul Simon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@leokimvideo
Very classy guitar work, great right hand control
@mikewilliams6025
He should go pro.
@joncaju
Yup, I think he has a future in music
@dex.112
@@joncaju this was from 1975, he had a successful career, he's literally 79 now!? so what do you mean by "i think he has a future in music"
@deanperry75
@@dex.112 Look up the term "sarcasm" in the dictionary......
@Peace17292
@@joncaju Love his retro hair style and outfit.😉
@paulgonzales3116
1968 getting out of the Navy walking the streets of San Francisco in my navy uniform. Age 22. Watching all the hippies protesting. Remembering my friend Joe who got killed in Vietnam. Never came home alive.. Hopping on an air plane homeward bound to San Antonio texas. Remembering the girl who left me the year before. This song "Homeward bound" brings so many memories. Here I am age 75 Remembering all those things a lifetime ago.
@webologist
When he starts playing it the top E string buzzes, and I thought it was going to ruin the performance, but it goes away. It took a couple of watches to realise as soon as it happens, he notices it and moves the capo a bit with his thumb and it goes away. Just an amazing musician.
@Mike-hu3pp
Sharp eye and ear. I didn't notice the buzz listening on my phone. That's a great musician's improvisation.
@andrexadoh
I noticed the buzz but didn't see him adjust it. You are very perceptive and he is very talented.