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."
Pigs Sheep and Wolves
Paul Simon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pig's supposed to look like that
Barnyard thug
Sleeps on straw and calls it a rug
Yeah, that's a rug, okay
He's walking down the street
And nobody's gonna argue with him
He's a half-a-ton of pig meat
Up in the hills
Above the farm
Lives a pack of wolves
Never did no harm
Sleep all day
Hunt 'til four
Maybe catch a couple of rodents
You know, a carnivore
Sheep in the meadow nibbling on some clover
One of those sheep just wanders over
Sits by a rock separated from the flock
He's just sitting by a rock
Where'd he go?
I don't know
Well, he was here a minute ago
I don't know
Sheep's dead
Got a gash as big as a wolf's head
Oh, God
Big and fat
Pig's supposed to look like that
Wallowing in lanolin
He's rubbing it into his pigskin
Police are going crazy
Sayin', "Let's get him
Let's get that wolf
And let's get him
Let's get that wolf
Let's get him, let's kill him
Let's get him, let's kill him"
Court-appointed lawyer wasn't very bright
Or maybe he was bright
Maybe it was just a late night
Yeah, it was just a late night
And he files some feeble appeal
And the governor says, "Forget it
It's a done deal!"
This election? I don't care, election
We'll give that wolf a lethal injection
Let's get him
Let's get that wolf
Let's get him
Let's get that wolf
Let's get him, let's kill him
Let's get him, let's kill him"
Let's get him, kill him, let's get him, let's kill him
Whew, slow
Here comes the media
With their camera
Askin' everybody's opinion
'Bout pigs, sheep and wolves
Big and fat
Pig's supposed to laugh like that
This is hilarious
What a great time
I'm the pig who committed
The perfect crime, ha!
Hahahaha
All around the world
France and Scandinavia
Candle light vigils
Protestin' behaviors
Animal behavior
It's animal behavior
It's pigs, sheep and wolves
Pigs, sheep and wolves
Pigs, sheep and wolves
It's animal behavior
It's pigs, sheep and wolves
The song "Pigs Sheep and Wolves" by Paul Simon is a satirical commentary on the behavior of human beings. The lyrics are told from the perspective of a variety of different characters, including a fat and lazy pig, a pack of wolves, and a group of sheep. The pig is portrayed as arrogant and entitled, while the wolves are seen as lazy and unproductive. The sheep are characterized as innocent and vulnerable, with one becoming a victim of the wolves.
The song's overall message is that human beings are just as animalistic as pigs, sheep, and wolves, and that our behavior can often be senseless and destructive. The repeated refrain of "pigs, sheep, and wolves" underscores the idea that we are all part of the same natural world, and that our actions have real and lasting consequences.
One interesting aspect of this song is the way that Paul Simon uses humor and irony to convey a serious message. By portraying the characters in such an exaggerated and over-the-top manner, he is able to highlight the absurdity of our own behavior as human beings. Additionally, the song's catchy melody and sing-along chorus make it a powerful tool for getting audiences to reflect on their own actions and attitudes.
Another interesting fact about this song is that it was initially released on a soundtrack album for a documentary about a group of Native Americans who were fighting to preserve their land and cultural heritage. Paul Simon wrote the song specifically for the film, and its message about animal behavior was intended to highlight the way that the Native Americans saw themselves as connected to the natural world around them.
Chords: Unfortunately, the chords for "Pigs Sheep and Wolves" are not readily available online.
Line by Line Meaning
Big and fat
The pig is large and heavy.
Pig's supposed to look like that
The nature of pigs is to be large and fat.
Barnyard thug
The pig is powerful and bold in the barnyard.
Sleeps on straw and calls it a rug
The pig sleeps on straw and thinks of it as a comfortable bed.
He's walking down the street
The pig is walking around the farm.
And nobody's gonna argue with him
No one is going to challenge the pig's authority.
He's a half-a-ton of pig meat
The pig is an enormous animal weighing 1,000 pounds.
Up in the hills
There are wolves living in the remote area above the farm.
Above the farm
There is a pack of wolves living in a remote area above the farm.
Lives a pack of wolves
The wolves live together in a group.
Never did no harm
The wolves haven't caused any harm to anyone so far.
Sleep all day
The wolves sleep during the day.
Hunt 'til four
The wolves hunt until 4 o'clock in the morning.
Maybe catch a couple of rodents
The wolves might catch a few small animals.
You know, a carnivore
Wolves are meat-eating animals.
Sheep in the meadow nibbling on some clover
There are sheep grazing in the meadow eating clover.
One of those sheep just wanders over
One of the sheep walks over to a rock.
Sits by a rock separated from the flock
The sheep is sitting beside a rock apart from the rest of the flock.
Where'd he go?
The other sheep don't know where the sheep beside the rock went.
I don't know
The other sheep aren't sure what happened to the one beside the rock.
Well, he was here a minute ago
The sheep beside the rock was there just a minute ago.
Sheep's dead
The sheep beside the rock is now dead.
Got a gash as big as a wolf's head
The dead sheep has a large cut- possibly made by a wolf.
Big and fat
The pig is large and heavy.
Pig's supposed to look like that
The pig is supposed to be big and fat.
Wallowing in lanolin
The pig is rolling around in sheep's wool fat.
He's rubbing it into his pigskin
The pig is rubbing the sheep's wool fat onto his skin.
Police are going crazy
The police are becoming very agitated.
Sayin', "Let's get him"
The police want to catch the wolf.
And let's get him
The police want to capture the wolf.
Court-appointed lawyer wasn't very bright
The lawyer appointed by the court wasn't very clever.
Or maybe he was bright
Maybe the lawyer was bright after all.
Maybe it was just a late night
It may have been a late night for the lawyer.
Yeah, it was just a late night
It was indeed a sleepless night for the lawyer.
And he files some feeble appeal
The lawyer submits a weak appeal.
And the governor says, "Forget it
The governor refuses to consider the appeal.
It's a done deal!
It's already been decided.
This election? I don't care, election
The governor doesn't care about the election.
We'll give that wolf a lethal injection
The wolf will be put to death by lethal injection.
Let's get him
The police want to capture the wolf.
Let's get that wolf
The police want to capture the wolf.
Let's get him, let's kill him
The police are now determined to catch and kill the wolf.
Whew, slow
Things are slowing down now.
Here comes the media
The media is approaching them now.
With their camera
The media came with their cameras.
Askin' everybody's opinion
The media surveys everyone for their thoughts and opinions.
'Bout pigs, sheep, and wolves
The media is asking about the topics of pigs, sheep, and wolves.
Big and fat
The pig is large and heavy.
Pig's supposed to laugh like that
The nature of pigs is to be happy.
This is hilarious
The pig thinks it's funny.
What a great time
The pig is having a great time.
I'm the pig who committed
The pig admits he is the one who did it.
The perfect crime, ha!
The pig thinks he got away with a perfect crime.
Hahahaha
The pig is laughing.
All around the world
In every part of the world.
France and Scandinavia
In France and Scandinavia.
Candle light vigils
People are lighting candles in remembrance.
Protestin' behaviors
People are protesting against bad behaviors.
Animal behavior
The actions of animals.
It's animal behavior
The behavior is what animals do.
It's pigs, sheep and wolves
It's about pigs, sheep and wolves.
Pigs, sheep and wolves
The focus is on pigs, sheep and wolves.
Pigs, sheep and wolves
The subjects are pigs, sheep and wolves.
It's animal behavior
The behavior is what animals do.
It's pigs, sheep and wolves
It's about pigs, sheep and wolves.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Paul Simon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind