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."
Still Crazy After All These Years
Paul Simon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She seemed so glad to see me, I just smiled
And we talked about some old times, and we drank ourselves some beers
Still crazy after all these years
Oh, still crazy after all these years
I'm not the kind of man who tends to socialize
I seem to lean on old familiar ways
Still crazy after all these years
Oh, still crazy after all these years
Four in the morning
Crapped out, yawning
Longing my life away
I'll never worry
Why should I?
It's all gonna fade
Now I sit by my window and I watch the cars
I fear I'll do some damage one fine day
But I would not be convicted by a jury of my peers
Still crazy after all these years
Oh, still crazy
Still crazy
Still crazy after all these years
The lyrics of Paul Simon's song Still Crazy After All These Years is an introspective reflection on the passage of time, the nostalgic feeling of meeting an old lover and the artist's complex personality. The song is about a man in his forties (presumably Simon himself) who feels adrift in life. He meets an old lover and talks about their old times, reminiscing about the past and drinking some beers with her. It is not stated if they continue their relationship, but the artist seems satisfied with just seeing her.
The first verse conveys a message of emotional resilience, that despite all the changes and life experiences, the artist remains mentally stable and "still crazy" in his unique way. The second verse is a reflection of a loner personality, someone who values a sense of familiarity and the past, and is selective of who to share his private life with. The third and last verse describes a scene of the artist sitting alone, looking at the city and pondering his past behavior. He expresses a certain level of regret but also displays a nihilistic attitude towards his future.
Overall, Still Crazy After All These Years poses a common question "what is the meaning of life?" and presents a thoughtful response to it. The artist seems to be wandering aimlessly, having lost his way and not seeking another path. He realizes that he has a choice to keep moving forward or simply fade away, but he remains "still crazy after all these years."
Line by Line Meaning
I met my old lover on the street last night
I ran into my ex-partner unexpectedly
She seemed so glad to see me, I just smiled
Despite our rocky history, she appeared happy to see me and I greeted her with a smile
And we talked about some old times, and we drank ourselves some beers
We reminisced about our past together and enjoyed a few drinks while doing so
Still crazy after all these years
Even after all this time, I'm still the same flawed and eccentric person I've always been
Oh, still crazy after all these years
I acknowledge and accept that I'm still a little crazy after all these years
I'm not the kind of man who tends to socialize
I'm introverted and don't typically enjoy social events
I seem to lean on old familiar ways
I prefer to stick with what's comfortable and known to me
And I ain't no fool for love songs that whisper in my ears
I'm not a hopeless romantic, and I'm not easily swayed by love songs or sweet nothings
Four in the morning
It's very late at night, or early in the morning
Crapped out, yawning
I'm tired and drained
Longing my life away
I'm feeling discontent with my current situation and wishing things were different
I'll never worry
I'm carefree and not one to stress about things unnecessarily
Why should I?
There's no reason to worry or stress when everything will eventually come to an end
It's all gonna fade
Everything in life is temporary and will eventually disappear
Now I sit by my window and I watch the cars
I spend my time observing the world outside my window
I fear I'll do some damage one fine day
I worry that I'll eventually cause harm to myself or others
But I would not be convicted by a jury of my peers
Despite my fears and potential to cause harm, I don't believe I'm doing anything morally wrong
Still crazy after all these years
Even after all this time, I'm still the same flawed and eccentric person I've always been
Oh, still crazy
I acknowledge and accept that I'm still a little crazy
Still crazy
I embrace my unconventional ways and am not ashamed of them
Still crazy after all these years
Even after all this time, I'm still the same flawed and eccentric person I've always been
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Paul Simon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Arthur Mitchell
Gotta credit the musicians, too:
Paul Simon - vocals, acoustic guitar (electric on "Late in the Evening" and "The Sound of Silence")
Mingo Araujo - percussion
Cyro Baptista - percussion
Chris Botti - trumpet
Michael Brecker - saxophones, EWI
Tony Cedras - piano, keyboards, accordion
Dom Chacal - percussion
Steve Gadd - drums
Sidinho Moreira - percussion
Vincent Nguini - guitar
Ray Phiri - guitar
Barney Rachabane - saxophone, pennywhistle
Armand Sabal-Lecco - bass guitar
John Selolwane - guitar
Richard Tee - musical director, piano
The Waters (Oren Waters, Maxime Waters and Julia Waters) - vocals
Tracy Gan
I met my old lover on the street last night
She seemed so glad to see me, I just smiled
And we talked about some old times and drank ourselves some beers.
Still crazy after all these years.
Oh! Still crazy after all these years.
I\'m not the kind of man who tends to socialize
I seem to lean on old familiar ways
And I ain\'t no fool for love songs that whisper in my ears
Still crazy after all these years
Oh! Still crazy after all these years.
Four in the morning
Cramped out, yawning
Longing my life away
I\'ve never worried, why should I?
It\'s all gonna fade.
Now I sit by my window and I watch the cars.
I fear I\'ll do some damage one fine day
But I would not be convicted by a jury of my peers
Still crazy after all these years
Woah! Still crazy
Still crazy
Still crazy after all these years
UncleMikeNJ
Paul Simon: I would not be convicted by a jury of my peers.
Carole King: You've got a friend.
Bob Dylan: You got a lot of nerve to say you are my friend.
Paul McCartney: Well you know that it's a fool who plays it cool by making his world a little colder.
Mick Jagger: You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you just might find you get what you need.
Elton John: Get back, honky cat.
Neil Young: It's better to burn out than to fade away.
Joni Mitchell: You don't know what you've got 'til it's gone.
We seem to have a hung jury.
George Haigler
A most beautiful song and one of the greatest ballads ever written. The saxophonist was incredible and the keyboardist is the Gospel Truth! Still an amazing song after all these years. Thank you, Paul Simon, for making real music.
studioblogic
I agree 100%. The genius of this man is so inspiring. I sit at my piano for hours just playing his songs and he touches my heart while he taps all the bases from jazz & blues to classical, folk, pop & world music and always with class and musical elegance. He's a giant and rarely understood and appreciated as much as he should be.
Marcellis Williams
When I tell you I clap like I was in the audience every time I watch this video!
I love it so much! Ladies & Gentlemen, Mr Paul Simon!!!!
Judith Froio
Outstanding!!! Still gives me chills after all these years!
John Everiss
Ditto JF. Peace & Love, JE
lokir
Brecker's solo just hits me in the chest every time I hear it.
MrSirViking
This is one of the best versions of this song! But the best one was the one i heard live a couple of years ago when i heard him live.. Ohh Mr Simon, you are truly a great musician!
Chip Crisper
Yes, this concert does scream
90's, but I love it.
lokir
As an instrumentalist, Brecker was as close to flawless as you can get. 😊
Andrew James
The whole band was. Steve Gadd was flawless, which is why I never really warmed up to him as a drummer. I assume that Tony Levin is on bass here, as in the original. I mean, how do you ever play better than that? But I found the performance (of maybe my favorite song ever) kinda static and lifeless. Paul's voice was providing the bare minimum energy for the song.