Season 264 - The Sounds of Simon

There was a time, it was before my youngest sister was born because she wasn't there, so I couldn't have been more than 8 years old and my middle sister couldn't have been more than 4, that my sister and I were baby-sat one day by two teenage sisters who we knew from church. We spent all afternoon listening to Simon & Garfunkel records while they talked about Simon & Garfunkel. I always remembered it was Simon & Garfunkel because how could I possibly have ever forgotten a name like "Garfunkel?" The two songs that stuck in my head and I was able to recognize forever afterward were "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and "Kathy's Song." Of course, since the title is never used in the lyrics, I didn't know what the title of "Kathy's Song" was. I just knew it as that song with the line about "words that tear and strain to rhyme." Even at that very young age, that stanza about "the song I've been writing is left undone" made a huge impression on me.

 
This one is from 1961 when Paul was going by Jerry Landis. The writing isn't that great, but it's still a fun song. As you will be able to tell, I struggle in the vocals department.I hope it's not as bad as I'm thinking.

Sorry about the background noise, Ashley was listening to a lecture for nursing school.

 
This isn't the only "Julio" this week, but I like the song! Number three for me this Season!

 
Man, that Julio really makes the rounds. How many school yards has he visited so far this week?

I always have a hard time reckoning that this is Paul Simon's only #1 on Billboards top 100 - he's written so much and in so many different styles. I've never even really cared for this song, but I was diddling with half an eye on the Celtics @ Warriors game and it ended up being more fun to play than to listen to. I'm sure there are 50 ways to close your browser window.

 
Geoff offered us hope that he would lower the gates and let us play this week, and with so many great songs, I don't see how he could not. Anyway...Here they come.
 
I know Geoff opened proceedings with this song, but I had to do it.

When I was at school, our English teacher gave us some homework, writing an essay on the subject of being alone. We had to use a Shakespeare speech (possibly from Macbeth), and find another poem or text on the subject, and then compare the language used and the feelings expressed. I chose "I am a Rock". When I handed the essay in, he handed it straight back, saying that he wanted a proper text, not a trivial pop song. So, 40+ years later, Mr Richards, this is for you. Stick it where the sun don't shine.



P.S. Played on an Islander - see what I did there?
 
We had a VW Combi van with a tape cassette player, and everywhere we went
we played Graceland. In traffic jams we would roll the windows down and blast it out.
We wanted other people to hear the great music we were listening to. We learnt all the
word of all the songs. We sang them together. This is now sung from memory.
Memory don't fail me now.

 
Another shortish one from me, a bash at 'Bookends' by Paul Simon fingerstyle.........

 
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I am glad you left me this song. I was going to try to do another but I need about a month to get it under my fingertips. Maybe in the future.

Here is my entry:

 
For years now I have been wanting to write my own version of a pastiche of The Boxer that I heard in a folk club many years ago. This theme gave me the excuse I had been looking for.

I freely adapted the first verse from The Corries version - called "The Folker" - but the rest of the verses were written by me this week, especially for SOTU 264.

I hope to do one of my rare covers later in the week, translations permitting.

Meanwhile, here is:

 
I know this one has already been covered by several others but hopefully you can stand one more. Even the season theme suggests this particular song since it shares most of the title. My favorite song by Paul Simon, Sound of Silence.
 
The first person I ever fell in love with was from England. I was young and absolutely crazy about her. It absolutely destroyed me when she left to go back to England. I listened to this song a lot then.
 
Come on Seasonista's! There are plenty more songs of Paul's to cover. Get with it!!! (big grin) Got any requests for instrumentals?
 
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