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."
Slip Slidin Away
Paul Simon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Slip slidin' away
You know the nearer your destination
The more you're slip slidin' away
I know a man
He came from my home town
He wore his passion for his woman
He said Delores
I live in fear
My love for you's so overpowering
I'm afraid that I will disappear
Slip slidin' away
Slip slidin' away
You know the nearer your destination
The more you're slip slidin' away
I know a woman
Became a wife
These are the very words she uses
To describe her life
She said a good day
Ain't got no rain
She said a bad day's when I lie in bed
And think of things that might have been
Slip slidin' away
Slip slidin' away
You know the nearer your destination
The more you're slip slidin' away
And I know a father
Who had a son
He longed to tell him all the reasons
For the things he'd done
He came a long way
Just to explain
He kissed his boy as he lay sleeping
Then he turned around and headed home again
He's slip slidin'
Slip slidin' away
You know the nearer your destination
The more you're slip slidin' away
God only knows
God makes his plan
The information's unavailable
To the mortal man
We work our jobs
Collect our pay
Believe we're gliding down the highway
When in fact we're slip slidin' away
Slip slidin' away
Slip slidin' away
You know the nearer your destination
The more you're slip slidin' away
Slip slidin' away
Slip slidin' away
You know the nearer your destination
The more you're slip slidin' away
Mmm
The song Slip Slidin' Away by Paul Simon is a poignant commentary on the elusive nature of life and the inevitable feeling of disappointment and loss that comes with it. The opening lines "Slip slidin' away, Slip slidin' away, You know the nearer your destination The more you're slip slidin' away" create the perfect metaphor to illustrate the concept of things falling apart, even when life appears to be heading in the right direction. The chorus reinforces the central idea that no matter how close we are to our goals, we are always at the risk of sliding away from them.
Simon tells the stories of three people in this song - a man who is so desperately in love with a woman that he fears he will lose himself; a woman who regrets the missed opportunities in her life; and a father who wants to explain his actions to his son but ultimately cannot. These three characters represent the different ways in which people try to hold onto what they cherish, but ultimately fail. The song highlights the poignant truth that no matter how hard we try to hold onto the things we love, they inevitably slip away and are lost forever.
Ultimately, the message of the song is bittersweet; that life is never static and always moving, and that the things we love are always slipping away. This may be a sad reality, but it is one we must accept if we are to find any sense of peace in our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Slip slidin' away
Things are slipping away from us.
Slip slidin' away
Things are still slipping away from us.
You know the nearer your destination
The closer we get to our goals.
The more you're slip slidin' away
The more we lose our grip.
I know a man
The artist knows someone.
He came from my home town
He's from the singer's hometown.
He wore his passion for his woman
He showed his love for his woman.
Like a thorny crown
He carried the burden of his love like a crown of thorns.
He said Delores
He spoke to a woman named Delores.
I live in fear
He's afraid.
My love for you's so overpowering
His love for her is consuming.
I'm afraid that I will disappear
He fears losing himself in his love for her.
I know a woman
The singer knows another person, a woman.
Became a wife
She got married.
These are the very words she uses
She said this exactly.
To describe her life
To explain what her life is like.
She said a good day
A good day for her.
Ain't got no rain
It's not raining.
She said a bad day's when I lie in bed
A bad day for her is when she's alone with her thoughts.
And think of things that might have been
Reflecting on missed opportunities.
And I know a father
The artist knows a father.
Who had a son
The father had a son.
He longed to tell him all the reasons
The father wanted to explain himself.
For the things he'd done
For his actions.
He came a long way
He went a distance to see his son.
Just to explain
He wanted to clarify things.
He kissed his boy as he lay sleeping
He kissed his son while he slept.
Then he turned around and headed home again
He couldn't stay with his son.
God only knows
Only God knows.
God makes his plan
God has his own plan.
The information's unavailable
We don't know.
To the mortal man
Humans don't have access to the information.
We work our jobs
We do our work.
Collect our pay
We get paid for our work.
Believe we're gliding down the highway
We think we're making progress.
When in fact we're slip slidin' away
In reality, we're losing our grasp.
Mmm
An expression that adds no meaning.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Paul Simon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Phil_Trujeque
My son (who's 28 as of 2021), also introduces his pop's to new music.
It's a beautiful cycle that needs to start in infancy.
My parents turned ME on to excellent music as well...
Back in '86, MY pops, on the other hand... made fun of the Megadeth song I was listening to while I was blasting 'em while in the shower... one of the funniest friggin' moments I have of him (and I have many)...
This is the cycle we def need to repeat -- inspire the generations younger than us!
My condolences for your loss.
@Weshopwizard
He wore his passion for his woman like a thorny crown. What a lyric!!!!!
@joeleves3112
The phrase "The Dolores Syndrome" has become a part of my culture as a result of this verse.
@randysquires8362
JESUS wore HIS for you & me....
@bradmaj
No one can write lyrics like Paul Simon. This one is right up there with, "Sonny sits by the window and thinks to himself, how it's strange that some rooms are like cages..."
@complexlittlepirate3589
Believe we're gliding down the highway when in fact we're slip sliding away -
@liberty9348
Paul Simon is the greatest singer-songwriter that has ever lived AND we will never see another of higher quality. He was born a master and is a living legend. Music doesn't get any better than this and that's a fact. The way musical energy flows through and out of Paul is extremely powerful... much like our SUN. Extremely rare.....
@chuckkennedy5656
This song means so much more to me now then it ever has. Living life for 61 years the ups and downs, love gained and lost, the pain, the pleasure. Amazing how life will change you, and your perspective, if you live long enough.
@johnblair3267
And if one pays attention to the little things, they matter.
@terryszul9487
@@johnblair3267 The little things truly matter the most, and it hurts when you realize what you lost (whether your own undoing of happiness or not) extremely hurts.
@tammybrown1104
I'm 62 and I feel like a good day ain't got no rain and a bad days when I lie in bed and think of things that might have been.