Luke’s Top 10 Simon & Garfunkel Songs
October 31st, 2009 | Published under Music, Top 10 Lists | No Comments
Simon and Garfunkel are easily the best folk duos there has ever been. Their songs both when solo and together are a mix of fun, humour, emotion and story-telling. Both their musical styles complement each other and make them one of the most famous duos of the last century. Here’s my Top 10:
10 – The Boxer
The Boxer was written in 1968 and released in 1969. The song is about a person who is struggling with poverty and loneliness while living in New York City. Paul Simon has said the song is autobiographical and one he wrote when he felt he was being unfairly criticized. Rolling Stone ranked it 105 on their 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
Probably the best thing I like about this song is the very catchy “lie-la-lie” chorus.
09 – Homeward Bound
Homeward Bound was released in 1966 and is about longing to go home while on tour. This song is said to be written by Paul Simon when he was stranded overnight at Ditton Railway Station, and was longing to go home. It peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remained on the charts for 12 weeks.
The reason why I liked this song is it has a bit of sadness in it about missing home, but at the same time you can also feel the enjoyment of being on tour despite the stress and tiring it causes. One thing I liked about this song is you can really imagine him sitting at an empty station waiting for the train to arrive with guitar in hand.
08 – My Little Town
My Little Town was released in 1975 and was originally written by Paul Simon for Art to use on his own album. The song has no solo vocals but instead the duo both sings all parts of the song together. The song itself is simply about someone who grew up in a little town, and reflecting back upon those younger days.
I like the song as it tells a great story about a kid who grew up in a little town and the things that seemed so great about it, even if those things were only simple or even just his imagination. One of the great things about this song is it reminds us of the happiness of being a child with no worries in the world.
07 – The Only Living Boy In New York
The Only Living Boy In New York was released in 1970. The lyrics are based around when Art Garfunkel went to Mexico to act in the film Catch-22. Paul Simon reflects on his time spent back in New York without Art, feeling like the ‘only living boy in New York’.
I like this song as it seems like a bit of a sad goodbye but not one that is a permanent goodbye. It’s a reflection of sitting around alone, with nothing to do and feeling like you’re the only person around because your friend is off elsewhere having fun. My favorite thing about this song as is how the tune continuously dies down and comes up again.
06 – The Dangling Conversation
The Dangling Conversation was written by Paul Simon and released in September 1966. The song reached 25 on the US charts. The song is about a couple with differing personalities and failed communication.
I really enjoy this song as it provides a simple look into the lives of this couple and deeply explains their personalities and how they are together, yet really so different; one reads Emily Dickinson and the other Robert Frost.
05 – Fakin’ It
Fakin It’ was released in 1967. I imagine the song being about someone who is pretending, imaging or wishing they were someone more than they really are. The song reached 23 on the Billboard Hot 100.
I really like this song as it’s got a tune and lyrics I find really catchy, and I like the idea of this guy living in his own fantasy world to suppress his feelings. The song has a very happy tune, but at the same time you remember maybe this happiness is just a reflection of his faked emotions.
04 – I Am A Rock
I Am A Rock was originally released in 1965 as a solo song by Paul Simon, and re-recorded later that year as a duo. Although it can probably be interpreted many different ways, I imagine this song to be about avoiding emotional attachments and being strong within yourself and without the need for others. The song reached 21 on the Billboard charts.
I like this song because everyone can do with a song about feeling indestructible despite what others think, and being able to rely on yourself when others let you down. Because a rock feels no pain.
03 – At The Zoo
At The Zoo was released in 1967 and is a tribute by Paul Simon to his hometown, New York City. The song tells a story about a visit to Central Park Zoo while under the influence of drugs, where the character in the song views the animals in various amusing ways and their different human-like characteristics.
What I really like about this song and what makes it ones of my favorites is it’s so much simpler than the rest of their songs, and dismisses the usual lyrical content of relationships or emotions. Instead, it’s just about a guy walking through a zoo, all drugged up. It’s a really funny and really fun song.
02 – Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard
Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard is a solo song by Paul Simon, but often performed together by the duo. It was released in May, 1972. The song is about two boys who have broken the law, yet the artist has never made clear what they have done, or if he has even decided this himself. Some people say the boys may have been protesting at an antiwar march, buying drugs, using drugs or possibly, even a sexual experience.
This is one of my favorite Simon & Garfunkel songs because the tune is really quick, active and fun. It has a tune that makes the story of this illegal act enjoyable, fun and happy, like it’s some kind of story-telling session.
01 – America
America was released in 1968 and reached 97 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song is about a couple searching for their place in America, and travelling across the country for a place they can call home. They observe the different things they see and the differing moods they have while travelling.
I always imagine this song as the couple passing time while travelling on a train through America. I’m not sure exactly why this song is my favorite, but it just seems like a really in-depth story of the couple travelling for somewhere to settle and trying to make a life for themselves as a couple. You can imagine the singer starring out the window of a train or bus during the long journey, wondering what the path ahead will hold for them.
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