Slip Slidin' Away
Simon & Garfunkel Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Slip slidin' away
Slip slidin' away
You know the nearer your destination
The more you're slip slidin' away

I know a man
He came from my home town
He wore his passion for his woman
Like a thorny crown
He said Delores
I live in fear
My love for you's so overpowering
I'm afraid that I will disappear

Slip slidin' away
Slip slidin' away
You know the nearer your destination
The more you're slip slidin' away

I know a woman
Became a wife
These are the very words she uses
To describe her life
She said a good day
Ain't got no rain
She said a bad day's when I lie in bed
And think of things that might have been

Slip slidin' away
Slip slidin' away
You know the nearer your destination
The more you're slip slidin' away

And I know a father
Who had a son
He longed to tell him all the reasons
For the things he'd done
He came a long way
Just to explain
He kissed his boy as he lay sleeping
Then he turned around and headed home again

He's slip slidin'
Slip slidin' away
You know the nearer your destination
The more you're slip slidin' away

God only knows
God makes his plan
The information's unavailable
To the mortal man
We work our jobs
Collect our pay
Believe we're gliding down the highway
When in fact we're slip slidin' away

Slip slidin' away
Slip slidin' away
You know the nearer your destination
The more you're slip slidin' away

Slip slidin' away
Slip slidin' away
You know the nearer your destination




The more you're slip slidin' away
Mmm

Overall Meaning

The central message of Simon & Garfunkel's Slip Slidin' Away is that we are all constantly sliding towards our end, regardless of how much we strive towards our goals. The song's opening lines "Slip slidin' away, Slip slidin' away, You know the nearer your destination, the more you're slip slidin' away" perfectly encapsulate that idea. The song's three verses each tell a story of someone dealing with the disillusionment of life. The first verse tells the story of a man who loves his partner so much that he is scared he will disappear because of that love. The second verse tells the story of a woman who cannot stop thinking about what could have been. In the third verse, a father comes to visit his son to explain his life's story but doesn't do so and heads home instead. All three stories depict people who are struggling with the same idea that life has a predestined end that they are inching towards.


The chorus of the song repeats the central message that the closer we get to our destination, the more we slip slidin' away. It refers to the idea that as we near the end of our lives, we inevitably get further away from the expectations and aspirations we had earlier in life. In contrast, the chorus also suggests that as we tend to focus more on achieving a goal or reaching an endpoint in our life, we sometimes fail to enjoy the journey as much as we could have. The song combines the two concepts perfectly, cementing the idea that the journey and the end are not entirely distinct and that we are all slip slidin' away to our end.


Line by Line Meaning

Slip slidin' away
Things are slipping away and out of your control


Slip slidin' away
Things continue to slip away


You know the nearer your destination
The closer you get to your goals


The more you're slip slidin' away
The more you are losing control of your life


I know a man
A story about a man that illustrates the theme of the song


He came from my home town
The singer knows this man personally


He wore his passion for his woman
This man was deeply in love with his partner


Like a thorny crown
His love was both beautiful and sometimes painful


He said Delores
The man was addressing his partner


I live in fear
He was afraid of losing his partner


My love for you's so overpowering
He loves her very much


I'm afraid that I will disappear
He fears that his love may consume him completely


I know a woman
Another story about a person who is affected by the theme of the song


Became a wife
She got married


These are the very words she uses
The singer is quoting her directly


To describe her life
Her words define her life story


She said a good day
Describing a good day in her life


Ain't got no rain
She was not affected by any sadness


She said a bad day's when I lie in bed
Describing a bad day in her life


And think of things that might have been
Regretting missed opportunities


And I know a father
Another story about an individual who is affected by the theme of the song


Who had a son
The man in the story had a child


He longed to tell him all the reasons
The man in the story wanted to explain himself to his child


For the things he'd done
The father's actions had a significant impact on his child's life


He came a long way
The father made a significant effort to see his son


Just to explain
The father only wanted to share his reasons with his son


He kissed his boy as he lay sleeping
The father showed affection for his son


Then he turned around and headed home again
The father could not fix everything


God only knows
The artist acknowledges the uncertainty of life


God makes his plan
The singer acknowledges fate and destiny


The information's unavailable
No one knows what fate has in store


To the mortal man
Humans are not capable of understanding all aspects of existence


We work our jobs
The daily grind


Collect our pay
Receiving financial compensation for labor


Believe we're gliding down the highway
The illusion of control over life's journey


When in fact we're slip slidin' away
Things happen that are beyond our control


Slip slidin' away
Life continues to slip away


Slip slidin' away
Things continue in a similar vein as before


You know the nearer your destination
Aspiration is still possible


The more you're slip slidin' away
Unavoidable random events can impact your journey


Mmm
Adjective or phrase to convey a thought or emotion




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Paul Simon

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Luisa Bigal

I have never seen two voices melt so beautifully together... the best <3

Bernie Zhang

A euphonious synergism of mellifluous compatibility.

Daniel Miller

63 years old in 2020 and I still enjoy listening to this. These guys really make it look as easy as breathing. Pure talent.

michele hutchison

72 yrs old and still listening.

Patricia Barnes

Love these two 💕 💕

May Newzion

74 years old in Canada. Still love them. Good for the soul. 🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦

Gail Williams

I'm 76, and consider this the theme song for my "between" generation!

The Legend Songs

Love This Song! 💗💗💗💗

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Marc Mueller

Paul Simon is such a great talent! Love all of his songs!

Eddy Manijean

63 ans en 2020 et j’aime toujours écouter ça. Ces gars-là donnent vraiment l’impression que c’est aussi facile que de respirer. Du talent à l’état pur.

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