The Sound Of Silence (3:07) P. Simon, 1964 Released on Wednesday Morning, 3
a.m. and Sounds Of
Silence
Hello darkness, my old friend I've come to talk with you again
Because a vision softly creeping Left its seeds while I was sleeping
And the vision that was planted in my brain Still remains Within the
sound of silence
In restless dreams I walked alone Narrow streets of cobblestone
'Neath the halo of a street lamp I turn my collar to the cold and damp
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light That split the
night And touched the sound of silence
And in the naked light I saw Ten thousand people maybe more People
talking without speaking People hearing without listening People writing
songs that voices never shared No one dared Disturb the sound of silence
"Fools," said I, "you do not know Silence like a cancer grows Hear my
words that I might teach you Take my arms that I might reach you" But my
words like silent raindrops fell And echoed in the wells of silence
And the people bowed and prayed To the neon god they made And the
sign flashed out its warning In the words that it was forming And the
sign said "The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls And
tenement halls And whispered in the sound of silence
Homeward Bound (2:28) P. Simon, 1966 Released on Parsley, Sage,
Rosemary, and Thyme
I'm sittin' in the railway station Got a ticket for my
destination, mmm
On a tour of one night stands My suitcase and guitar in hand And
every stop is neatly planned For a poet and a one-man band
Homeward Bound, I wish I was Homeward Bound Home, where my thought's
escaping Home, where my music's playing Home, where my love lies waiting
Silently for me
Every day's an endless stream Of cigarettes and magazines And each
town looks the same to me The movies and the factories And every
stranger's face I see Reminds me that I long to be
Homeward Bound, I wish I was Homeward Bound Home, where my thought's
escaping Home, where my music's playing Home, where my love lies waiting
Silently for me
Tonight I'll sing my songs again I'll play the game and pretend But
all my words come back to me In shades of mediocrity Like emptiness in
harmony I need someone to comfort me
Homeward Bound, I wish I was Homeward Bound Home, where my thought's
escaping Home, where my music's playing Home, where my love lies waiting
Silently for me Silently for me
I Am A Rock (2:51) P. Simon, 1965 Released on Sounds of
Silence
A winter's day In a deep and dark December I am alone Gazing from
my window To the streets below On a freshly fallen silent shroud of snow
I am a rock I am an island
I've built walls A fortress deep and mighty That none may penetrate
I have no need of friendship Friendship causes pain It's laughter
and it's loving I disdain
I am a rock I am an island
Don't talk of love Well I've heard the word before It's sleeping in
my memory I won't disturb the slumber Of feelings that have died If
I never loved I never would have cried
I am a rock I am an island
I have my books And my poetry to protect me I am shielded in my armor
Hiding in my room Safe within my womb I touch no one and no one
touches me
I am a rock I am an island
And a rock feels no pain And an island never cries
The Dangling Conversation (2:38) P. Simon, 1966 Released on Parsley,
Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme
It's a still life water color Of a now late afternoon As the sun
shines through the curtain lace And shadows wash the room And we sit and
drink our coffee Couched in our indifference Like shells upon the shore
You can hear the ocean roar In the dangling conversation And the
superficial sighs The borders of our lives
And you read your Emily Dickinson And I my Robert Frost And we note
our place with bookmarkers That measure what we've lost Like a poem
poorly written We are verses out of rhythm Couplets out of rhyme In
syncopated time And the dangling conversation And the superficial sighs
Are the borders of our lives
Yes, we speak of things that matter With words that must be said "Can
analysis be worthwhile?" "Is the theater really dead?" And how the room
is softly faded And I only kiss your shadow I cannot feel your hand
You're a stranger now unto me Lost in the dangling conversation And
the superficial sighs In the borders of our lives
Scarborough Fair/Canticle (3:10) P. Simon/A. Garfunkel, 1966 Released on
Parsley,
Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme
Are you going to Scarborough Fair? Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme
Remember me to one who lives there She once was a true love of mine
Tell her to make me a cambric shirt (On the side of a hill
in the deep forest green) Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme
(Tracing a sparrow on snow-crested ground) Without no seams
nor needlework (Blankets and bedclothes the child of the
mountain) Then she'll be a true love of mine (Sleeps
unaware of the clarion call)
Tell her to find me an acre of land (On the side of a
hill,
a sprinkling of leaves) Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme
(Washed is the ground with so many tears) Between the salt water and the sea
strand (A soldier cleans and polishes a gun) Then she'll be
a true love of mine
Tell her to reap it in a sickle of leather (War
bellows,
blazing in scarlet battalions) Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme
(Generals order their soldiers to kill) And to gather it
all in a bunch of heather (And to fight for a cause they have
long ago forgotten) Then she'll be a true love of mine
