What's your favourite Paul Simon song?

Subject: RE: What's your favourite Paul Simon song?
From: catspaw49
Date: 01 Aug 02 - 03:09 PM

I think Simon is a premier wordsmith although I agree with Leej about some of his earlier work. He writes in two ways.....sometimes they coincide and sometimes they don't.

He writes about and to phrases that he either sees somewhere or pop into his head. "René and Georgette Magritte with their Dog after the War" was a phrase he saw on the back of an old photograph and it stuck in his mind. He also writes not to tunes, but to rhythms. This started with him during "Hearts and Bones" although I think it had been coming along that way for a while. Virtually all of the Graceland stuff was written to a rhythm that he liked. That's why so many of the phases seem so one-off and even a bit disjointed. They all do however tell a story.

He can use words and phrases that are completely incongruous but fit perfectly within that song.

Spaw

Subject: RE: What's your favourite Paul Simon song?
From: YOR
Date: 01 Aug 02 - 07:31 PM

"Still Horney After All These Years"

"Still Lazy After All These Years"

OK, back on track "Bridge Over Troubled Water" by far.

Roy

Subject: RE: What's your favourite Paul Simon song?
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Aug 02 - 09:23 PM

Why has no-one mentioned '50 ways to leave your lover'. Guess all Mudcatters are happy with their partners....*grin*

Subject: RE: What's your favourite Paul Simon song?
From: John Hardly
Date: 01 Aug 02 - 09:56 PM

Lonesome EJ,

Point taken. Maybe it sounds sophomoric, but as a guy too shy to write for fear of criticism, I gotta ask....

....so what should they have been reading?

Catspaw,

I guess I saw the same interview -- I was fascinated to hear him say he wrote to rhythms. so much of what he writes seems to stand well on its own, so it'd be kinda easy to assume that the words come first to him. Not so. Of course, that's also one reason his stuff holds up well -- or can make it in the pop market.

Subject: RE: What's your favourite Paul Simon song?
From: Dagmar
Date: 02 Aug 02 - 03:38 AM

Well...for me it is "Lincoln Duncan and that exactly for the following reason which I could not have phrased better than you C Flat and so I copied it : "The guy is such a perfectionist, not just about the musical content or the lyrical sentiment but the actual sound of every word and it's relationship with the following words."

Guest DON !!! this is the song you mean by the way and funny enough for me it was the same as for you...this line stayed with me for many years and i did not know from which song. but thanks to the mudcatters I was told that this line is the first line of the second verse of "Lincoln Duncan"..

I do not know what it is with this song and I dont care about the actual meaning of the words but it feels as if could not have ever choosen other words for this particular melody...its sound and solid and not one millimeter not "fitting" together in soudn and words..amazing!

Dagmar

Anyone "knows" why some songlines stay with us and speak to us because of their match of melody and words so long ..why some speak to some and others speak to others ? What EXACTLY is going on there?

Subject: RE: What's your favourite Paul Simon song?
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Aug 02 - 06:26 AM

How the Heart Approaches What it Yearns
from the One Trick Pony album

Subject: RE: What's your favourite Paul Simon song?
From: Rt Revd Sir jOhn from Hull
Date: 25 Nov 02 - 08:45 AM

thanks for replying everybody, anyone else want to mention theirs.

Subject: RE: What's your favourite Paul Simon song?
From: GUEST,boromir
Date: 25 Nov 02 - 10:20 AM

Fog rollin' in off the East River Bank

Like a shroud it covers Bleecker Street

Fills the alleys where men sleep

Hides the shepherd from the sheep

Subject: RE: What's your favourite Paul Simon song?
From: TIA
Date: 25 Nov 02 - 10:32 AM

Kodachrome

Subject: RE: What's your favourite Paul Simon song?
From: GUEST,Geordie
Date: 25 Nov 02 - 10:34 AM

I have always thought Paul Simon was a bit twee as a songwriter. However, he does have flashes of pure brilliance. I love the Graceland Album; some of my other favourites are Lincoln Duncan; René and Georgette Magritte with their Dog after the War; and Train in the Distance.

Subject: RE: What's your favourite Paul Simon song?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 25 Nov 02 - 12:23 PM

I'm only sort of semi-impressed by Paul Simon's songwriting, but sometimes he's very good at turning a phrase. "The Sound of Silence" was a brilliant song, perfect for the time when it was released. "The Boxer" is pretty neat...some say it's about Dylan...I have no opinion on that. The parody he did of Dylan's electric style was a refreshing change, quite enjoyable even when not seen as a parody.

