Essentials by the Dozen - Simon & Garfunkel in 12 Tracks

With respect to Simon & Garfunkel, if you’ve ever made statements worthy of a solid facepalm, such as “Those two were like peas in a pod”, or found yourself listening in on some conversation that had you asking “Who knows where Paul Simon would be right now if not for Art Garfunkel?”, then this next list should serve as a good starting point if you wish to expand your knowledge on one of music’s most celebrated duos.

[NOTE: This list is not a definite top 12 of Simon & Garfunkel’s all-time greatest songs. Rather, it should be viewed as a strong collection in their catalogue that would essentially allow to have an efficient overview of their entire career. As a Simon & Garfunkel fan myself, I also firmly believe that you should at the very least know every single one of these songs if you ever wish to debate the brilliance of their music. If at the moment you do not, RELAX, SIT BACK & ENJOY THE MAGIC OF FOLK ROCK.]

1. Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. (1964)

Released off the duo’s unsuccessful debut album, “Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.” is the one song in their catalogue of which I grow fonder with every subsequent listen. I admit having totally disregarded this track in my youth, for I found it relatively boring in comparison with what had yet to erupt within Paul Simon’s creative mind. However, having just turned twenty-five recently, I now find myself in total admiration of the track for its charming melody, its lyrics that cut deep and its title (which finally makes a world of sense to me). My love for the song does nothing but grow, and I am prepared to say it just might now be my favourite of theirs. When I was younger, the content of “Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.” meant absolutely nothing to my life, but vivid memories of one lying in a bed beside a heavenly sleeping woman in the calm early hours of morning seem to take on a different meaning as I get older, and listening to the duo softly sing about it generates a whirlpool of emotion in me. Just like most people of the time, I regrettably overlooked this one upon first discovering it, but I did well to revisit it after hearing the highly successful albums that followed.

Great Line:

“She is soft, she is warm

But my heart remains heavy

And I watch as her breasts

Gently rise, gently fall

For I know with the first light of dawn

I’ll be leaving

And tonight will be

All I have left to recall”

2. Leaves That Are Green (1966)

After the release of Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M., the duo’s debut album, Paul Simon moved to England and strived to find success there as a solo artist instead, recording his own debut The Paul Simon Songbook. It just so happened that the duo’s previously recorded “The Sounds of Silence” began gaining momentum in the United States, and Paul Simon reunited with Art Garfunkel to work on their second album cleverly entitled Sounds of Silence, for they were aware of the commercial potential such a title would entail. Not only did they re-release the title track, but they also decided to re-record some of the tunes found on Simon’s solo album, only this time as a duo. It worked wonders, and “Leaves That Are Green” is as good an example of the pair’s early work as any.

Great Line:

“Once my heart was filled with the love of a girl

I held her close, but she faded in the night

Like a poem I meant to write

And the leaves that are green turn to brown

And they wither with the wind

And they crumble in your hand”

3. I Am a Rock (1966)

Whereas my high school companions oddly thought this a comical song, my heart would break upon hearing it. They would cite “I have my books and my poetry to protect me” as amongst the funniest lines they ever heard, but they had evidently never understood what it meant to feel utterly alone in the world, for this was the song’s true content: people who feel entirely alone and choose to no longer let others into their lives as a means of protection. When I began secondary three, at the age of fourteen, this was how I felt. My school made us read Robert Cormier’s appalling The Chocolate War, which greatly scarred me, and my fear of life accentuated during the early weeks of the schoolyear because of it. Luckily, I had literature, music, television, and cinema to help me grasp the notion that it is rather common in many people to feel absolutely hopeless at times. Of the works that most made me feel at ease with myself during my early adolescence, I think of Rebel Without a Cause, I think of Buffy the Vampire Slayer,and I think of I Am a Rock. There was something about the closing lines of the song that struck me above all the others. It is when the singer finally reveals why he labels himself both a rock and an island; it’s because the rock feels no pain, and the island never cries.

Great Line:

“I’ve built walls

A fortress steep 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”

4. Cloudy (1966)

Initially, I found myself immersed in the dainty melody of “Cloudy”, and only later in life did I become immersed in its lyrics as well. A few years ago, driving back from a haphazard trip to New York City with a fling of mine, we made one another listen to each other’s playlists in an attempt to discover some awe-inspiring treasure chest on which we had previously been sleeping. She made me discover The Smiths. I made her discover Simon & Garfunkel. While she felt a particular attachment to “I Am a Rock”, I grinned at my newfound attachment to “Cloudy”, for it was the start of a period of erratic behavior for the both of us, and my life’s direction seemed to turn inordinately ambiguous. The clouds knew not where they were going, and as the duo stated in the song, neither did I. However, for the time being, before the hard troubles were soon to arise, we were two young twentysomethings, content with where we were at that precise moment, and no external factor in the world held the power to break our peace of mind.

