Old friends
Simon And Garfunkel (The Definitive Simon And Garfunkel) Lyrics

Old friends, old friends
The singer greets their old friends.

Sat on their park bench like bookends
The two old friends sit side by side on a park bench like bookends on a shelf, implying their close and steadfast friendship.

A newspaper blown through the grass
A newspaper blows through the grass around them, likely indicating the passage of time and transience of things around them.

Falls on the round toes
The newspaper falls on the round-toed shoes of the old friends, indicating how long they must have been sitting there.

Of the high shoes of the old friends
The shoes are ‘high’, suggesting age and also that they are sitting alone and now serve the function of the bookends.

Old friends, winter companions, the old men
The singer reminds us of the old friends' age, while also describing them as friends who have shared many experiences over time.

Lost in their overcoats, waiting for the sunset
The two old friends are wrapped in their overcoats, emphasizing the coldness of the setting and the passage of time they have shared. They both are waiting for something, perhaps their lives nearing an end, like the sun’s setting.

The sounds of the city sifting through trees
The city sounds drifting towards them through trees indicate the backdrop of their friendship, which has been built in the midst of an urban setting where life is always moving.

Settles like dust on the shoulders of the old friends
The sounds of the city settle on the old friends' shoulders as dust, implying the burdens and experiences of life that have shaped their characters.

Can you imagine us years from today
The artist asks their old friend to imagine their future, and also hints at the possibility of memories they will have shared together.

Sharing a park bench quietly
The singer imagines themselves and their old friend sitting on the same bench, but this time quietly, suggesting a sense of serenity in this imagined future.

How terribly strange to be seventy
The artist contemplates the old friends' future and reflects how strange it will be to turn seventy, as they will face mortality like never before.

Old friends, memory brushes the same years
The singer notes that despite the passage of time and change, memory is what makes their relationship still vibrant and present. They still share the same emotional experiences.

Silently sharing the same fears
The friends are united in their experiences, understanding, and feeling the same fears as they approach the end of their lives. They are still together sharing in each other’s concerns.