- LH

Subject: RE: What's your favourite Paul Simon song?
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Nov 02 - 01:04 PM

Kodachrome, Boy in a bubble, and 50 ways to leave your lover- I dont know why I just find myself singing them

Subject: RE: What's your favourite Paul Simon song?
From: 53
Date: 25 Nov 02 - 01:48 PM

Mrs. Robinson, I am a rock,

Subject: RE: What's your favourite Paul Simon song?
From: Cluin
Date: 25 Nov 02 - 02:32 PM

That old brain-worm, "Me & Julio".

Subject: RE: What's your favourite Paul Simon song?
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Dec 02 - 09:57 AM

Johnny Cash does a heartfelt version of Bridge Over Troubled Water on his new CD.

My favorite Paul Simon song is American Tune. A brilliant song that captures the essence of ordinary people living the American dream.

I also love the original, all-acoustic version of The Sound of Silence from the first Simon & Garfunkel LP.

Subject: RE: What's your favourite Paul Simon song?
From: GUEST,Stringman.
Date: 06 Dec 02 - 10:35 AM

My thanks To Dave&Julie.I thought "most Perculiar man" was great.
So I not so soft. :)

Subject: RE: What's your favourite Paul Simon song?
From: Merritt
Date: 06 Dec 02 - 11:00 AM

My favorite these days is "Song for the Asking."

I used to play in an instrumental duo that covered pop, swing, celtic, hymns, etc. tunes. One revelation about Simon's music for me was that few of his tunes had the structure and melody to stand on their own musically, IMHO of course. Beatles, Everly Brothers, in cotrast, offered a lot more to work with.

- Merritt


"Only that day dawns to which we are awake." - H.D. Thoreau

Subject: RE: What's your favourite Paul Simon song?
From:
Date: 06 Dec 02 - 11:39 AM

he's so past his prime its not even funny. He really ought to give up music making altogether.

oh yeah-my favorite song is heartspark dollarsign by everclear

Subject: RE: What's your favourite Paul Simon song?
From: GUEST,daylia
Date: 06 Dec 02 - 01:19 PM

When I was a little girl, and the devil would call my name, I'd call out "Who do - who do your think you're foolin'...."

Still Love it Like a Rock!

Later, when I became a not-so-little girl, my favourite changed to "I Am a Rock". Maybe I've got this thing about rocks ...

And that line at the end of 'Duncan' still gives me goosebumps -

                   "I was playin' my guitar
                   Lyin' underneath the stars
                   Just thankin' the Lord for my fingers
                   For my fingers ... "

Is the world a better place for having known the work of Paul Simon's fingers? I think so!!!

- daylia

Subject: RE: What's your favourite Paul Simon song?
From: GUEST,Jim
Date: 21 Feb 05 - 06:57 PM

Subject: RE: What's your favourite Paul Simon song?
From: GUEST,Guest, Sandra
Date: 21 Feb 05 - 09:53 PM

How about Take Me To The Mardi Gras...? Such a great feel to this song. And, I like the snappy Late In The Evening......and all the music seeping throuuuugh!

Subject: RE: What's your favourite Paul Simon song?
From: Justa Picker
Date: 21 Feb 05 - 09:55 PM

I think "Bridge Over Troubled Water" is the best song he's ever written - especially recorded Gospel versions by other vocalists.

Subject: RE: What's your favourite Paul Simon song?
From: number 6
Date: 21 Feb 05 - 10:24 PM

Old Friends

sIx

Subject: RE: What's your favourite Paul Simon song?
From: cptsnapper
Date: 22 Feb 05 - 04:22 AM

I Do It For your Love, Train In The Distance, Father & Daughter

Subject: RE: What's your favourite Paul Simon song?
From: Cluin
Date: 22 Feb 05 - 04:33 AM

I like "Call Me Al", mainly for the whistle solo in it.

"Me and Julio" is pretty good too.

But I guess my favourite would have to be "Kodachrome".

Subject: RE: What's your favourite Paul Simon song?
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 22 Feb 05 - 12:28 PM

Yes indeed thank you Paul for all that music. there was hardly anything of it that I didn't love - hardly any song that doesn't evoke memories and longings for times and things that might have been.

Best Paul memories: struggling with staccato am/Bm chord change in I am a rock. January '65. A friend had seen him play at Les Cousins and bought the album.

My first stereo system (with teak needles as Woody Allen jibed!) and the cars whizzing around the room in Baby Driver.

A million pub gigs with The Boxer to keep you company.

That band in One Trick Pony with Steve Gadd etc.

well you know it all, it was your lives as well.....


al the best

big al

Subject: RE: What's your favourite Paul Simon song?
From: dwditty
Date: 22 Feb 05 - 12:32 PM

Well, never did like Paul Simon much...but man, I love John Forster's portrayal of Paul ripping off cultural music of all kinds in his (Forster's) song, "Fusion."

