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 Late Johnny Ace
Paul Simon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And thinking of a rock and roll song
The year was 1954
And I hadn't been playing that long
When a man came on the radio
And this is what he said
He said I hate to break it to his fans
Well, I really wasn't
Such a Johnny Ace fan
But I felt bad all the same
So I sent away for his photograph
And I waited till it came
It came all the way from Texas
With a sad and simple face
And they signed it on the bottom
From the Late Great Johnny Ace, yeah, yeah, yeah
It was the year of The Beatles
It was the year of The Stones
It was nineteen 1964
I was living in London
With the girl from the summer before
It was the year of The Beatles
It was the year of The Stones
A year after J.F.K.
We were staying up all night
And giving the days away
And the music was flowing amazing
And blowing my way
On a cold December evening
I was walking through the Christmas tide
When a stranger came up and asked me
If I'd heard John Lennon had died
And the two of us went to this bar
And we stayed to close the place
And every song we played
Was for The Late Great Johnny Ace, yeah, yeah, yeah
The song "The Late Johnny Ace" by Paul Simon is a nostalgic tribute to 1950s rock and roll and the tragic death of Johnny Ace. The song opens with Simon recounting his own personal memory of hearing the news of Johnny Ace's passing. As someone who was not a fan of Ace's music, Simon felt a sense of sadness for the loss of this talented artist. He describes how he sent away for a photograph of Ace and how the picture shows a "sad and simple face" that belies the performer's on-stage persona.
The second half of the song jumps ahead to 1980 and the death of John Lennon. Simon describes walking through the streets of London during the Christmas season, when a stranger informed him of Lennon's murder. The two of them ended up in a bar, playing songs in tribute to Johnny Ace and John Lennon. Simon ties together the two artists, both of whom were taken too soon, and the impact that their music had on him and the world, especially in the context of the turbulent times they lived in.
Overall, "The Late Johnny Ace" is a poignant reflection on the emotional connection that we can have to music and the artists who make it. Despite not being a huge fan of Johnny Ace, Simon recognizes the tragedy and importance of his loss, and the song becomes a larger statement on the power of music to bring people together, even across time and space.
Line by Line Meaning
I was reading a magazine
I was browsing through a magazine.
And thinking of a rock and roll song
While browsing the magazine, I was thinking about writing a song about rock and roll.
The year was 1954
This happened in the year 1954.
And I hadn't been playing that long
I wasn't an experienced musician at that time.
When a man came on the radio
While I was listening to the radio...
And this is what he said
The man on the radio said...
He said I hate to break it to his fans
The man on the radio shared some unfortunate news to fans of a musician.
But Johnny Ace is dead, yeah, yeah, yeah
The musician Johnny Ace has passed away, and the man on the radio confirmed it, although repeating the words multiple times seems a bit excessive.
Well, I really wasn't
Honestly speaking, I wasn't really...
Such a Johnny Ace fan
A big fan of Johnny Ace's music.
But I felt bad all the same
Regardless, I still felt upset hearing about his passing.
So I sent away for his photograph
I requested to have Johnny Ace's photograph sent to me.
And I waited till it came
I waited for it to arrive.
It came all the way from Texas
The photograph was sent from Texas.
With a sad and simple face
In the photograph, Johnny Ace had a somber expression.
And they signed it on the bottom
The photograph had a signature on the bottom.
From the Late Great Johnny Ace, yeah, yeah, yeah
The signature read 'From the Late Great Johnny Ace', perhaps to commemorate his passing.
It was the year of The Beatles
This next part takes place in a different year, specifically the year of the Beatles' rise to fame.
It was the year of The Stones
And also the year of The Rolling Stones' success.
It was nineteen 1964
To be exact, it was the year 1964.
I was living in London
At the time, I was residing in London.
With the girl from the summer before
And I was with a girl I had met the previous summer.
A year after J.F.K.
This also happened a year after President John F. Kennedy's assassination.
We were staying up all night
Me and the girl were spending all night awake...
And giving the days away
...and not doing anything productive during the day.
And the music was flowing amazing
We were listening to great music that really set the mood.
And blowing my way
I was really digging the music.
On a cold December evening
Now, we're back to December.
I was walking through the Christmas tide
It must have been snowy and festive.
When a stranger came up and asked me
Suddenly, a stranger approached me...
If I'd heard John Lennon had died
...and informed me of John Lennon's passing.
And the two of us went to this bar
The stranger and I decided to go to a bar together.
And we stayed to close the place
We stayed at the bar until it closed.
And every song we played
During our time at the bar, we made sure to play...
Was for The Late Great Johnny Ace, yeah, yeah, yeah
...songs in memory of Johnny Ace's passing.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: PAUL SIMON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind