Kathy's Song
Simon; Garfunkel Lyrics
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Like a memory it falls
Soft and warm continuing
Tapping on my roof and walls
And from the shelter of my mind
Through the window of my eyes
I gaze beyond the rain-drenched streets
My mind's distracted and diffused
My thoughts are many miles away
They lie with you when you're asleep
And kiss you when you start your day
And a song I was writing is left undone
I don't know why I spend my time
Writing songs I can't believe
With words that tear and strain to rhyme
And so you see I have come to doubt
All that I once held as true
I stand alone without beliefs
The only truth I know is you
And as I watch the drops of rain
Weave their weary paths and die
I know that I am like the rain
There but for the grace of you go I
The song "Kathy's Song" by Simon and Garfunkel is a introspective and melancholic ballad about longing, doubt, and love. It was released in 1966 and quickly gained popularity due to its expressive lyrics and haunting melody. The opening verse describes the sound of the rain, which acts as a metaphor for the singer's memories and emotions. The rain is used to evoke a sense of nostalgia and longing for a distant place, likely England, which Simon imagines as the home of his heart. The rain symbolizes the sadness and sorrow that has fallen over him since he has been away from the place that he loves.
The second verse mentions that the singer's thoughts are miles away, and he is consumed with thoughts of his lover, Kathy. He describes how he's been writing a song, but it seems to be left unfinished. He expresses his doubts in his own ability as a songwriter, frustrated with his inability to find the right words to convey his feelings. The lyrics reveal the singer's uncertainty about his own identity and beliefs. He stands alone, without any convictions, except the love he has for Kathy.
Through the rest of the song, Simon continues to reflect upon his feelings of uncertainty, likening himself to the rain, moving aimlessly without direction. He ultimately concludes that the only truth he knows is the love that he has for Kathy. The song ends with the singer expressing his gratitude for Kathy's influence and love, which guides him through life's unpredictable paths.
Line by Line Meaning
I hear the drizzle of the rain
The sound of rain falling is audible to me
Like a memory it falls
The sound of rain evokes a memory within me
Soft and warm continuing
The rain is gentle and unending
Tapping on my roof and walls
The raindrops make a rhythmic sound against my house
And from the shelter of my mind
In the safety of my thoughts
Through the window of my eyes
The view from my eyes
I gaze beyond the rain-drenched streets
I look past the wet streets
To England where my heart lies
To the place where my heart truly feels at home
My mind's distracted and diffused
I am unable to focus my thoughts clearly
My thoughts are many miles away
My thoughts are distant from where I am physically located
They lie with you when you're asleep
My thoughts are with you even when you're asleep
And kiss you when you start your day
My thoughts imagine kissing you as you start your day
And a song I was writing is left undone
I failed to complete a song I had started writing
I don't know why I spend my time
I am unsure why I devote time to certain things
Writing songs I can't believe
Writing songs that don't feel sincere to me
With words that tear and strain to rhyme
Struggling to find words that fit together well
And so you see I have come to doubt
As a result of my experiences, I have lost faith in certain things
All that I once held as true
The things I used to believe in wholeheartedly
I stand alone without beliefs
I am now without any steadfast beliefs
The only truth I know is you
The only thing that feels true to me is you
And as I watch the drops of rain
As I observe the individual raindrops
Weave their weary paths and die
The raindrops follow a tiring path before disappearing
I know that I am like the rain
I feel a similarity between myself and the rain
There but for the grace of you go I
Without the positive influence of you, I could be in a worse place than I am now
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PAUL SIMON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jucameron
Paul Simon met Kathleen Mary “Kathy” Chitty at the very first English folk club in which he played, the Railway Inn Folk Club in Brentwood, Essex, on 12th April, 1964. Kathy, who worked there, was then 17, Paul was 22, and it appears to have been love at first sight.
A few weeks later Simon wrote "Homeward Bound" as he sat on Widnes Railway Station waiting for the train that would take him back to her. There's a plaque at the station recalling this event. Later that year he invited her to the US where they toured around mainly by bus.
Kathy returned to England on her own with Simon returning to her some weeks later. During this separation he wrote "America" clearly a love song to Kathy:
"Kathy, I'm lost," I said, though I knew she was sleeping
"I'm empty and aching and I don't know why"
During their separation he also wrote the immortal "Kathy’s Song", one of the most beautiful love songs ever written:
I gaze beyond the rain-drenched streets
To England where my heart lies.
My mind's distracted and diffused
My thoughts are many miles away
They lie with you when you're asleep
And kiss you when you start your day.
When he returned to London he recorded the album "The Paul Simon Songbook" that included "Kathy’s Song", and had a photo of Simon and Kathy on the cover. In the meantime, "The Sound of Silence" started to receive major air-play in America eventually becoming No 1 in the US charts in 1965. Simon felt the need to return to the US to continue his career but this meant splitting up with Kathy because she wanted no part of the crazy US music scene.
Kathy later married and brought up three children in a remote mountain village in North Wales where she still lives - she is now a grandmother. Now well into his 70s, Simon recalls their months together with great tenderness and says it was "by far the most peaceful time of my life". In fact he didn't hear from her for over 20 years but after the success of "Graceland" she wrote to congratulate him. When, in 1991, Simon toured the UK, Kathy and her family attended his show in Sheffield. They met again in July 2004 after his "Old Friends Reunion Tour" stop at Hyde Park in London (where her three children now live).
@TheDaRkUs06
I hear the drizzle of the rain
Like a memory it falls
Soft and warm continuing
Tapping on my roof and walls
And from the shelter of my mind
Through the window of my eyes
I gaze beyond the rain-drenched streets
To England where my heart lies
My mind's distracted and diffused
My thoughts are many miles away
They lie with you when you're asleep
And kiss you when you start your day
And a song I was writing is left undone
I don't know why I spend my time
Writing songs I can't believe
With words that tear and strain to rhyme
And so you see I have come to doubt
All that I once held as true
I stand alone without beliefs
The only truth I know is you
And as I watch the drops of rain
Weave their weary paths and die
I know that I am like the rain
There but for the grace of you go I
@JamesHH
I’ve just heard this song for the first time at the age of 33, it had me starting to think about life, career and family.
I started to sob. This hits deep and I wonder if others feel as lost as me when they hear it.
Buonanotte 🙏🏻
@christinadrummond8062
@-JamesHH - I first heard this song just three years after the album came out, I was a young teen - and since then I've not heard a more beautiful love song. (I wasn't a typical thirteen-year-old, I loved poetry and history and writers like Dostoyevsky). I didn't know the story behind the song then, but many years later when I read about it I understood the sense of loss that I had felt but couldn't put a name to. You are so right, it does hit deep, and still does. I never did meet anyone who I felt could have written such a song for me, but maybe I expected too much.........
@JamesHH
@@christinadrummond8062 what a beautiful comment. ❤️ Thank you for sharing. I hope you’re well.
@christinadrummond8062
@@JamesHH - bless you and thank you! I do hope that life will be good to you, and that the sense of loss will diminish.
@rimmersbryggeri
I first heard it when I was about 15 or 16 and it has been one of my favourite songs ever since. Had a love interest called Catherine that lived in england for a time to. :)
@axiesimon5252
Growing up, my father sang this song to me as a lullaby. I remember falling asleep to the sound of him singing, and though I am 23 now, I still haven't discovered a greater peace than listening to it or singing it. I'll sing it to my fiancé, I'll sing it to my children, and I know one day, if I'm blessed to be there during his final moments, I'll sing it to my dad once more. There is love in these chords, and it's a shame we don't have artists like Paul Simon in the spotlight nowadays.
@triplem9805
Artists of his stature don't happen along very often, but I'm sure they will continue to appear from time to time. For me, it's important not to miss wonderful songs by expecting them to be similar to the ones we already love. So 'The Winner Takes It All' by Abba, and Billy Joel's 'Innocent Man', and The Hollies' 'The Air That I Breathe' (particularly as covered by kd lang) in very different ways capture something uniquely brilliantly about life and love.
Having said that (and maybe it's because of my generation) it does seem that lyrics that speak right into the soul, woven into wonderful melodies and arrangements, pop up less often now than they did a while ago.
@Videojohnnyboy
Axie Simon - what a lovely memory to share
@mindfulharmony1816
Yes, I agree with you. What lovely memories. And your fiancé , your children and especially your Dad will love hearing you sing it. ❤️🌺🌹
@patriciaryan2134
Thats truly beautiful. Its what life is all about