Are you going to Scarborough Fair? Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme
Remember me to one who lives there She once was a true love of mine
The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy) (1:55) P. Simon, 1966 Released on Parsley, Sage,
Rosemary, and Thyme
Slow down, you move too fast You've got to make the morning last Just
kicking down the cobblestones Looking for fun and feeling groovy Ba da
da da da da da, feeling groovy
Hello lampost, what'cha knowung I've come to watch your flowers
growin'
Ain'tcha got no rhymes for me Doo-it in doo doo, feeling groovy Ba
da da da da da da, feeling groovy
I got no deeds to do No promises to keep I'm dappled and drowsy and
ready to sleep Let the morningtime drop all its petals on me Life I love
you, all is groovy
A Hazy Shade Of Winter (2:17) P. Simon, 1966 Released on Bookends
Time, time, time See what's become of me While I looked around
For my possibilities I was so hard to please But look around
Leaves are brown And the sky is a hazy shade of winter
Hear the Salvation Army band Down by the riverside It's bound to be a
better ride Than what you've got planned Carry your cup in your hand
And look around Leaves are brown And the sky is a hazy shade of
winter
Hang onto your hopes, my friend That's an easy thing to say But if
your hopes should pass away Simply pretend That you can build them again
Look around The grass is high The fields are ripe It's the
springtime of my life
Seasons change with the scenery Weaving time in a tapestry Won't you
stop and remember me At any conveient time? Funny how my memory skips
While looking over manuscripts Of unpublished rhyme Drinking my
vodka and lime I look around Leaves are brown And the sky is a hazy
shade of winter
Look around Leaves are brown There's a patch of snow on the ground
At The Zoo (2:24) P. Simon, 1967 Released on Bookends
Someone told me It's all happening at the zoo I do believe it I
do believe it's true
It's a light and tumble journey From the East Side to the park Just a
fine and fancy ramble to the zoo But you can take a crosstown bus If
it's raining or it's cold And the animals will love it if you do
Somethin' tells me It's all happening at the zoo I do believe it
I do believe it's true
The monkeys stand for honesty Giraffes are insincere And the
elephants are kindly but they're dumb Orangutans are skeptical Of
changes in their cages And the zookeeper is very fond of rum
Zebras are reactionaries Antelopes are missionaries Pigeons plot in
secrecy And hamsters turn on frequently What a gas! You gotta come and
see At the zoo
Fakin' It (3:12) P. Simon, 1967 Released on Bookends.
(However, this is the mono version from the single.)
When she goes, she's gone If she stays, she stays here The girl does
what she wants to do She knows what she wants to do And I know I'm fakin' it I'm not really
makin' it
I'm such a dubious soul And a walk in the garden Wears me down
Tangled in the fallen vines Pickin' up the punch lines I've just
been fakin' it Not really makin' it
Is there any danger? No, no, not really Just lean on me Takin'
time to treat Your friendly neighbors honestly I've just been fakin' it
I'm not really makin' it This feeling of fakin' it- I still haven't
shaken it
Prior to this lifetime I surely was a tailor Look at me ("Good
morning, Mr. Leitch, Have you had a busy day?") I own the tailor's face
and hands I am the tailor's face and hands I know I'm fakin' it I'm
not really makin' it This feeling of fakin' it- I still haven't shaken
it
Mrs. Robinson (4:03) (From the motion picture The Graduate)
P. Simon, 1968 Released on Bookends
And here's to you, Mrs. Robinson Jesus loves you more than you will
know,
wo wo wo God bless you please, Mrs. Robinson Heaven holds a place for
those who pray, hey hey hey Hey hey hey
We'd like to know a little bit about you for our files We'd like to help
you learn to help yourself Look around you, all you see are sympathetic eyes
Stroll around the grounds until you feel at home
And here's to you, Mrs. Robinson Jesus loves you more than you will
know,
wo wo wo God bless you please, Mrs. Robinson Heaven holds a place for
those who pray, hey hey hey Hey hey hey
Hide it in a hiding place where no one ever goes Put it in your pantry
with your cupcakes It's a little secret, just the Robinsons' affair Most
of all you've got to hide it from the kids
Coo coo ca-choo, Mrs. Robinson Jesus loves you more than you will
know,
wo wo wo God bless you please, Mrs. Robinson Heaven holds a place for
those who pray, hey hey hey Hey hey hey
Sitting on a sofa on a Sunday fternoon Going to the candidate's debate
Laugh about it, shout about it When you've got to choose Every way
you look at it you lose
Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio Our nation turns its lonely eyes to
you, woo woo woo What's that you say, Mrs. Robinson Joltin' Joe has left
and gone away, hey hey hey Hey hey hey
Old Friends/Bookends (3:57) P. Simon, 1968 Released on Bookends
Old friends Old friends Sat on their park bench Like bookends
A newspaper blown through the grass Falls on the round toes Of the
high shoes Of the old friends
Old friends Winter companions The old men Lost in their overcoats
Waiting for the sunset The sounds of the city Sifting through the
trees Settle like dust On the shoulders Of the old friends
Can you imagine us years from today Sharing a park bench
quietly? How
terribly strange to be seventy
Old friends Memory brushes the same years Silently sharing the same
fear...
