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."
The Boxer
Paul Simon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Though my story's seldom told
I have squandered my resistance
For a pocket full of mumbles
Such are promises
All lies and jests
Still a man hears what he wants to hear
And disregards the rest
When I left my home and my family
I was no more than a boy
In the company of strangers
In the quiet of the railway station
Running scared
Laying low, seeking out the poorer quarters
Where the ragged people go
Looking for the places
Only they would know
Lie la lie, lie la la la lie lie
Lie la lie, lie la la la la lie la la lie
Asking only workman's wages
I come looking for a job
But I get no offers
Just a come-on from the whores on Seventh Avenue
I do declare there were times when I was so lonesome
I took some comfort there
Then I'm laying out my winter clothes
And wishing I was gone going home
Where the New York City winters
Aren't bleeding me
Leading me
Going home
La la la la
La la la la
La la la la
In the clearing stands a boxer
And a fighter by his trade
And he carries the reminder
Of every glove that laid him down
Or cut him till he cried out
In his anger and his shame
I am leaving, I am leaving
But the fighter still remains
Lie la lie, lie la la la lie lie
Lie la lie, lie la la la la lie la la lie
Lie la lie, lie la la la lie lie
Lie la lie, lie la la la la lie la la lie
Lie la lie, lie la la la lie lie
Lie la lie, lie la la la la lie la la lie
The Boxer is a song that speaks about the life of a young man who is going through some form of introspection. The opening verses of the song portray the young man as being from a humble background and someone who has not had much success in life. He said he has wasted his resistance, which may imply that he has given up on a cause he believed in. The line "for a pocket full of mumbles" suggests that he has traded his values and purpose for empty promises. However, he acknowledges that despite it all, he still hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest.
The young man has left his home and family, seeking for better opportunities. He is now in a big city, surrounded by strangers, in search of a better life. But all he finds is the poorer parts of the city, where the ragged people go. It seems like he is not getting any job offers and has taken to seeking comfort in the company of prostitutes. In the third verse, he expresses his desire to go back home, where the winters aren't "bleeding" him.
The boxing metaphor is introduced in the last verse. The boxer represents someone who has gone through a lot of pain and defeat in his fighting career but has decided not to quit. He carries the reminders of every glove that has "laid him down" and every cut that "made him cry out in anger and shame." Yet, he continues to fight, determined not to give up. It could be interpreted that the boxer character represents the resilience, strength, and perseverance of the young man, who is determined to overcome his struggles and find success.
Line by Line Meaning
I am just a poor boy
The singer is a financially struggling individual
Though my story's seldom told
The singer has a difficult past and isn't one to talk about it much
I have squandered my resistance
The singer has used up all their willpower and ability to resist the hardships of life
For a pocket full of mumbles, such are promises
The artist has wasted their efforts on empty promises that turned out to be meaningless
All lies and jests
The promises were false and meant to trick people
Still a man hears what he wants to hear
People tend to prefer hearing what they like, even if it is a lie
And disregards the rest
People ignore the truth if it is not what they want to hear
When I left my home and my family
The artist left his roots to try to make a living
I was no more than a boy
The artist was very young and inexperienced
In the company of strangers
The artist had to leave his comfort zone and live among new people
In the quiet of the railway station
The singer spent time at train stations by himself, which was lonely
Running scared
The artist was afraid in his new life
Laying low, seeking out the poorer quarters, where the ragged people go
The singer is describing how he had to live among poor and homeless people
Looking for the places only they would know
The singer had to adapt to a different lifestyle and learn from these poor people
Asking only workman's wages
The singer didn't aspire to great wealth, just a decent paying job
I come looking for a job
The artist had to search and work hard to find a job
But I get no offers
The artist struggled to find any work at all
Just a come-on from the whores on Seventh Avenue
The singer was solicited by prostitutes and didn't receive any legitimate job offers
I do declare there were times when I was so lonesome
The singer was often very lonely
I took some comfort there
The artist found solace in being around other people, even if it was with prostitutes
Then I'm laying out my winter clothes
The artist is preparing to leave and go home for the winter
And wishing I was gone going home
The artist eagerly wants to return home
Where the New York City winters aren't bleeding me
The singer hates the cold and misery of the New York City winters
Leading me, going home
The artist is making his way home, yearning to leave town and the difficulty it poses
In the clearing stands a boxer
The song shifts to describing a boxer in a clearing, away from the city
And a fighter by his trade
The boxer is a professional fighter
And he carries the reminder, Of every glove that laid him down
The boxer has been defeated and hurt in every fight he's been in
Or cut him till he cried out, In his anger and his shame
The boxer has been physically and emotionally injured in past matches
I am leaving, I am leaving
The boxer is leaving the fighting scene and retiring
But the fighter still remains
Although he's retiring from the ring, he'll always be a fighter at heart
Lie la lie, lie la la la lie lie
Repeating this refrain as a transition between sections
Lie la lie, lie la la la la lie la la lie
Repeating this refrain as a transition between sections
Lie la lie, lie la la la lie lie
Repeating this refrain as a transition between sections
Lie la lie, lie la la la la lie la la lie
Repeating this refrain as a transition between sections
Lie la lie, lie la la la lie lie
Repeating this refrain as a transition between sections
Lie la lie, lie la la la la lie la la lie
Repeating this refrain as a transition between sections
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Paul Simon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@kumar107
"In the clearing stands a boxer
And a fighter by his trade
And he carries the reminders
Of ev'ry glove that laid him down
Or cut him till he cried out
In his anger and his shame
'I am leaving, I am leaving'
But the fighter still remains"
Just one of the great lyrical passages ever.
@ChannelJeffrey
i am old. I am at the end of my life now..Wow, what a ride. This song just reminds me of how much time has passed and how quickly it goes. If you are young, Im not preaching and your life is yours to live as you choose, but trust me--The days are long but the years are short.
@novocanal7153
His words made me cry.
@bazmanoid5371
I feel that. I have blinked and am nearly 40. The time does go by so fast.
God bless You in Jesus mighty name.
@neymaalnajmah2436
@@novocanal7153😢
@PienderZ
I Hope you had the time of your live and that there will be lots if years of Joy for you ❤
@NebMunb
Well put. How old are you if I may ask? I hope you're not suffering from anything serious. My Grandfather is 95, and he recently was told he has a good year left in him. He has lived a great life. A wife of 75 years, 6 grandkids, 1 great grandson, and he has been to pretty much every country in the world. He's a good man, and I'm going to miss him so much when he is gone.
@DavidCurryFilms
"Still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest." Ain't that the truth 😂
@KathieRopele74
absolutely the truth.
@KurtHansonIan
Depending on context because everytime, at the moment, which of the two participants in actuality knows "the truth." The victor only will speak of "a truth." The vanquished are quelled for a time, 'tis all.
Onward …! 🍺 + (💁🏻♀📝) = ⁉
@kilroy1964
Yup it's called confirmation bias.