Great Line:

“Cloudy

The sky is grey and white and cloudy

Sometimes I think it’s hanging down on me

And it’s a hitchhike a hundred miles

I’m a rag-a-muffin child

Pointed finger-painted smile

I left my shadow waiting down the road for me a while”

5. The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy) (1966)

Although most of the duo’s tracks are extremely brief in length, “The 59th Street Bridge Song” is I believe their absolute shortest (if one were to remove the theme of Bookends). This tune was made to be listened to while merrily strolling down a familiar sidewalk with both a wide grin and untroubled mind. The feel of this song is exactly what the parenthesis in its title suggests. Although I doubt that he is aware of the artist’s name, my nonno forever quotes a line from this song whenever I find myself too busy with work to accept his offer of staying over for lunch. He will (wrongly) state: “Slow down, you’re walking too fast, you got to make the moment last”, after which he will proceed to explaining me the meaning of someone who walks too fast. I never had the heart to tell him his version of the lyrics was wrong, and at the end of the day, who cares? At this point, I prefer his if only for nostalgic reasons.

Great Line:

“Slow down, you move too fast

You 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”

6. Mrs. Robinson (1968)

Following the release of their third album Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme, Simon & Garfunkel had gained quite a reputation. Mike Nichols wished for them to collaborate with him on his upcoming film The Graduate (a milestone in American cinema), and many of their previous songs do indeed make an appearance. During the filming of the movie, to his great astonishment, Nichols was eventually made aware that Paul Simon had written a song entitled “Mrs. Robinson” which the singer denied. It was actually a song originally entitled “Mrs. Roosevelt” in honour of the bygone First Lady, but Nichols hastily made Simon make the necessary changes so he could include the tune in his film. The result stands amid the greatest endings in the history of cinema, and leading up to that haunting final minute, the film’s protagonist sets off on a wild chase in his red Alfa Duetto Spider as the sunny sounds of “Mrs. Robinson” accompanies him throughout his drive. This was Simon & Garfunkel at the very height of their popularity.

Great Line:

“And here’s to you, Mrs. Robinson

Jesus loves you more than you will know

Woah, woah, woah

God bless you, please, Mrs. Robinson

Heaven holds a place for those who pray

Hey, hey, hey

Hey, hey, hey”

7. America (1968)

Their fourth and second-to-last album Bookends is probably their most ambitious. The first side of the LP serves as a poignant conceptual take on the squandered aspirations America in the 60’s so boldly seemed to promise to all the hopeful people who seeked to discover it, and all this, in fifteen minutes. The second side of the LP, even shorter in length, was a collection of formidable songs that held no real relation with one another but cemented Simon’s legacy as a true poet as well as the duo’s legacy as harmony masters. “America”, found on the first side of the LP, is a track that explores the aforementioned theme of a country lost amid the haziness of the era and remains a triumph in the history of popular music. In addition to the theme of loss and dissolution, there is even mention of Kathy, a bygone lover of Simon’s back when he was in England. The most affecting moment of the tune undoubtedly arrives when the duo shouts its chorus at the very end as the loud sounds of a drum strike in the background.

Great Line:

“‘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 gone to look for America”

8. Old Friends/Bookends Theme — Reprise (1968)

It might be cheating to add this as one entry on the list of essentials, but it’s my list, so I shall do what I please. Besides, I have never once considered these tracks as two separate entities. They blend perfectly and conclude the LP’s first side in the most heartbreaking of ways. “Old Friends” deals with the wonder of two people having remained friends for so long, through all the distress and unfortunate instances of their lives, while “Bookends Theme — Reprise” concludes the story by having the characters remind themselves that memories are all that’s left them in the end. The story is painstakingly tragic and graceful at the same time, for even though the closing notes leave the listeners utterly hopeless, there is much beauty to be found between two old friends who seem too weak to explore anything more, yet find comfort in one another, nonetheless, after all those years.

Great Line:

“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”

9. Punky’s Dilemma (1968)

Now that the tears have finished rolling down your cheeks via the list’s previous entry, here is “Punky’s Dilemma”, a track found on the flip side of Bookends and one that should provide the necessary soothing effect with respect to the distressing turmoil suffered previously. This song is tranquil in both its melody and content, and the whole is simply a pleasing experience to the ears and mind. It’s crazy to think I had initially considered making a list of Paul Simon essentials that would have included both his duo and solo careers. There are so many outstanding Simon & Garfunkel tunes in their catalog, it would have been practically impossible for me to cooperate and include his solo effort on the list as well. I chose “Punky’s Dilemma” but sincerely recommend all of Bookends, for there is much more heartbreak and delight to experience on the first and flip side, respectively.

