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."
She Moves Me
Paul Simon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's a fine day
The way the sun hits off the runway
A cloud shifts
The plane lifts
She moves on
But feel the bite
You'll be lost and love will find you
When the road bends
And the song ends
She moves on
I know the reason I
Feel so blessed
My heart still splashes
Inside my chest, but she
She is like a top
She cannot stop
She moves on
A sympathetic stranger
Lights a candle in the middle of the night
Her voice cracks
She jumps back
But she moves on
She says â??Ooh my storybook lover
You have underestimated my power
As you shortly will discoverâ??
Then I fall to my knees
Shake a rattle at the skies
And I'm afraid that I'll be taken
Abandoned, forsaken
In her cold coffee eyes
She can't sleep now
The moon is red
She fights a fever
She burns in bed
She needs to talk so
We take a walk
Down in the maroon light
She says â??Maybe these emotions are
As near to love as love will ever beâ??
So I agree
Then the moon breaks
She takes the corner that's all she takes
She moves on
She says â??Ooh my storybook lover
You have underestimated my power
As you shortly will discoverâ??
Then I fall to my knees
I grow weak, I go slack
As if she'd captured the breath of my
Voice in a bottle
And I can't catch it back
But I feel good
It's a fine day
The way the sun hits off the run way
A cloud shifts
The plane lifts
She moves on
The song "She Moves On" by Paul Simon explores the idea of moving forward and leaving the past behind. The lyrics paint a picture of a woman who is always on the go, unable to stop, and who is in control of her fate. The singer seems to be in awe of her power and is drawn to her, but at the same time, he is also afraid of being left behind. The opening lines set the tone for the song, with the singer feeling good on a fine day and watching the world pass him by. The lyrics suggest that he is content to watch the world move on without him, while at the same time acknowledging that he is afraid of being lost without the woman he loves.
The chorus of the song sums up the feeling of the lyrics perfectly, with the repetition of the line "she moves on" emphasizing the idea that life does not stop for anyone, and that we have to keep moving forward even when things get tough. The lyrics also suggest that we cannot control everything in our lives, that sometimes we have to let go and let fate take its course.
Overall, "She Moves On" is a powerful song that encourages us to embrace the future and to have faith in our own abilities to move forward.
Line by Line Meaning
I feel good
The singer is feeling optimistic and positive
It's a fine day
The weather is pleasant and enjoyable
The way the sun hits off the runway
The singer is enjoying the way the sunlight reflects off the airplane runway
A cloud shifts
The artist observes a cloud moving or changing shape
The plane lifts
The plane the artist is on takes off into the air
She moves on
The singer reflects on a woman who has moved on from his life
But feel the bite
The singer's positive mood is interrupted
Whenever you believe that
The following lines reflect on a warning or lesson
You'll be lost and love will find you
The artist warns against getting lost in love, as it could lead to negative consequences
When the road bends
The artist refers to a metaphorical road which may take unexpected turns
And the song ends
The singer refers to a metaphorical song which may come to an end
She moves on
The artist reflects on the woman who has moved on from his life
I know the reason I
The singer has insight into why he feels blessed
Feel so blessed
The singer feels fortunate and grateful
My heart still splashes
The singer's heart is filled with emotion
Inside my chest, but she
The woman the artist refers to has left an impact on him
She is like a top
The woman the artist refers to is constantly in motion and cannot be stopped
She cannot stop
The woman the singer refers to is constantly in motion and cannot be stopped
She moves on
The singer reflects on the woman who has moved on from his life
A sympathetic stranger
The artist encounters a stranger who shows compassion
Lights a candle in the middle of the night
The stranger lights a candle in the dark
Her voice cracks
The stranger's voice breaks, indicating emotion
She jumps back
The stranger is startled
But she moves on
The artist reflects on the woman who has moved on from his life
She says 'Ooh my storybook lover
The woman the singer refers to starts speaking
You have underestimated my power
The woman implies that the singer has not fully understood her capabilities
As you shortly will discover'
The singer will soon realize the woman's full power
Then I fall to my knees
The artist is emotionally affected by the woman's words
Shake a rattle at the skies
The artist invokes a spiritual practice to express his emotions
And I'm afraid that I'll be taken
The singer is fearful of losing something important
Abandoned, forsaken
The singer fears being left alone and forgotten
In her cold coffee eyes
The woman's eyes are described as cold and distant
She can't sleep now
The woman is experiencing insomnia
The moon is red
The artist observes a red moon
She fights a fever
The woman is battling a fever
She burns in bed
The woman's symptoms are severe
She needs to talk so
The woman desires conversation or connection
We take a walk
The singer and woman go for a walk together
Down in the maroon light
The lighting is described with a rich, reddish-brown hue
She says 'Maybe these emotions are
The woman starts to express her thoughts and feelings
As near to love as love will ever be'
The woman suggests that these emotions are as close to love as they will ever get
So I agree
The singer is in agreement with the woman's statement
Then the moon breaks
The moon's light changes or is interrupted
She takes the corner that's all she takes
The woman abruptly leaves
She moves on
The artist reflects on the woman who has moved on from his life
She says 'Ooh my storybook lover
The woman's voice is heard again
You have underestimated my power
The woman repeats her previous statement
As you shortly will discover'
The artist will soon realize the woman's full power
Then I fall to my knees
The singer is again emotionally affected by the woman's words
I grow weak, I go slack
The singer is physically affected by the woman's power
As if she'd captured the breath of my
The woman's power is described as being able to take away the singer's breath
Voice in a bottle
The artist's voice is metaphorically trapped or captured
And I can't catch it back
The artist feels powerless to retrieve what has been taken
But I feel good
The singer's mood improves
It's a fine day
The singer returns to his initial positive outlook
The way the sun hits off the run way
The artist once again observes the sunlight and its interaction with the runway
A cloud shifts
Another cloud moves or changes shape
The plane lifts
The artist's plane takes off again
She moves on
The singer reflects on the woman who has moved on from his life
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: PAUL SIMON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind