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 Side of a Hill
Paul Simon Lyrics
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A little boy lies asleep in the earth
While down in the valley a cruel war rages
And people forget what a child's life is worth
On the side of a hill, a little cloud weeps
And waters the grave with its silent tears
While a soldier cleans and polishes a gun
And the war rages on in the land called 'Somewhere'
And generals order their men to kill
And to fight for a cause they've long ago forgotten
While the little cloud weeps on the side of a hill
The Side of a Hill by Paul Simon is a poignant and powerful anti-war song. The song tells the story of a little boy who lies asleep on the side of a hill in a land called 'Somewhere,' while down in the valley, a cruel war rages. The boy is a victim of the war, a casualty of the conflict that has torn his country apart. The lyrics describe how people forget the value of a child's life in times of war, and how the violence and destruction of conflict can rob children of their innocence and their future.
In the second verse, the song takes on an even more tragic tone, describing how a little cloud weeps and waters the grave of the little boy with its silent tears. Meanwhile, a soldier cleans and polishes the gun that ended the child's life when he was only seven years old. The lyrics create a stark contrast between the natural world, with its beauty and serenity, and the brutality of war, which destroys everything in its path.
The final verse of the song highlights the senseless nature of war and the way people can become numb to violence and suffering. Generals order their men to kill, and soldiers fight for a cause they no longer remember. Meanwhile, the little cloud continues to weep on the side of the hill, mourning the loss of innocent life that should never have been taken.
Line by Line Meaning
On the side of a hill in a land called 'Somewhere'
There is a hill in a place that is unnamed.
A little boy lies asleep in the earth
A young child has passed away and is buried there.
While down in the valley a cruel war rages
In the valley below, there is a terrible conflict happening.
And people forget what a child's life is worth
The tragedy of losing a young child in war is overlooked and undervalued.
On the side of a hill, a little cloud weeps
A cloud is producing rain that falls on the hill and the grave.
And waters the grave with its silent tears
The rain is like tears, falling on the child's burial site.
While a soldier cleans and polishes a gun
A member of the military is attentively taking care of their weapon.
That ended a life at the age of seven years
Unfortunately, that same weapon was responsible for taking the young child's life.
And the war rages on in the land called 'Somewhere'
The fighting continues in that unnamed place.
And generals order their men to kill
Leaders are directing their troops to take lives in the conflict.
And to fight for a cause they've long ago forgotten
The reason behind the war is now hazy and unclear.
While the little cloud weeps on the side of a hill
Meanwhile, the rain keeps on falling, symbolizing both the ongoing tragedy and the cycle of nature.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: PAUL SIMON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind