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."
Under African Skies
Paul Simon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The pale yellow moon shone in his eyes
His path was marked
By the stars in the Southern Hemisphere
And he walked his days
Under African skies
This is the story of how we begin to remember
After the dream of falling and calling your name out
These are the roots of rhythm
And the roots of rhythm remain
In early memory
Mission music
Was ringing 'round my nursery door
I said take this child, Lord
From Tucson Arizona
Give her the wings to fly through harmony
And she won't bother you no more
This is the story of how we begin to remember
This is the powerful pulsing of love in the vein
After the dream of falling and calling your name out
These are the roots of rhythm
And the roots of rhythm remain
Joseph's face was as black as the night
And the pale yellow moon shone in his eyes
His path was marked
By the stars in the Southern Hemisphere
And he walked the length of his days
Under African skies
The opening lines of Paul Simon's "Under African Skies" present a picture of a man named Joseph walking through the African landscape, his face as black as a moonlit night with stars marking his path in the Southern Hemisphere. The lyrics evoke a sense of wanderlust and a connection to the natural world, as Joseph seems to be one with the night sky and the stars that guide him. The chorus reveals the underlying theme of the song: the power of music and its ability to bring people together across cultures and across time.
Simon uses his own personal history as a starting point for this song, recalling his early memories of music and the way that it has influenced and shaped his life. The lines "Mission music was ringing 'round my nursery door/I said take this child, Lord from Tucson Arizona/Give her the wings to fly through harmony/And she won't bother you no more" are a nod to his childhood experiences with church music, which helped to shape his musical style and worldview. The chorus returns, emphasizing the importance of music as a universal language and the roots of rhythm that connect all cultures.
Overall, "Under African Skies" is a powerful meditation on the ways that music can unite us and transcend boundaries, whether they be cultural, linguistic, or otherwise. By connecting his own personal history with his experiences traveling and making music around the world, Paul Simon creates a song that speaks to the universal human experience of seeking connection and belonging through the power of music.
Line by Line Meaning
Joseph's face was black as night
Joseph, a person from Africa, had a very dark complexion
The pale yellow moon shone in his eyes
The moon's reflection in Joseph's eyes seemed yellowish in color
His path was marked
Joseph had a clear direction in life
By the stars in the Southern Hemisphere
His path was determined by the constellation of stars visible in the southern hemisphere
And he walked his days Under African skies
Joseph spent his entire life in Africa
This is the story of how we begin to remember
The following lyrics narrate the story of how people begin to remember and appreciate their roots
This is the powerful pulsing of love in the vein
The intense feeling of love pulsating through our veins is the foundation of our existence
After the dream of falling and calling your name out
After experiencing the fear of losing everything, calling out to a loved one for help
These are the roots of rhythm
The origin of music lies in the foundational roots of rhythm
And the roots of rhythm remain
The fundamental elements of music that originated from Africa still exist today
In early memory
In our childhood memories
Mission music
The religious music played at churches and missions
Was ringing 'round my nursery door
The sound of mission music was a common feature in my earliest memories
I said take this child, Lord
I prayed to God to take me away from where I was and give me a better life
From Tucson Arizona
I was raised in Tucson Arizona
Give her the wings to fly through harmony
I asked God to give me the skills to fly free creatively, by creating harmonious music
And she won't bother you no more
I promised God that He wouldn't have to worry about me being a burden anymore
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: PAUL SIMON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Francine Frensky/MuffyCrosswire
@Justin WHeatwave aired on September 13, 1997.
The Lympics aired on September 6, 1997.
Pee Wee Scouts aired on December 18, 1999.
The Big Flush aired on March 28, 1993.
Cool Hand Angelica aired on October 3, 1993.
비정한세상
Josephs face was as black as night
죠셉의 얼굴은 밤하늘처럼 검었어요.
And the pale yellow moon shone in his eyes
그리고 옅은 노란빛의 달이 그의 눈에서 빛나고 있죠.
His path was marked
그가 가야할 길이 남반구에서 빛나는
By the stars in the southern hemisphere
별들에 의해 표시되었어요.
And he walked the length of his days
그리고 그는 아프리카 하늘 아래에서
Under african skies
그의 나날을 걸었죠.
This is the story of how we begin to remember
우리가 어떻게 기억하기 시작했는지에 대한 이야기입니다.
This is the powerful pulsing of love in the vein
이건 정맥에서 일어나는 강력한 사랑의 맥박이죠.
After the dream of falling and calling your name out
떨어지는 꿈을 꾼 후 당신의 이름을 불러봅니다.
These are the roots of rhythm
이것들은 리듬의 근원이며
And the roots of rhythm remain
아직 리듬의 근원은 남아있습니다.
In early memory
아주 어릴 적 기억 속
Mission music
교회 음악이
Was ringing round my nursery door
내 보육원 문 주변에서 울리고 있었어요.
I said take this child, lord
나는 말했습니다. 신이시여,
From tucson arizona
애리조나 주 투손 출신인 아이를 데려가주세요.
Give her the wings to fly through harmony
그녀가 조화를 이루며 날아갈 수 있게 날개를 주세요.
And she wont bother you no more
그리고 그녀는 당신을 귀찮게 하지 않을 거에요.
A humba humba humba ohhhh
Raymond hernandez
Such a gem of a song. And Linda Ronstadt’s background harmonization at the end of the song is absolutely ANGELIC. 😇
Neearm
That's her on the verses, too, isn't it?
Raymond hernandez
@Neearm …that’s her!😊❤️
JayeBird JB
Not just this song, the entire album!👌
Kevin Knott
tru
The Zero Line
So consistent. Every song is its stand alone hit.
james
great album
mattbod
Yes one of those albums you just play through without skipping…
Barnaby Cauwood
A timeless classic
Robert Eller
My favorite cut on this album. Linda Ronstadt was superb. Her voice just lifted this song to another level.