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."
Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard
Paul Simon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And she ran to the police station
When the papa found out he began to shout
And he started the investigation
It's against the law
It was against the law
What the mama saw
The mama looked down and spit on the ground
Every time my name gets mentioned
The papa said, "Oy, if I get that boy
I'm gonna stick him in the house of detention"
Well I'm on my way
I don't know where I'm going
I'm on my way
I'm taking my time
But I don't know where
Goodbye to Rosie, the queen of Corona
Seein' me and Julio
Down by the schoolyard
Seein' me and Julio
Down by the schoolyard
Whoa, in a couple of days they come and take me away
But the press let the story leak
And when the radical priest
Come to get me released
We was all on the cover of Newsweek
And I'm on my way
I don't know where I'm going
I'm on my way
I'm taking my time
But I don't know where
Goodbye to Rosie, the queen of Corona
Seein' me and Julio
Down by the schoolyard
Seein' me and Julio
Down by the schoolyard
Seein' me and Julio
Down by the schoolyard
"Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard" is a song by Paul Simon that was released in 1972. The song describes a situation where the "mama pajama" sees something and rushes to the police station. Her husband, "the papa," is angry and starts his investigation. It's soon revealed that something "was against the law," but the nature of the crime is never explicitly stated. The mention of the boy's name causes tension between his parents, leading the father to threaten to have him jailed.
However, the boy seems to care less about the situation, as he's "on his way" somewhere but doesn't know where. He says goodbye to Rosie, the "queen of Corona," before meeting up with his friend, Julio, down by the schoolyard. The song ends with the suggestion that the boy is eventually detained, but the media attention surrounding his arrest earns him the cover of Newsweek.
Line by Line Meaning
The mama pajama rolled out of bed
The mother of the singer wakes up and gets out of bed.
And she ran to the police station
She immediately goes to the police station.
When the papa found out he began to shout
The father of the singer found out and started shouting angrily.
And he started the investigation
He began to investigate what happened.
It's against the law
The thing that the mother saw was illegal.
It was against the law
The situation is not allowed by the law.
What the mama saw
The mom saw something that was not lawful.
It was against the law
The situation is not allowed by the law.
The mama looked down and spit on the ground
The mother is disgusted by the mention of the incident.
Every time my name gets mentioned
Every time the incident is brought up by someone, the mother is disgusted.
The papa said, "Oy, if I get that boy
The father is vengeful and threatens the singer.
I'm gonna stick him in the house of detention"
The father wants the singer to be incarcerated as punishment.
Well I'm on my way
The singer is leaving the house.
I don't know where I'm going
The singer is not sure where he's headed.
I'm on my way
The singer is leaving.
I'm taking my time
The singer is not in a hurry.
But I don't know where
The singer has no idea where he's going.
Goodbye to Rosie, the queen of Corona
The singer is saying goodbye to someone named Rosie.
Seein' me and Julio
The singer and a person named Julio are being seen.
Down by the schoolyard
They are near a school.
Whoa, in a couple of days they come and take me away
The singer knows he will be taken away by authorities soon.
But the press let the story leak
The media got hold of the story and released it to the public.
And when the radical priest
A priest who is seen as radical gets involved.
Come to get me released
He comes to get the singer out of detention.
We was all on the cover of Newsweek
The situation is now famous and is on the news.
Seein' me and Julio
The singer and Julio are seen again.
Down by the schoolyard
They are still near the school.
Seein' me and Julio
The singer and Julio are seen again.
Down by the schoolyard
They are still near the school.
Seein' me and Julio
The singer and Julio are seen again.
Down by the schoolyard
They are still near the school.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Paul Simon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
MJ999
Paul Simon is one of the best song writers ever, definitely up there with Lennon & McCartney
Bill Miller
You forgot to mention Kim Kardashian and Darren Dumbolt
Drumlover16
Paul Simon is a masterclass in songwriting!
Robert Gliński
it's amazing. This guy has the same timbre of voice as at the beginning of his career. It's great to grow up and grow old.
matsamnic fam
REAL music..
Sevtap Tincer
Absolutely, distinctive voice, he also whistles.
Mary Watkins
Amazing song that still sounds fresh and new!
Had Enough
The man can fill seats..People will always love good music.
linchin
Have you? Dizzy
Maezz
I have been practicing this song on guitar..think i have mastered it..but I decided to click on this version this time AND WOAH This is totally different from the studio version it blew my mind :) Paul Simon is the BESSTTTT