Time it was, and what a time it was, it was A time of
innocence, a time
of confidences Long ago, it must be, I have a photograph Preserve your
memories; they're all that's left you
The Boxer (5:10) P. Simon, 1968 Released on Bridge Over
Troubled Water
I am just a poor boy Though my story's seldom told I have squandered
my resistance For a pocketful of mumbles Such are promises All lies
and jests Still a man hears what he wants to hear And disregards the
rest
When I left my home and my family I was no more than a boy In the
company of strangers In the quiet of the railway station Running scared
Laying low, seeking out the poorer quarters Where the ragged people go
Looking for the places only they would know
Lie la lie...
Asking only workman's wages I come looking for a job But I get no
offers Just a come-on from the whores on Seventh Avenue I do declare,
there were times when I was so lonesome I took some comfort there
Lie la lie...
Then I'm laying out my winter clothes And wishing I was gone Going
home Where the New York City winters aren't bleeding me, Leading me,
going home.
In the clearing stands a boxer And a fighter by his trade And he
carries the reminders Of every glove that laid him down Or cut him till
he cried out In his anger and his shame "I am leaving, I am leaving"
But the fighter still remains
Lie la lie...
Bridge Over Troubled Water (4:54) P. Simon, 1969 Released on Bridge Over
Troubled Water
When you're weary Feeling small When tears are in your eyes I
will dry them all I'm on your side When times get rough And friends
just can't be found
Like a bridge over troubled water I will lay me down Like a bridge
over troubled water I will lay me down
When you're down and out When you're on the street When evening falls
so hard I will comfort you I'll take your part When darkness comes
And pain is all around
Like a bridge over troubled water I will lay me down Like a bridge
over troubled water I will lay me down
Sail on silver girl Sail on by Your time has come to shine All
your dreams are on their way See how they shine If you need a friend
I'm sailing right behind
Like a bridge over troubled water I will ease your mind Like a bridge
over troubled water I will ease your mind
Cecilia (2:56) P. Simon, 1969 Released on Bridge Over
Troubled Water
Cecilia, you're breaking my heart You're shaking my confidence daily
Oh, Cecilia, I'm down on my knees I'm begging you please, to come home
Cecilia, you're breaking my heart You're shaking my confidence daily
Oh, Cecilia, I'm down on my knees I'm begging you please, to come home
Come on home
Making love in the afternoon With Cecilia up in my bedroom I got up
to wash my face When I come back to bed Someone's taken my place
Cecilia, you're breaking my heart You're shaking my confidence daily
Whoa, Cecilia, I'm down on my knees I'm begging you please, to come home
Come on home
Jubilation, she loves me again I fall on the floor and I'm laughing
Jubilation, she loves me again I fall on the floor and I'm laughing
The Only Living Boy In New York (3:59) P. Simon, 1969
Released on Bridge Over
Troubled Water
Tom, get your plane right on time I know your part'll go fine Fly
down to Mexico Da-n-da-da-n-da-n-da and here I am The only living boy in
New York
I get the news I need on the weather report Oh, I can gather all the news
I need on the weather report Hey, I've got nothing to do today but smile
Da-n-do-da-n-do-da-n-da-da and here I am The only living boy in New York
Half of the time we're gone but we don't know where And we don't know
where
Half of the time we're gone but we don't know where And we don't know
where
Tom, get your plane right on time I know that you've been eager to fly
now Hey let your honesty shine, shine, shine now Da-n-da-da-n-da-n-da-da
Like it shines on me The only living boy in New York The only living
boy in New York
Song For The Asking (1:51) P. Simon, 1969 Released on Bridge Over
Troubled Water
Here is my song for the asking Ask me and I will play So
sweetly,
I'll make you smile
This is my tune for the taking Take it, don't turn away I've been
waiting all my life
Thinking it over, I've been sad Thinking it over, I'd be more than glad
To change my ways for the asking
Ask me and I will play All the love that I hold inside
El Condor Pasa (If I Could) (3:08) J. Milchberg/D. A. Robles, 1933; English lyric
P. Simon, 1970 Released on Bridge Over
Troubled Water
I'd rather be a sparrow than a snail Yes I would, if I
could, I surely
would
I'd rather be a hammer than a nail Yes I would, if I only
could, I surely
would
Away, I'd rather sail away Like a swan that's here and gone A man
grows older every day It gives the world Its saddest sound Its
saddest sound
I'd rather be a forest than a street Yes I would, if I
could, I surely
would
I'd rather feel the earth beneath my feet Yes I would, if I only
could, I
surely would
For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her (2:22) P. Simon, 1966 Released on Parsley, Sage,
Rosemary, and Thyme (However, this is the live version of the song from
the Greatest
Hits album.)
