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."
I Know What I Know
Paul Simon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I guess she thought I was all right
All right in a sort of a limited way for an off-night
She said, "don't I know you from the cinematographer's party?"
I said, "who am I to blow against the wind?"
I know what I know
I'll sing what I said
That's a thing that I keep
In the back of my head
I know what I know
I'll sing what I said
We come and we go
That's a thing that I keep
In the back of my head
She said, "there's something about you
That really reminds me of money"
She is the kind of a girl
Who could say things that weren't that funny
I said, "what does that mean?
I really remind you of money?"
She said, "who am I to blow against the wind?"
I know what I know
I'll sing what I said
We come and we go
That's a thing that I keep
In the back of my head
I know what I know
I'll sing what I said
We come and we go
That's a thing that I keep
In the back of my head
She moved so easily
All I could think of was sunlight
I said, "aren't you the women
Who was recently given a Fulbright?"
She said, "don't I know you
From the cinematographer's party?"
I said, "who am I to blow against the wind?"
I know what I know
I'll sing what I said
We come and we go
That's a thing that I keep
In the back of my head
I know what I know
I'll sing what I said
We come and we go
That's a thing that I keep
In the back of my head
I know what I know
I know what I know
I know what I know
I know what I know
The opening verse of Paul Simon's song "I Know What I Know" speaks of a chance meeting between two people at a party. The woman looks him over and finds him "all right in a sort of limited way for an off-night." She mistakes him for someone else she met at a cinematographer's party and comments on the familiar feeling his presence gives her, stating that something about him reminds her of money.
The man responds with a phrase that appears twice in the song: "Who am I to blow against the wind?" This phrase can be interpreted in several ways but generally means that he's not going to argue with her. He accepts her confusion and chooses not to attempt to explain or defend his identity, instead accepting the chance nature of their meeting.
The refrain of the song is simple and repetitive, expressing an acceptance of the flow of life. The line "We come and we go, that's a thing that I keep in the back of my head" acknowledges the ebb and flow of people, events, and thoughts that shape one's life. He chooses to embrace this idea and not fight it, expressing that accepting life's changes is a valuable mindset to maintain.
Line by Line Meaning
She looked me over
She examined me with her eyes.
And I guess she thought I was all right
She probably decided that I looked decent.
All right in a sort of a limited way for an off-night
I appeared to be satisfactory, but only just barely, and probably not my best.
She said, "don't I know you from the cinematographer's party?"
She suggested that she recognized me from a recent gathering.
I said, "who am I to blow against the wind?"
I responded with a rhetorical question, indicating that I'm not important enough to challenge fate.
I know what I know
I have a clear understanding of what I have learned.
I'll sing what I said
I will express my thoughts through music.
We come and we go
We exist temporarily and then disappear.
That's a thing that I keep in the back of my head
I constantly keep this idea in mind.
She said, "there's something about you that really reminds me of money"
She made an odd observation, implying that I seem like a valuable commodity.
She is the kind of a girl who could say things that weren't that funny
She has a tendency to make humorless comments.
I said, "what does that mean? I really remind you of money?"
I asked her for clarification regarding her remark about me being like money.
She moved so easily
She was able to change positions effortlessly.
All I could think of was sunlight
The only thing that came to mind as I watched her move was sunshine.
Aren't you the woman who was recently given a Fulbright?
I asked if she was the recipient of a prestigious scholarship.
I know what I know
I am certain of what I know.
I know what I know
I am confident in my knowledge.
I know what I know
I am sure of my understanding of things.
I know what I know
I have a clear comprehension of my thoughts.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Paul Simon, Daniel Shirinda
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@anixbayiproductions
From what little I hear it goes like this in Xitsonga.
“He utatwa kuvavo
Ungo jaha ku rhandza
Naku rhandza majaha”
Which loosely translates to
“you’ll be in pain, because of rushing to love and rushing to love men”
@user-ip9yu7lp1q
She looked me over
And I guess she thought I was all right
All right in a sort of a limited way for an off-night
She said,
"don't I know you from the cinematographer's party?"
I said, "who am I to blow against the wind?"
I know what I know
I'll sing what I said
We come and we go
That's a thing that I keep
In the back of my head
I know what I know
I'll sing what I said
We come and we go
That's a thing that I keep
In the back of my head
She said, "there's something about you
That really reminds me of money"
She is the kind of a girl
Who could say things that weren't that funny
I said, "what does that mean?
I really remind you of money?"
She said, "who am I to blow against the wind?"
She moved so easily
All I could think of was sunlight
I said, "aren't you the women
Who was recently given a Fulbright?"
She said, "don't I know you
From the cinematographer's party?"
I said, "who am I to blow against the wind?"
@zhothdarkaroth
I KNOW WHAT I KNOW
I'll sing what I said
WE COME AND WE GO
That's a thing that I KEEP in the back of MY HEAD
Yo se lo que sé
I ""cantaré"" lo que dije
VENIMOS Y VAMOS
Y es una cosa que GUARDO
Detras de mi CABEZA
😉😉😉
@leokimvideo
Such a fantastic song, it gives you goose bumps every time you hear it. Graceland is up there with Sgt Peppers, Pet Sounds easily.
@markus808808
Nice list, the amount of work talent and great minds that went into these three. Although Pet Sounds could have been Brian Wilson's solo album too
@RobertCinquino
Great as Sgt. Peppers and Pet Sounds are, I still prefer Revolver and Beach Boys Today.
@rommix0
And to be fair, it's one of the most iconic albums of the 80s after Thriller.
@mikelee8937
Kind of envy all who attended the cinematographer's party at this point.
@yankeebean1
The canapés were breathtaking
@pertjacanape
I assume she only mentions the party to signify her status. She may never have attended.
@Blokewood3
Who am I to blow against the wind?
@virginiawoolffan
Only beautiful people could go
@delesdog
Pretty obvious…You gotta look a sort of a limited way for an off night