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 Wobble
Paul Simon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Get up and do the wobble
Oh, won′t you please (oh, won't you please)
Do the wobble with me? (Do the wobble with me?)
′Cause it's so easy to do (It's so easy to do)
Oh, let me teach it to you (let me teach it you)
She′s say, "If you can do it, baby, then you better see me later"
Oh well, dude if you bandstand, tell me what you see
(Well) all the kids are dancin' to the wa-wa-tootsie
Everywhere I look, this is what I see
Everybody′s dancin', they′re as happy as can be
But there nobody left to do the wobble with me
Oh, won't you please (oh, won′t you please)
Do the wobble with me? (Do the wobble with me?)
'Cause it's so easy to do (it′s so easy to do?)
Well, let me teach it to you (let me teach it you)
(Well) little did this do a than on locomotion
And the jets all puttin′ down that Lambeau motion
And Chubby Checker's at his dancin′ party, look at him jump
When he is little Joey, sing that Fargo Stomp
'Cause everywhere I look, this is what I see
Everybody′s dancin', they′re as happy as can be
But there nobody left to do that wobble with me
Daran daran tan daran daran
(Oh, won't you please) yeah yeah yeah yeah ahh
(Do the wobble with me?) oh woah
(It's so easy to do) oh, it′s so easy to do
The lyrics to Paul Simon's song "The Wobble" express the singer's desire to teach and share a dance with anyone who will join him. The song starts with a call to action to "Get up and do the wobble." He then invites someone to dance with him, explaining that the wobble is easy to do and offering to teach it. The song goes on to describe various other dances, such as the mashed potatoes and locomotion, and acknowledges the joyfulness of people dancing wherever he looks. However, despite everyone dancing, there is "nobody left to do the wobble with me," creating a sense of loneliness and longing to find someone to share this experience with.
The lyrics reflect the idea that music and dance have the ability to bring people together and create a sense of community. The singer's willingness to share and teach the dance also suggests a desire to connect with others and promote a feeling of belonging. The repetition of the catchy phrase "do the wobble with me" further reinforces this idea of togetherness and inclusion.
Overall, the song's message is one of joy, inclusivity, and the power of music to bring people together. It encourages listeners to embrace the joy of dancing and to connect with others through shared experiences.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey! Get up
The singer is calling out to the listener to stand up and get ready.
Get up and do the wobble
The singer is requesting the listener to stand up and start dancing to the wobble.
Oh, won't you please (oh, won't you please)
The singer is asking the listener for a favor in polite way.
Do the wobble with me? (Do the wobble with me?)
The artist is inviting the listener to dance together to the wobble.
′Cause it's so easy to do (It's so easy to do)
The artist is insisting that it is quite simple and effortless to dance to the wobble.
Oh, let me teach it to you (let me teach it you)
The singer is eager to offer instructions to the listener about how to do the wobble.
Well, Didey shopper′s doing than on mashed potatoes
The singer is referencing a popular dance called the mashed potatoes that people used to dance to.
She′s say, "If you can do it, baby, then you better see me later"
The artist is quoting someone as saying that if the listener can dance the mashed potatoes, they should come and see them later.
Oh well, dude if you bandstand, tell me what you see
The artist is asking someone who is standing on a raised platform called the bandstand, what they can see.
(Well) all the kids are dancin' to the wa-wa-tootsie
The artist is observing that all the children are dancing to a new dance called the wa-wa-tootsie.
Everywhere I look, this is what I see
The singer is acknowledging that every place they look, people are dancing.
Everybody′s dancin', they′re as happy as can be
The artist is expressing that everyone seems to be joyful while dancing.
But there nobody left to do the wobble with me
The singer feels left out because no one is dancing the wobble with them.
Well, little did this do a than on locomotion
The singer refers to another popular dance called the locomotion that people used to enjoy.
And the jets all puttin′ down that Lambeau motion
The singer is praising a new dance move called the Lambeau motion that the Jets are doing.
And Chubby Checker's at his dancin′ party, look at him jump
The artist is admiring Chubby Checker's dance moves at his party and how he is jumping.
When he is little Joey, sing that Fargo Stomp
The artist is recalling a moment when Joey used to dance the Fargo stomp when he was younger.
Daran daran tan daran daran
This line has no apparent meaning or purpose but is a musical interlude.
(Oh, won't you please) yeah yeah yeah yeah ahh
The singer is once again asking the listener for a favor in a polite way.
(Do the wobble with me?) oh woah
The artist is reiterating their invitation to dance together to the wobble.
(It's so easy to do) oh, it′s so easy to do
The artist is emphasizing how effortless it is to dance to the wobble.
Contributed by Kylie S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.