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."
You're the One
Paul Simon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
While you sleep
Maybe that's a waste of angels I don't know
I'd do anything to keep you safe
From the danger that surrounds us
Little by little
Bit by bit
Now you got it that's it
What're you thinking
Things'll go sour?
Check its temperature every hour
Nervous when you own it
Nervous when it's gone
What do you think has been going on
For so long?
You are the air
Inside my chest
You're the one
You broke my heart
You made me cry
You're the one
You broke my heart
You made me cry
You're the one
You broke my heart
You made me cry
You're the one
But when I hear it from the other side
It's a completely different song
I'm the one who made you cry
And I'm the one who's wrong
In my dream you spoke to me
And you said
You're the one
You broke my heart
You made me cry
You're the one
You broke my heart
You made me cry
You're the one
You broke my heart
You made me cry
You're the one
Nature gives us shapeless shapes
Clouds and waves and flame
But human expectation
Is that love remains the same
And when it doesn't
We point our fingers
And blame blame blame
You're the one
You broke my heart
You made me cry
And I'm the one
I broke your heart
I made you cry
And you're the one
You broke my heart
You made me cry
We're the ones
"You're the One" by Paul Simon is a complex love song that delves deep into the emotions, expectations and realities of being in a relationship. The first verse of the song invokes angels guarding the loved one as they sleep, but with a hint of doubt as to whether that is necessary or enough. The line "I'd do anything to keep you safe from the danger that surrounds us" highlights the fear and trepidation that often accompanies love and relationships. The second verse of the song speaks to the intricacies of how relationships work, "Little by little, bit by bit", and the nervousness that comes with owning and losing it.
At the core of this song is the idea that two people who love each other can break each other's hearts, but they can also be the ones to heal each other's pains. The chorus "You're the one, you broke my heart, you made me cry, you're the one" is repeated multiple times, but towards the end of the song, it changes to "I'm the one, I broke your heart, I made you cry, and you're the one" highlighting the cyclical nature of love and how it takes two people to make a relationship work. The last verse of the song speaks to the unrealistic expectations that we often have when it comes to love and relationships, but when it falls short, we look for someone to blame.
In conclusion, "You're the One" is a deeply introspective love song that speaks to the paradox of love and relationships, where two people can both break each other's hearts, yet they are the ones to heal each other too. It highlights the complexities, fear and emotions that come with loving someone, and how it requires effort and communication from both parties to make it work.
Line by Line Meaning
May twelve angels guard you
While you sleep
Maybe that's a waste of angels I don't know
I'd do anything to keep you safe
From the danger that surrounds us
I hope you're protected by twelve angels as you sleep, even though I don't know if that's excessive. I would do absolutely anything to make sure you stay safe from the danger that surrounds us.
Little by little
Bit by bit
Little bit by little bit
Now you got it that's it
What're you thinking
Things'll go sour?
Check its temperature every hour
Nervous when you own it
Nervous when it's gone
What do you think has been going on
For so long?
Progress is made incrementally and consistently, and you have to keep checking to ensure it stays on track. The fear of losing something or the responsibility of owning it both evoke nervousness, which has been going on for a long while.
You are the air
Inside my chest
You're so important to me that you take up the space of my very breath.
You're the one
You broke my heart
You made me cry
You're the one
You broke my heart
You made me cry
You're the one
You broke my heart
You made me cry
You're the one
I feel like you're the cause of my heartbreak and sadness, and I can't shake this feeling.
But when I hear it from the other side
It's a completely different song
I'm the one who made you cry
And I'm the one who's wrong
In my dream you spoke to me
And you said
When I hear your side of the story, it completely changes my perspective. I realize that I'm the one who hurt you and behaved wrongly. In my dream, you even told me.
Nature gives us shapeless shapes
Clouds and waves and flame
But human expectation
Is that love remains the same
And when it doesn't
We point our fingers
And blame blame blame
The world is full of shapeless, unpredictable things like clouds, waves, and flames, but we usually expect love to stay constant. When love inevitably changes and hurts us, we tend to blame others to make sense of it.
You're the one
You broke my heart
You made me cry
And I'm the one
I broke your heart
I made you cry
And you're the one
You broke my heart
You made me cry
We're the ones
We've both hurt each other and caused tears, so we're both to blame. We're both responsible.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: CARLY SIMON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind