Something so Right
Paul Simon Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

You've got the cool water
When the fever runs high
You've got the look of love light
In your eyes
And I was in crazy motion
'Til you calmed me down
It took a little time
But you calmed me down

[Chorus]
When something goes wrong
I'm the first to admit it
I'm the first to admit it
But the last one to know
When something goes right
Well it's likely to lose me
It's apt to confuse me
It's such an unusual sight
I can't get used to something so right
Something so right

They've got a wall in China
It's a thousand miles long
To keep out the foreigners
They made it strong
I've got a wall around me
You can't even see
It took a little time
To get to me

[Chorus]

Some people never say the words
I love you
It's not their style
To be so bold
Some people never say those words
I love you
But like a child they're longing
To be told





[Chorus]

Overall Meaning

Something So Right is a love song written by Paul Simon. The lyrics talk about finding love and how it brings peace in one's life. The first verse explains how the person feels better around their lover during times of high stress. The lover has a calming effect on them and brings them back to reality. The chorus explains how the person often fails to see when things are going right because they are so used to things going wrong in their past. The second verse compares the singer to China's Great Wall, saying they have a wall around them but the lover has been able to break it down over time. The final verse points out that some people struggle to communicate their love verbally, but deep down, they crave to hear it.


The song's message is about how love can heal and bring joy to someone's life. Paul Simon uses simple language to convey his message but adds depth through his metaphors such as the Great Wall of China and using imagery to describe love's calming effects. The chorus is the highlight of the song because it shows how the singer is grappling with the reality of something good happening to them, and how they struggle to accept it.


Line by Line Meaning

You've got the cool water
You have a calming influence on me when I'm feeling hot and bothered.


When the fever runs high
When I'm feeling feverish and out of control.


You've got the look of love light
You have a loving look in your eyes that helps to ease my worries.


In your eyes
I can see the love and understanding that you have for me.


And I was in crazy motion
I was acting impulsively and irrationally before you calmed me down.


'Til you calmed me down
You have the ability to calm me down and help me see things more clearly.


It took a little time
It took some time for me to come around to your way of thinking.


But you calmed me down
Thanks to your calming influence, I'm no longer acting impulsively.


When something goes wrong
I'm quick to admit my mistakes and shortcomings.


I'm the first to admit it
I don't shy away from admitting my mistakes or faults.


But the last one to know
Sometimes I'm not aware of what's happening around me, even when others are.


When something goes right
I have a tendency to be skeptical of good things because they don't happen often.


Well it's likely to lose me
Good things can be overwhelming and confusing for me because they're so rare.


It's apt to confuse me
I can feel disoriented and unsure when something good happens to me.


It's such an unusual sight
Good things happening to me is such a rare occurrence that it's almost unbelievable.


I can't get used to something so right
I struggle to accept and adjust to positive changes in my life because they're so uncommon for me.


They've got a wall in China
China has built a massive wall to keep out foreigners from entering the country.


It's a thousand miles long
The wall extends for over a thousand miles, making it a monumental feat of engineering.


To keep out the foreigners
The wall is meant to prevent outsiders from entering China and affecting its culture.


They made it strong
The wall was built to last and withstand any attempts to breach it.


I've got a wall around me
I have built up a wall of emotional defenses to protect myself from getting hurt.


You can't even see
My emotional defenses are so strong that they're not easy to penetrate or even detect.


It took a little time
It has taken time for you to earn my trust and break down my emotional walls.


To get to me
You have had to work hard to break down my emotional defenses and reach me.


Some people never say the words
Some people find it difficult to express their love and affection verbally.


I love you
The words 'I love you' are sometimes difficult for people to say, even if they feel it in their hearts.


It's not their style
Some people express their love and affection in non-verbal ways, such as through their actions.


To be so bold
Expressing one's love so openly and vulnerably can feel scary and uncomfortable.


But like a child they're longing
Even people who are hesitant to express their love still yearn to be expressed to them by someone else.


To be told
Everyone desires to be loved and to hear that love expressed to them by someone else.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Paul Simon

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Comments from YouTube:

Cornelia Martens

My favorite song for ever. Paul was and is still a genius songwriter and singer.

Holy Squire

just like a child longing to be told

Joe D'Ambrosio

He's such a legend. So much respect for Paul.

Oren Tsor אורן צור

Paul Simon at the top of his game What a treat What a great songwriter

Duane Thorin

Yes, the words"genius", and "top of his game" definitely fit here perfectly. What an amazing legacy of daring and unique songs he has. So diverse.....maybe more so than anyone in history.....it has to be between him and Dylan. Dylan's peaks were higher in some ways, but Paul is more consistent than anyone in quality of material and performance.

Rainer Rutka

don"t miss Neil Young. imo

Sherri Goldman

I wish with all my heart that I could have produced a sound like he did, both instrumentally and vocally.  If I could play an instrument, it would be a guitar. I thought about it once, but I didn't think I could ever play as well as I could sing. Paul Simon is a genius in his own right...WOW! Thank you for this....

glittering multitude

This is a brutally difficult song to play on guitar.  It's like he threw in as many chords as possible.  The result is, of course, splendid.  :)

chris morgan

I bet 7 years ago you that the chord sequence was 100% lifted from Bach

pottythepirate

Paul Simon mostly writes stuff that falls very easily under the fingers. When you see the TAB, you'll find this one is really not so hard. Check it out: http://www.paul-simon.info/PHP/showsongtab.php?songnummer=147

More Comments

More Versions