Great Line:

“Wish I was an English muffin

‘Bout to make the most out of a toaster

I’d ease myself down

Comin’ up brown”

10. Bridge Over Troubled Water (1970)

Time to bring back the tears one last time, at least on my end, anyhow. This might be the most oversentimental statement I will ever make, but I sincerely believe every word of it: “Bridge Over Troubled Water” was single-handedly responsible for ultimately removing me from my miserable state caused by the teen angst I suffered until the age of fourteen-and-a-half years old. After an entire year of listening to both pessimistic singers and loved ones, and reading downbeat literature like Robert Cormier’s The Chocolate War, I wound up listening to Simon & Garfunkel’s final album one Friday afternoon in October in secondary three, and everything immediately changed for me. The feeling was inexplicable. Once school was done, I unhappily rode the hour-long bus back home after which I stumbled upon an uploaded YouTube video of the album in its entirety. Alone within the comfort of my house, I paid attention to every single one of the words being delivered and the notes with which they were accompanied. By the album’s conclusion, I could not help but smile. Upon relistening to the glorious sounds of the title track, I told myself that there was indeed a lot of beauty to be discovered in life, all the while reminding myself that horrid things will inevitably come my way, and this was more than all right. The key was to focus on what mattered most to me and not let my emancipated mind become shackled by the negativity of the world. I know all this might sound incredibly mawkish on my behalf, but I eventually learned that there have indeed been people who have made similar statements with regard to the works of other artists, often in the unlikeliest of places. Darryl McDaniels of hip-hop group Run-DMC credited Sarah McLachlan’s “Angel” as having literally saved his life, and though I laughed upon hearing that fact, I can completely understand it, and hopefully there is a song out there with which you can too. Here is “Bridge Over Troubled Water”, one of the most heavenly songs I ever came across.

Great Line:

“When you’re weary, feeling small

When tears are in your eyes

I’ll 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”

11. Keep the Customer Satisfied (1970)

Since I wished to endlessly relisten to Bridge Over the Troubled Water on my way back-and-forth from school after that turning point of an afternoon, I phoned my uncle to see if he had the album in his possession. Fortunately for me, he did, and I borrowed it to upload the songs to my iPod. The entire LP is such a tour de force, it’s ridiculous to me how there is not one single song which seems subpar in comparison to the rest. “Keep the Customer Satisfied” is Simon & Garfunkel at their most upbeat, and it’s just such an entertaining track. Remember when I said people sometimes find that much-needed glimmer of hope in the unlikeliest of places? Well, when my uncle delivered me the album, he recounted how earlier that day, his father-in-law, a tremendously kind doctor who lived in Puerto Rico all his life, sobbed upon seeing the album placed on my uncle’s mantelshelf, for it too must have triggered some bygone memory of his I never truly believed it was my place to ask about. There were many other imposing songs I could have included on the list of essentials such as “The Boxer”, “El Condor Pasa” and “The Only Living Boy in New York”, but it is not enough to only know the duo’s most popular tracks, and Bridge Over Troubled Water should really be heard in its entirety if you do not wish to be missing out.

Great Line:

“Deputy Sheriff said to me

‘Tell me what you come here for, boy

You better get your bags and flee

You’re in trouble, boy

And now, you’re heading into more’”

12. So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright (1970)

To conclude this list of essentials, I decided to add “So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright”, a song that basically served as the official goodbye from the pop duo to their listeners and to themselves. Although seemingly heartfelt in nature, the song somewhat portrays the pair’s dynamic in a false light. It is interesting to know that these two musicians absolutely detested each other’s company by this point, and their feud was one that would sporadically see its revivals throughout the following decades as well. Since Garfunkel was jealous of Simon’s songwriting abilities, he would often put his companion down with unkind words, poking fun at his short height and what not, and Simon, who was quite the self-conscious man, was unable to digest them. There’s obviously more to the story, but I’m unable to speak of all the details surrounding it as it would prove tediously long. The pair broke up, albeit not amicably, and Garfunkel ventured into an acting career while Paul Simon led a highly successful solo career. For the time being, “So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright” ends this prominent chapter in the pair’s lives, and although their legacy lies on but a few short years, Simon & Garfunkel remain one of music’s most celebrated pop duos of all-time.

Great Line:

“So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright

All of the nights we’d harmonize ’til dawn

I never laughed so long

So long, so long”

BONUS:

1. “Bleecker Street”

2. “The Sound of Silence”

3. “April Come She Will”

4. “Homeward Bound”

5. “The Dangling Conversation”

6. “Save the Life of My Child”

7. “At the Zoo”

8. “The Boxer”

9. “The Only Living Boy in New York”

10. “My Little Town”

Disclaimer: The original version of this story was published on another platform. Link to original version: https://medium.com/@gabriele_delbusso/essentials-by-the-dozen-simon-garfunkel-in-12-tracks-aad54c36eea0