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."
How the Heart Approaches What It Yearns
Paul Simon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of the Belvedere Motel
Wondering as the television burns
How the heart approaches what it yearns
In a fever
I distinctly hear your voice
Emerging from a dream, the dream returns
After the rain on the Interstate
Headlights slide past the moon
A bone-weary traveler that waits by the side of the road
Where's he going?
I dream we are lying on the top of a hill
And headlights slide past the moon
I roll in your arms and your voice is the heat of the night
I'm on fire
In a phone booth
In some local bar and grill
Rehearsing what I'll say, my coin returns
How the heart approaches what it yearns
How the heart approaches what it yearns
The lyrics to Paul Simon's song "How the Heart Approaches What It Yearns" are a reflection on the persistent and often tumultuous nature of desire. The opening lines, "In the blue light / Of the Belvedere Motel / Wondering as the television burns," paint a picture of a lonely traveler contemplating his desires as he watches TV alone in a motel room. The lyrics suggest that our hearts move towards what we yearn for, even if it is not what we truly need or if it causes us pain.
The second verse, "In a fever / I distinctly hear your voice / Emerging from a dream, the dream returns / How the heart approaches what it yearns," describes the power of memory and how it can keep us tied to our desires. Despite being only a dream, the memory of the person the traveler desires is constantly on his mind.
The third verse, "After the rain on the Interstate / Headlights slide past the moon / A bone-weary traveler that waits by the side of the road / Where's he going?" creates a sense of uncertainty and restlessness that reflects the traveler's own feelings. It is as though the world is in motion and he is stuck, always wanting something else.
The final verse brings the lyrics full circle by describing the traveler rehearsing what he'll say to his desired person in a phone booth. The repetition of the final line, "How the heart approaches what it yearns," emphasizes the idea that our hearts are always seeking something, even if it means rehearsing a conversation on a payphone.
Line by Line Meaning
In the blue light
In the dim light of the motel room
Of the Belvedere Motel
Which is named Belvedere
Wondering as the television burns
As the TV flickers and glows in the background, I am deep in thought
How the heart approaches what it yearns
Contemplating the ways which our hearts desire what they long for
In a fever
In a state of intense emotional excitement
I distinctly hear your voice
I hear your voice clearly and unmistakably
Emerging from a dream, the dream returns
As I wake up, I remember the dream vividly
How the heart approaches what it yearns
Reflecting on how our hearts reach out towards what they most desire
After the rain on the Interstate
Following a downpour on the highway
Headlights slide past the moon
The beams from passing cars move over the surface of the moon
A bone-weary traveler that waits by the side of the road
An exhausted wanderer who stands by the roadside
Where's he going?
Wondering about his destination
I dream we are lying on the top of a hill
In my dream, we are relaxing on a hilltop
And headlights slide past the moon
Cars drive by, casting light over the moon
I roll in your arms and your voice is the heat of the night
We embrace, and your voice fills me with warmth and comfort
I'm on fire
Feeling passionate and alive
In a phone booth
Inside a small space intended for making calls
In some local bar and grill
Inside a nearby establishment that serves food and drinks
Rehearsing what I'll say, my coin returns
Practicing what I want to say, but running out of time before the call ends
How the heart approaches what it yearns
Thinking about how our hearts strive towards the things they want most
How the heart approaches what it yearns
Reflecting once again on the ways in which our hearts long for what they crave
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Paul Simon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind