We sailed up a river wide as a sea
And slept on the banks
On the leaves of a banyan tree
And all of these spirit voices rule the night
Despite the hit songs everyone knows (Bridge Over Troubled Water, Still Crazy After All These Years, You can Call me Al, etc.) on many tunes he is capable of some the most introspective words I’ve ever heard. And I think that’s where my love of his art comes from: from the very beginning, he’s never been afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve. And for me, that’s about as courageous as it gets.
And slept on the banks
On the leaves of a banyan tree
And all of these spirit voices rule the night
Some stories are
magical, meant to be sung
Songs from the mouth of the river
When the world was young
And all of these spirit voices rule the night
- "Spirit Voices"
Songs from the mouth of the river
When the world was young
And all of these spirit voices rule the night
- "Spirit Voices"
I have been a fan of Paul Simon’s music as long as I can
remember, starting with Simon and Garfunkel and all throughout my young life
into the present (Like many folks, I first heard his music on the soundtrack of
film The Graduate and it was like a gut punch). I have always felt as if Simon’s
voice and lyrics were my spiritual conduit - whose music and art spoke to me in
the deepest ways. I’m not sure what I have in common with him as human beings,
(I’ve read many interviews over the years and he does seem to be as neurotic
and insecure as I. I certainly can’t think of an artist whose work feels closer
to my personal sensibilities. His
lyrics, whether they are about love, relationships, or even political ideology seem
to mirror my own thoughts. I always felt as if he had a window into my head. Of
course his poetic lyricism is far, far beyond what I could ever articulate.
The smartest people in the world
The smartest people in the world
Had gathered in Los Angeles
To analyze the love affair
And possibly unscramble us
And we sat among our photographs
Examined everyone
And in the end, we compromised
And met the morning sun
- "Think Too Much"
To analyze the love affair
And possibly unscramble us
And we sat among our photographs
Examined everyone
And in the end, we compromised
And met the morning sun
- "Think Too Much"
Despite the hit songs everyone knows (Bridge Over Troubled Water, Still Crazy After All These Years, You can Call me Al, etc.) on many tunes he is capable of some the most introspective words I’ve ever heard. And I think that’s where my love of his art comes from: from the very beginning, he’s never been afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve. And for me, that’s about as courageous as it gets.
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