Subject: RE: What's your favourite Paul Simon song?
From: stevi
Date: 22 Feb 05 - 01:03 PM

Duncan
He Was My Brother
Kathy's Song---- to start with the man's magic

Subject: RE: What's your favourite Paul Simon song?
From: GUEST,guest
Date: 22 Feb 05 - 07:22 PM

Paul Simon has written and performed so many great songs, and delivered them to us in such a way as they have imprinted themselves in our minds, and several generations relate to them. Very few people have been able to have this lasting effect. He certainly moved with the times and managed to re-invent himself and move very successfully from a folk sound to a new african sound which was unique to the 'western'music scene at the time. I have never heard a paul simon song or a S/G song performed by anyone else that comes close to them. Complete proffessional; complete singer; complete entertainer....far too fifficult to just pick one favourite song... the more I think about it the harder the task becomes.

P S I'm a fan.

Subject: RE: What's your favourite Paul Simon song?
From: Genie
Date: 22 Feb 05 - 07:30 PM

Gee, Paul wrote so many great songs (50 Ways To Leave Your Lover, The Boxer, The Sound of Silence, Under African Skies, etc., etc.) ...

but Bridge Over Troubled Water -- hands down! (IMNSHO)

Subject: RE: What's your favourite Paul Simon song?
From: Genie
Date: 22 Feb 05 - 07:42 PM

Quote (JustaPicker):"I think "Bridge Over Troubled Water" is the best song he's ever written - especially recorded Gospel versions by other vocalists."

Yeah, that.

I love S&G's original version, but there are other versions (e.g., Aretha Franklin, Clay Aiken) that I love just as much. To me, that's a mark of a great SONG - as opposed to a great performance or arrangement. A great song can be remade in many ways and still sound great!

Subject: RE: What's your favourite Paul Simon song?
From: bflat
Date: 22 Feb 05 - 09:22 PM

I like a lot of his songs. First learned to play 59th Street Bridge Song. I like Homeward Bound; Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover and The Sound of Silence. He may have conscripted songs but he made them his uniquely.

Ellen

Subject: RE: What's your favourite Paul Simon song?
From: Auggie
Date: 22 Feb 05 - 11:12 PM

Kathy's Song
Cloudy
Old Friends
Something So Right


Prior to this lifetime
I (too)surely was a tailor...
I own the tailor's face and hands.

Subject: RE: What's your favourite Paul Simon song?
From: Paco Rabanne
Date: 23 Feb 05 - 06:34 AM

Ace of Spades.

Subject: RE: What's your favourite Paul Simon song?
From: Ross
Date: 23 Feb 05 - 09:12 AM

We are having a Paul Simon night on the 7th March 2005

At the Bull ph in Barton-Le-Clay, Bedfordshire

Singaround format - all welcome

Subject: RE: What's your favourite Paul Simon song?
From: just john
Date: 23 Feb 05 - 09:16 AM

So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright

Architects may come and architects may go and never change your point of view.

Subject: RE: What's your favourite Paul Simon song?
From: GUEST,Sorethroat
Date: 23 Feb 05 - 09:46 AM

Way back on this thread in 02 someone mentioned the line "My father was a fisherman, my mother was a fisherman's friend"
to which another replied, 'There is no such thing!'
Well, there certainly IS - I'm suckin' on one right now.
Makin' me feel much better too.
For Stateside viewers benefit (and elsewhere), fear not! It's a brand name for a throat remedy over here in the UK.

Subject: RE: What's your favourite Paul Simon song?
From: Crystal
Date: 23 Feb 05 - 09:52 AM

50 ways to leave your lover!

or any spoof done by the muppets!

Subject: RE: What's your favourite Paul Simon song?
From: Genie
Date: 23 Feb 05 - 03:30 PM

LOL, Sorethroat!

Fear not. We in the states also love to pop a Fisherman's Friend in our mouths PRN.

§:-D

Subject: RE: What's your favourite Paul Simon song?
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 23 Feb 05 - 03:38 PM

Any of his songs with African influence.....great!
Best wishes, Mike.

Subject: RE: What's your favourite Paul Simon song?
From: GUEST,Jim
Date: 24 Feb 05 - 10:49 AM

Any song that gets some mileage out of sitting on a Widnes station platform has got to be an award winner

Subject: RE: What's your favourite Paul Simon song?
From: wanderhope
Date: 24 Feb 05 - 11:50 AM

One thing I remember was when he got the Grammy for Album of the Year (for "Graceland") and his acceptance speech was, "I want to thank Stevie Wonder for not recording anything this year."

Also -- my favorite of the many I love to sing -- Graceland, itself. Especially since Simon said, "It's not about Elvis.'

