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."
Spiral Highway
Paul Simon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ev'ry greasy spoon
Anywhere a quarter buys a tune
Ride the spiral highway one more roll
Ev'ry local call
Ev'ry pink motel
Any time the strain begins to tell
After the rain on the interstate
Headlights slide past the moon
Bone-weary traveler waits by the side of the road
Where's he going?
Then I think it's strange
The way the body turns
And how my heart approaches what it yearns
Ride that spiral highway one more roll
Ride that spiral highway one more roll
The song "Spiral Highway" by Paul Simon is about the endless journey of life, and how one can take comfort in the small, familiar things along the way. The lyrics suggest the idea of living life on the road or wandering from place to place - every bar, greasy spoon, and pink motel that a quarter can buy a tune in are destinations on this endless journey. The phrase "ride the spiral highway" is repeated throughout the song to emphasize the cyclical nature of our lives, and how we must continue to move forward on this path.
The song starts with the description of small-town diners and bars, which might not seem important, but in the context of the song, they represent the simple pleasures of life that one can enjoy on the journey. The lyrics then go on to describe the feelings of weariness and loneliness that can come with traveling, but ultimately, there is a sense of optimism that comes through. The line "where's he going?" is an open-ended question that suggests that we never really know where the road will take us, but we must embrace this uncertainty and keep moving.
The final verse of the song is particularly poignant, as Simon reflects on the fleeting nature of life: "Then I think it's strange/The way the body turns/And how my heart approaches what it yearns/Ride that spiral highway one more roll." The metaphor of the "spiral highway" suggests that we are constantly moving forward, but in a circular, cyclical way. The repetition of the phrase "ride that spiral highway" underscores the importance of continuing to move forward, no matter what happens along the way.
Line by Line Meaning
Ev'ry bar and grill
Every establishment, from bars to grills
Ev'ry greasy spoon
Every greasy diner
Anywhere a quarter buys a tune
Anywhere cheap where a jukebox is available
Ride the spiral highway one more roll
Go along the winding path again
Ev'ry local call
Every local phone call
Ev'ry pink motel
Every roadside motel
Any time the strain begins to tell
Whenever the weariness sets in
After the rain on the interstate
Following a rainstorm on the highway
Headlights slide past the moon
Car lights move by the moonlight
Bone-weary traveler waits by the side of the road
Tired traveler rests on the road's side
Where's he going?
What is his destination?
Then I think it's strange
At times I find it unusual
The way the body turns
How the body moves in response
And how my heart approaches what it yearns
And my emotions desire what they seek
Ride that spiral highway one more roll
Travel along the winding path once again
Ride that spiral highway one more roll
Travel along the winding path once again
Contributed by Natalie C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.