What a dream I had Pressed in organdy Clothed in crinoline Of
smoky burgundy Softer than the rain
I wandered empty streets Down past the shop displays I heard
cathedral bells Tripping down the alleyways As I walked on
And when you ran to me Your cheeks flushed with the night We walked
on frosted fields Of juniper and lamplight I held your hand
And when I woke And felt you warm and near I kissed your honey hair
With my grateful tears Oh I love you girl Oh I love you
America (3:37) P. Simon, 1968 Released on Bookends
"Let us be lovers, we'll marry our fortunes together I've got some real
estate here in my bag" So we bought a pack of cigarettes and Mrs. Wagner
pies And walked off to look for America
"Kathy," I said as we boarded a Greyhound in Pittsburgh "Michigan seems
like a dream to me now" It took me four days to hitchhike from Saginaw
I've come to look for America
Laughing on the bus Playing games with the faces She said the man in
the gabardine suit was a spy I said "Be careful, his bowtie is really a
camera"
"Toss me a cigarette, I think there's one in my raincoat" "We smoked the
last one an hour ago" So I looked at the scenery, she read her magazine
And the moon rose over an open field
"Kathy, I'm lost," I said, though I knew she was sleeping "I'm empty and
aching and I don't know why" Counting the cars on the New Jersey Turnpike
They've all come to look for America All come to look for America
All come to look for America
My Little Town (3:52) P. Simon, 1975 Released on
Still Crazy After All These Years (Paul Simon) and Breakaway (Art
Garfunkel)
In my little town, I grew up believing God keeps His eye on us all
And He used to lean upon me As I pledged allegiance to the wall Lord
I recall My little town
Coming home after school Flying my bike past the gates of the factories
My mom doing the laundry, Hanging our shirts in the dirty breeze
And after it rains, there's a rainbow And all of the colors are black
It's not that the colors aren't there It's just imagination they lack
Everything's the same back In my little town
Nothing but the dead and dying Back in my little town Nothing but the
dead and dying Back in my little town
In my little town, I never meant nothin' I was just my father's son
Saving my money, dreaming of glory Twitching like a finger on the
trigger of a gun
Leaving nothing but the dead and dying Back in my little town Nothing
but the dead and dying Back in my little town
Nothing but the dead and dying Back in my little town Nothing but the
dead and dying Back in my little town Nothing but the dead and dying
Back in my little town
Cloudy (2:15)
P. Simon, 1966
Cloudy
The sky is gray and white and cloudy
Sometimes I think it's hanging down on me
And it's a hitchhike a hundred miles
I'm a raga-muffin child
Pointed finger-painted smile
I left my shadow waiting down the road for me a while
Cloudy
My thoughts are scattered and they're cloudy
They have no boreders, no boundaries
They echo and they swell
From Tolstoi to Tinkerbell
Down from Berkeley to Carmel
Got some pictures in my pocket and a lot of time to kill
Hey sunshine
I haven't seen you in a long time
Why don't you show your face and bend my mind?
These clouds stick to the sky
Like a floating question why
And they linger there to die
They don't know where they are going, and, my friend, neither do I
Cloudy
Cloudy |