Subject: RE: What's your favourite Paul Simon song?
From: Terry Allan Hall
Date: 24 Feb 05 - 07:03 PM

Too many to choose from, but "Duncan", "Hazy Shade Of Winter", "America", and "Hobo's Blues" (his instrumental duet/jam with Stephane Grapelli on "Paul Simon") always kill me!

Subject: RE: What's your favourite Paul Simon song?
From: Haruo
Date: 15 Aug 06 - 04:59 PM

Only one I actually have the lyrics to in Esperanto is "The Sound of Silence":

La Son' Silenta
Translated by Roel Haveman

Kara nokto, venis mi
Por paroli plu kun vi
Ĉar vizio bildojn formis,
Lasis semojn dum mi dormis.
Kaj la vizio,
Enplantita en la kor'
Ne iras for
De la son' silenta.

Ensonĝe solas la anim'
Dum vagas mi sur s^tonpavim'
Ĉe bril' de stratlanterna aŭreol'
Mi froste ŝovas jakon al la kol'
Dum l' okulojn
Trafpikas neona fulm'
Tra la mallum',
Tra la son' silenta

En nuda lumo vidas mi
Dek mil homojn, eble pli.
Dum parolo diro mankas.
Dum aŭdad' aŭskulto haltas.
Iliajn versojn
Voĉoj certe kantos ne,
Kuraĝas ne
Pro la son' silenta.

"Stultuloj, vi ne scias ke
Silent' kancere kreskas se
Miajn manojn vi neglektas,
Miajn vortojn ne respektas."
Sed forfluas
Silente mia vort',
Hm hm hm hm,
Drona sort'
Silenta

Klino, preĝo, eu(fori'
Por memkreita neondi'.
La signo fulmas nun averton
Per vortoj kiuj spiras certon
Kaj ĝi diras ke
La vortojn profetajn
Vi trovos sur metroa mur'
Kun flustro nur
Kie la son' silentas

Subject: RE: What's your favourite Paul Simon song?
From: Tootler
Date: 15 Aug 06 - 05:22 PM

My own personal favourites are

The Boxer
Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes
Look for America

Between us, (me + wife), my sister and some friends we almost managed to "Look for America"

I didn't quite go to Saginaw, though I got pretty close
My sister didn't board a Greyhound in Pittsburgh, but she nearly boarded one to Pittsburgh
Our friends actually did manage to watch the cars on the New Jersey Turnpike on their way from Newark Airport to NYC.

Subject: RE: What's your favourite Paul Simon song?
From: Haruo
Date: 15 Aug 06 - 05:27 PM

Hey, last month I watched the cars on the New Jersey Turnpike going the other direction! Life finally imitating art, or perhaps in this case imitating paul.

Haruo

Subject: RE: What's your favourite Paul Simon song?
From: GUEST,Pelrad
Date: 15 Aug 06 - 08:28 PM

I have too many favorites to choose from. When I was three years old, my favorite song was "Slip Slidin' Away," and I would request it several times a day. I listened to Paul Simon's music at least once a day for ten years straight. I used to find ways to quote him in my school essays.

"Baby Driver" - I can never hear it without seeing the skit from the Muppet Show with the babies hot-rodding in their buggies.


"Hearts and Bones"

"Song about the Moon"
If you want to write a song about the moon,
Walk along the craters of the afternoon
When the shadows are deep
And the light is alien
And gravity leaps like a knife off the pavement

"The Coast" from Rhythm of the Saints
"Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes" from Graceland

"That's Where I Belong" from You're the One
Somewhere in a burst of glory
Sound becomes a song
I'm bound to tell a story
Thats where I belong


"The Cool, Cool River" from Rhythm of the Saints has my absolute favorite quote:
Sometimes even music cannot substitute for tears.

Subject: RE: What's your favourite Paul Simon song?
From: GUEST,Desdemona
Date: 15 Aug 06 - 08:36 PM

I always liked "Fakin' It", and "Bookends" never fails to make me cry...come to think of it, they're both from the same album, aren't they?

~D

Subject: RE: What's your favourite Paul Simon song?
From: Greg B
Date: 15 Aug 06 - 08:40 PM

'Homeless' from Graceland with Ladysmith Black Mambazo.

Nothing more need be said.

Just listen.

Subject: RE: What's your favourite Paul Simon song?
From: Alba
Date: 15 Aug 06 - 09:25 PM

Lincoln Duncan.
No doubt:)

Coming in a close second,

I dream we are lying on top of a Hill Headlights slide passed the Moon
I fold in your arms and your voice is the heat of the night.
I'm on fire

In a phone booth at some local Bar and grill, rehearsing what I'll say my coin returns
How the Heart approaches what it yearns

Jude