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."
Mother and Child Reunion
Paul Simon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On this strange and mournful day
But the mother and child reunion
Is only a motion away
Oh, little darling of mine
I can't for the life of me
Remember a sadder day
But it just don't work out that way
And the course of a lifetime runs
Over and over again
No, I would not give you false hope (no)
On this strange and mournful day
But the mother and child reunion
Is only a motion away
Oh, little darling of mine
I just can't believe it's so
Though it seems strange to say
I never been laid so low
In such a mysterious way
And the course of a lifetime runs
Over and over again
But I would not give you false hope (no)
On this strange and mournful day
When the mother and child reunion
Is only a motion away
Oh, oh, the mother and child reunion
Is only a motion away
Oh, the mother and child reunion
Is only a moment away (oh oh)
Oh, the mother and child reunion
Is only a motion away
Oh (oh), the mother and child reunion
Is only a moment away
Oh, oh, the mother and child reunion
Oh, is only a motion away
Oh, the mother and child reunion
Is only a moment away (way, way, way)
The song "Mother and Child Reunion" by Paul Simon is a deeply emotional track sung from the perspective of a grieving parent. The lyrics describe how the singer is struggling to come to terms with the loss of a loved one, specifically, a child. The parent is struggling to find any comfort in their loss and is dealing with a sense of overwhelming sadness that seems to consume them. The song argues that the healing process is neither quick nor easy, but that even in the darkest times, hope is not entirely lost. The reunion between mother and child is only a motion away.
The song's title comes from a menu item at a Chinese restaurant that Simon frequented called "Mother and Child Reunion," which was a dish made up of chicken and eggs. Many people were surprised to learn that the song was written about the menu item, but Simon has said that he was struck by the phrase and that it reminded him of his time spent in Jamaica, where the phrase often referred to the reunion of the spirits of the dead with their living relatives.
Line by Line Meaning
No, I would not give you false hope
I won't deceive you
On this strange and mournful day
On this day filled with confusion and sadness
But the mother and child reunion
The reunion of a mother and child
Is only a motion away
Is only a step forward
Oh, little darling of mine
Oh, my beloved child
I can't for the life of me
I cannot, no matter how hard I try
Remember a sadder day
Recall a day more sorrowful than this one
I know they say let it be
I understand the common advice is to let it go or leave it alone
But it just don't work out that way
However, things don't work out that easily
And the course of a lifetime runs
The path of life continues
Over and over again
Repeatedly
But I would not give you false hope (no)
Still, I won't deceive you
When the mother and child reunion
On the occasion of a mother and child reunion
Is only a motion away
Is only a step forward
Oh, oh, the mother and child reunion
The mother and child reunion
Is only a motion away
Is only a step forward
Oh (oh), the mother and child reunion
Oh, the mother and child reunion
Is only a moment away
Is only an instant away
Oh, oh, the mother and child reunion
The mother and child reunion
Oh, is only a motion away
Is only a step forward
Oh, the mother and child reunion
The mother and child reunion
Is only a moment away (way, way, way)
Is only an instant away
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Paul Simon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Anoushka Babelcock
This is, without a doubt, the most moving song I have ever heard- I can't thank you enough for uploading this live version. You got yourself a new subscriber.
ONNIE TALONE
oh my god look at the fun we used to have, so close together, miss that the most
ONNIE TALONE
where will we unite again, on the other side
Super Fantastic Poplang
Based on a chicken and egg dish
Marc Zimmer
How many different but brilliant songs did this man write? One of the greatest ever!
Reno Raider
A ton of them.
John Calaway
I remember when this song first came out and loved it and still do to this day.
Gabriel Coelho de Pádua Oliveira
I was there in Hyde Park - It was one of the best concerts that I have been.
Dropped some tears when I listened to this amazing song... I recalled the day that my baby daughter was born and when my wife held her for the first time - it is only a motion away
Al MILE
I was there too man... it was the Graceland anniversary... I believe all the original musicians on the album...lady smith black there too! Amazing concert one of the best I’ve seen...
DeeDee Appenfeldt
Amen Brother..tears of happiness hope and love ❤️