Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American singer-songwrite… Read Full Bio ↴Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. One of the most celebrated artists of the twentieth century, Simon's career has spanned six decades. Born in New Jersey, Simon grew up in the borough of Queens in New York City and developed an interest in rock music in his teens.

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 Lipstick On Your Lips
Paul Simon Lyrics

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If you should walk right up to me
And i ask me what I'd like to be
I'd look you in the eye and sigh

I'd like to be the lipstick on your lovely lips
I'd like to be the polish on your fingertips
The ribbon in your hair
The high heels shoes you wear

And when the nights get colder
I'd like to be the coat around your shoulders

I'd like to be the belt around your tiny waist
I'd like to be the chocolate candy that you taste
The powder on your nose
Your bracelet and your glove
But most of all I'd like to be
The one you love

I'd like to be the belt around your tiny waist
I'd like to be the chocolate candy that you taste
The powder on your nose
Your bracelet and your glove
But most of all I'd like to be
Most of all I'd like to be

Most of all I'd like to be
The one you love

Overall Meaning

In the song "The Lipstick on Your Lips," Paul Simon expresses a desire to be all the small things in a woman's life. He begins by declaring that if a woman walked up to him and asked him what he would like to be, he would respond by saying he would like to be everything she embodies, from the lipstick on her lips to the high heel shoes that she wears. He'd like to be her coat when the nights get colder and the belt around her tiny waist. He even wants to be the chocolate candy that she tastes or the powder on her nose. However, above all else, Simon desires to be the one that she loves.

The song is about a man who is deeply in love and admires everything about the woman he is speaking to. He wants to be a part of her life and to experience all the small things that make up her world. The song reflects the desire to merge with someone else completely, to become indispensable to someone, and to have that person's love above everything else.

Overall, Paul Simon uses simple words to describe his profound feelings of love and admiration for the woman he speaks to, and the song is an embodiment of the idea that true love is about finding someone who makes us want to be a better version of ourselves.

The Lipstick On Your LipsPaul Simon Lyrics

The Lipstick On Your Lips
Paul Simon Lyrics