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."
Look at That
Paul Simon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Look at this
Drop a stone in the abyss
Then walk away and know that anything can happen
Just like that
Just like this
Look at that
Gimme a hug, gimme a kiss
Then hey, hey, off to school we go
You might learn something
Yeah you never know
I love you so
Look at that
Look at this
Lovers merge and make a wish
They close their eyes and now their dreams are legal
And on the horizon the eagle flies
Through clouds of fire
Swoop and glide
You can't believe it
You can't decide
Ask somebody to love you
Takes a lot of nerve
Ask somebody to love you
You got a lot of nerve
Ask somebody to love you
Takes a lot of nerve
Ask somebody to love you
Ma, ma, ma, ma, ma, ma, ma, ma
Da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
Oom bop a doom
Look at that
Look at this
This is near enough to bliss
Then over the top we go and down
Down to the bottom
If you're looking for worries
You got 'em
Ask somebody to love you
Takes a lot of nerve
Ask somebody to love you
You got a lot of nerve
Tih, tih, tih, tih, tih, tih, tih, tih
Guh, guh, guh, guh, guh, guh, guh, guh
Lih, lih, lih, lih, lih, lih, lih, lih
Oom bop a doom
Come awake, come alive
Common sense we survive
Then hey, hey, down the road we go
You might learn something
Yeah you never know
But anyway you've got to go
The lyrics to Paul Simon's song Look at That can be interpreted as an ode to the beauty and unpredictability of life. The first two stanzas seem to suggest that anything is possible and that life is full of surprises. The line "Drop a stone in the abyss then walk away and know that anything can happen" seems to convey the message that even a small action can have a big impact in life. Similarly, the line "Just like that, just like this" implies that life can be unpredictable and one can never know what might happen next.
The third stanza seems to suggest that love is a powerful force that can make dreams come true. The line "Lovers merge and make a wish, they close their eyes and now their dreams are legal" conveys the message that love can make seemingly impossible dreams come true. The last stanza seems to be an encouragement to embrace life and the unknown. The line "Come awake, come alive common sense we survive" suggests that one must be alert and embrace all that life has to offer.
Overall, the lyrics of Look at That seem to convey the message that life is beautiful, unpredictable, and full of surprises, and that we must embrace it in all its glory.
Line by Line Meaning
Look at that
Take a moment to observe the world around you
Look at this
Pay attention to what's happening in the present moment
Drop a stone in the abyss
Take an action and recognize the potential it has for creating change
Then walk away and know that anything can happen
Accept the unknown outcomes of your actions
Just like that
Things can change quickly and unexpectedly
Just like this
In a moment, everything can shift
Gimme a hug, gimme a kiss
Expressing affection and warmth towards someone
Then hey, hey, off to school we go
Transitioning to a new phase in life
You might learn something
Life is full of surprises and opportunities to learn
Yeah you never know
The future is unpredictable
I love you so
Expressing deep affection for someone
Lovers merge and make a wish
Two people come together and share a dream for their future
They close their eyes and now their dreams are legal
Their shared dream becomes a reality
And on the horizon the eagle flies
A symbol of freedom, soaring above the world
Through clouds of fire
Navigating through challenges and obstacles
Swoop and glide
Moving gracefully through life
You can't believe it
Experiencing something incredible
You can't decide
Uncertainty about what to do or feel
Ask somebody to love you
Putting oneself out there and risking rejection
Takes a lot of nerve
Requires courage and vulnerability
Ma, ma, ma, ma, ma, ma, ma, ma
Syllables without specific meaning, perhaps representing vocalizations of inner feeling or emotion
Da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da
Syllables without specific meaning, perhaps representing vocalizations of inner feeling or emotion
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la
Syllables without specific meaning, perhaps representing vocalizations of inner feeling or emotion
Oom bop a doom
Nonsensical syllables, perhaps representing a sense of playfulness or spontaneity
This is near enough to bliss
Feeling content and happy
Then over the top we go and down
Going through highs and lows in life
Down to the bottom
Reaching a low point in life
If you're looking for worries
Actively seeking out problems and challenges
You got 'em
Finding the challenges you were looking for
Come awake, come alive
Feeling a sense of energy and vitality
Common sense we survive
Using practical and logical thinking to navigate life
Then hey, hey, down the road we go
Continuing on the journey of life
Anyway you've got to go
Accepting that life involves uncertainty, but moving forward anyway
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Paul Simon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind