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."
Love and Hard Times
Paul Simon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Paid a courtesy call on Earth
One Sunday morning
Orange blossoms opened their fragrant lips
Songbirds sang from the tips of Cottonwoods
Old folks wept for His love in these hard times
"Well, we got to get going," said the restless Lord to the Son
Creation is never done
Anyway, these people are slobs here
If we stay it's bound to be a mob scene
But, disappear, and it's love and hard times
I loved her the first time I saw her
I know that's an old songwriting cliche
Loved you the first time I saw you
Can't describe it any other way
Any other way
The light of her beauty was warm as a summer day
Clouds of antelope rolled by
No hint of rain to come
In the prairie sky
It's just love, love, love, love, love
When the rains came, the tears burned, windows rattled, locks turned
It's easy to be generous when you're on a roll
It's hard to be grateful when you're out of control
And love is gone
The light at the edge of the curtain
Is the quiet dawn
The bedroom breathes
In clicks and clacks
Uneasy heartbeat, can't relax
But then your hand takes mine
Thank God, I found you in time
Thank God, I found you
Thank God, I found you
The song "Love and Hard Times" by Paul Simon is a meditation on the themes of love, loss, and the passage of time against a backdrop of spiritual imagery. The lyrics begin with a vision of God and his son visiting the Earth, and finding the people here to be "slobs." Despite this, the singer finds love in the beauty of the Earth, and expresses gratitude for finding someone to share it with.
The opening lines of the song create a vivid image of the Earth as a place visited by divine beings. The orange blossoms opening their "fragrant lips" and the songbirds singing from the tips of cottonwoods evoke a sense of natural beauty and wonder. However, the old folks weeping for His love in these hard times suggest that even in the face of such beauty, there is suffering and hardship in the world.
The second verse shifts the focus to the singer's personal experience of love. The repetition of the phrase "loved you the first time I saw you" emphasizes the intensity of his feelings, while the comparisons to the warm light of a summer day and the clouds of antelope rolling by suggest a sense of tranquility and contentment. However, the final lines of the verse foreshadow the challenges that are to come, as the rains come and the tears burn.
Overall, "Love and Hard Times" is a thoughtful and introspective song that explores the joys and sorrows of human experience in the context of cosmic themes.
Line by Line Meaning
God and His only Son
The divine and His offspring
Paid a courtesy call on Earth
Visited the planet as an act of politeness
One Sunday morning
On a weekend day
Orange blossoms opened their fragrant lips
The scent of citrus blossoms filled the air
Songbirds sang from the tips of Cottonwoods
Birds chirped from the treetops
Old folks wept for His love in these hard times
Elderly individuals cried for the divine's love during struggles
"Well, we got to get going," said the restless Lord to the Son
The worried ruler said to His offspring that they must leave
There are galaxies yet to be born
New parts of the universe yet to be created
Creation is never done
The act of crafting life never ends
Anyway, these people are slobs here
The inhabitants were described as untidy
If we stay it's bound to be a mob scene
Had they stayed, chaos would have followed
But, disappear, and it's love and hard times
Vanishing would result in experiencing both affection and difficulty
I loved her the first time I saw her
He adored her from their initial encounter
I know that's an old songwriting cliche
The artist recognizes the statement's triteness
Loved you the first time I saw you
Fell in love with the listener from inception
Can't describe it any other way
Cannot explain it differently
Any other way
Not in any alternate manner
The light of her beauty was warm as a summer day
The individual was stunning like a hot summer
Clouds of antelope rolled by
Groups of hoofed animals travelled by
No hint of rain to come
There was no indication of forthcoming precipitation
In the prairie sky
Within the open land's atmosphere
It's just love, love, love, love, love
All is love
When the rains came, the tears burned, windows rattled, locks turned
Amid a storm, emotions were heightened, and objects shook
It's easy to be generous when you're on a roll
Being magnanimous is simple when succeeding
It's hard to be grateful when you're out of control
Expressing appreciation is challenging while in a chaotic state
And love is gone
Affection vanished
The light at the edge of the curtain
Illumination peering from the fabric's border
Is the quiet dawn
Marking the beginning of a tranquil morning
The bedroom breathes
The sanctuary of slumber inhales and exhales
In clicks and clacks
A rhythmic noise is heard
Uneasy heartbeat, can't relax
Anxiety in one's chest, making them uncomfortable
But then your hand takes mine
Then, your palm clutches mine
Thank God, I found you in time
Grateful for discovering the individual when needed
Thank God, I found you
Appreciative of meeting the person
Thank God, I found you
Thankful for coming across the individual
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PAUL SIMON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind