i am old. I am at the end of my life now..Wow, what a ride. This song just reminds me of how much time has passed and how quickly it goes. If you are young, Im not preaching and your life is yours to live as you choose, but trust me--The days are long but the years are short.
Well put. How old are you if I may ask? I hope you're not suffering from anything serious. My Grandfather is 95, and he recently was told he has a good year left in him. He has lived a great life. A wife of 75 years, 6 grandkids, 1 great grandson, and he has been to pretty much every country in the world. He's a good man, and I'm going to miss him so much when he is gone.
My dad was a boxer in the 50's and 60's. He became golden gloves and spared for Rocky Marsiano. I grew up with this song , became a guitar player and insist on playing this song in the song list in every band I was ever in. Been playing this song for 40 years now.
My father, also a boxer in the 50s and 60s left his home and his family in Pawtucket R.I. to box in Los Angeles. I can remember him singing along with this song as a small boy riding in his Chevy Impala together. He left us two years ago. I listen to this song sometimes when I remember him.
I used to listen to this song while my father drove me to middle school. We buried him years ago, I think about him every day, and I’m middle aged now. This song reminds me of better times. Once you’re old enough to understand the phrase “you can never go home” it’s too late to do anything about it. God bless you all, do your best.
My mother used to play this album when it was nap time :) Everything thats good about me came from her. She lost her battle with cancer when she was only 49 in 2005. Everytime I play this she is right there again. Thank you Mom.
How dreadfully upsetting to lose a parent-or for that matter anyone close who has been greatly loved and treasured.The only thing is that no-one ever dies whilst there is there is someone around to love them.Bear that in mind and keep strong remembering your wonderful mother
I am so sorry for your loss, Marc. It was too soon. I can tell from the way you write that she was a wonderful woman who raised a beautiful son with a good heart. May peace always be with you.
Richard Marshall Bowman I agree with you. i just love the construction of his words. i recently bought a book containing his lyrics and I am happy just reading the wonderful words. sheer poetry!
Yes, absolutely. When Graceland came out, I couldn't stop listening to the lyrics. I kept playing the tape, and a friend confessed he was obsessed with it too. It was then I knew we weren't alone, and that it could possibly be considered his greatest work. But if you listen to any of his lyrics the poetry is undeniably the work of a great mind.
@@RonniePullen That's right Paul Simon wrote the songs,Art Garfunkel provided vocal harmonies occasionally taking solo vocals like on Bridge over Troubled Water, Sounds of Silence or For Emily wherever I may find her.
I am sorry to hear this & felt sad reading it , I hope you have faith; alone but never lonely with God in your life. 🙏🏽 May You find comfort & help in your surroundings.
"In the clearing stands a boxer And a fighter by his trade And he carries the reminders Of ev'ry 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" Just one of the great lyrical passages ever.
I am Moroccan from north Africa. I learnt the lyrics of this song by heart in the eighties. It is one of the best songs ever made in history. It reminds me of my youth, my innocence, my family, my old friends. It reminds me of life when it was real and original.
Lately, it seems like this generation doesn't put a lot of stock in history. Songs like this remind of of why history is important. Not just world history or national history - personal history, where each of us comes from as individuals, and how that informs our decisions and ultimately shapes where we are going. Songs like this are history, and they deserve to be appreciated, not just for their artistic beauty, but for how they have contributed to our lives.
Theyve been locked up as kids since Dr Phil and Media shamed Free Range Parenting. 20 year olds now dont know how to talkcat work. Work or use any type of tool such as a hammer, box cutter knife or screw driver. The gens underneath will be more useless to society
Just fought the breast cancer battle. I'm here and grateful. I always feel like so many went through so much more. Had double mastectomy and radiation but no chemo. Song definitely picks me up and reminds me of good times
I just buried my father who passed away, after being diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer 16 years ago. He fought cancer 6 TIMES - and he fought so damn hard. This song gives me comfort and reminds me of his amazing strength. See you on the other side, Dad. ❤ "I am leaving, I am leaving, but the FIGHTER still remains".
When you get older hearing this can bring some tears , because you're reminded of hearing it as a child and seeing your mom walk around the house doing chores, caring for you and your family . And now hear it but she's gone, & the memories of her image and the sound of her voice is forever in your memory. I visited her 2 weeks before she died over 2 decades ago, she was down to 70 pounds from the horrible 'chemo' treatments they poisoned her with , my blood seemed to drop thru my body to my feet in shock when i saw her. I now wish i'd have wrapped my arms gently around her frail shoulders for a much longer time back then and cried for her , with her and held on for a long time to express to her how much i loved her.
I am 72 yrs old. As a native New Yorker, not only do I relate to this song, it could have been written about me. My 3 favorite song writers are: Bob Dylan, Robt. Hunter and Paul Simon.
Like the way that people embrace the policies on one political party over another... All lies and jests, still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest.
I agree! its one of the most beautiful endings of all..BUT..if you listen closely;at the end they dont play differently than during the song. it repeats a few times, its just when everything else fades down you hear how beautifully harmonious the guitarplay is. ...btw....if you love beautiful endings I advise '' the man is too strong '' from Dire Straits.
I get incredibly emotional during this part of the song. The older I get the harder it hits and the harder it becomes to listen to this around people without tearing up to it.
I originally heard this song on the radio in Montreal during late 1979. I am at a loss to explain why I still feel choked up from re-listening many times already. The lyrics pack quite a punch. How many viewers agree?
You're not alone. There are many songs I liked for decades but nowadays get me emotional due to changed. Photograph by Ringo Starr is one. The Boxer is another. The story is about how he was being treated by the critics and how he wanted to leave the limelight but he wasn't going to go away. So the boxer is a metaphor in the song. Keep your stick on the ice.
It's a beautiful song and sung with emotion. And the orchestra evokes more emotion and passion. This is my favorite S&G song... and has to be played LOUD.
This song got me through one of darkest and loneliest nights of my life in October 1985. Thank God for music. I don't think I'd be alive to tell the story otherwise.
My dad grew up listening to S&G in his teens. He would play them at home and in the car on our road trips to Michigan from Oregon. We would blast it loud and sing along together. I lost him in 2017. He meant everything to me. Now I listen to this music and tear up... but also makes me happy.
S&G, Elvis, and Dean Martin were what we'd listen to on trips to Greece when I was a little kid. I'm sorry about your dad. I lost mine when I was 15. But I'm glad you have sweet memories of him.
Some of the First music I remember from my oldest brother coming from his bedroom I lost him all the way back in 83 to suicide Bridge Over Troubled Waters was one of the songs at the memorial service so I to get teared up when I hear S&G
My dad has end stage alzheimers. This song will always make me think of my dad the way he was. The amazing dad and man he was. He was a boxer when he was a young man in the army. I cry every time I listen to this song. It is so bittersweet ❤
My father passed away last week at age 90. He was a champion amateur boxer and loved this song. He was a boxer and even moreso, a fighter. We played it at his funeral as he is truly "going home."
WOW, That's truly beautiful! Your dad won all the rounds. (People NEED to play their loved ones favorite records at funerals!!!) He won, Got the belt 10/10 👊👊 Sounds like a champion!
My husband and I went to see them in concert when we were dating in 1969 in Chapel Hill, NC. They were so great! We got married the following year and remained married for fifty years until his death in 2020. Every time I hear one of their songs it brings back great memories of dancing in the kitchen!
"The Boxer" is an exquisite masterpiece, more a work of art than just a song. Thank you, Art. Thank you, Paul. Love you guys, from the 1960's through the 2020's, and beyond...
My father was a boxer when in the Marines. He was killed in a accident when my mom was 8 weeks pregnant with me. From what I hear of him he was a huge character and left an impression on everyone he met. Hope I make him smile
I cannot listen to this song without shedding at least one tear. I've been listening to this my entire life, starting from when my dad would listen to it in the car when I was a kid and a teenager. It's such a powerful song.
The outro to this song is honestly one of the very best there has EVER been. That harmony, building strings, strumming guitar, percussion, and horn. Truly mesmorizing and emotional.
"..... in the clearing stands a boxer and fighting is his trade, and he carries the reminders, of every glove that laid him down, and cut him till he cried out, in his anger and his shame, i am leaving! i am leaving! but the fighter still remains...." Such a powerful verse. If you reflect about life most of us are the boxer this songs is talking about. Life has dealt us blows and at times in our lowest forms, we cry out how badly we want to quit this life, but at the end of the day we still wake up the following morning and live. Because fighting is our trade and it is only real fighters who remain standing. My our strengths be renewed every morning and for those who are going through tough times, remember you are a boxer and fighting is your trade. Keep on fighting.
This may literally be one of the best songs ever written and recorded. To this day I can listen and play it on my guitar over and over again and never get tired of it. So deep!!
I felt into this album as a 16 years old in love with a beautiful girl named Christine. I can still feel he peaceful air, I can smell the wood and see the dimmed lights of the country house where I spent week-ends with Christine and her wonderful family. This music was the soundtrack of some beautiful evenings, of this first pure love. It all feels absolutely like it was yesterday, or even just a few minutes ago. I can almost touch those moments. I open my eyes, and we are in 2024... it was 52 years ago! I have 2 adults children (not with Christine), lights of my life, and a young boy with my new partner, a gift I cherish every day. It just went so freaking fast. Music is a blessing in life, and such a powerful retriever of past moments. Thank you Mr. Paul Simon. This interview is so simple and genial at once.
Damn, that fingerpicking run-down in the outro will never get old. Sounds so technical, but in its entirety, it's only three chords. Paul Simon is a master at making a few chords sound like a flurry of notes that must have come from a lot of chord changes. That's the magic of fingerpicking. Simon is definitely one of the best of all time.
@@Escape99100 Chet and Merle were imitating the Country blues pickers like Mose Rager, in the same tradition that Mississippi John hurt, Etta Baker, and Elizabeth Cotten grew up around and learned (now frequently called Piedmontblues).
I dont understand the use of the word BUT here. It usually indicates some form of contradiction, yet you state two obvious compliments towards S&G. The word AND would have been a better pick....otherwise I fully agree with you.
Disturbed does an incredible job on The Sound of Silence, and equals Simon and Garfunkel on it and many even say Disturbed does it better but I say equals them. They were and still are the best harmonizing duo ever and probably always will be
@@farrellmcnulty909 Paul Simon didn't write Scarborough Fair, it's an old traditional English ballad written centuries ago. Martin Carthy introduced Paul Simon to the song and when Paul recorded it he didn't credit the original ballad, so it looked like he was essentially stealing the song. Obviously it was really just an oversight on Paul Simon's part but there was a lot of trouble over it. Even today, Google replies _"Paul Simon"_ when asked it _"Who wrote Scarborough Fair."_
My dad can sing just like the voices of the golden era of music. It always gives me chills to hear the same songs I remember him singing in the car as a child. Matching pitch perfect.
This song, just as art, is a masterpiece, and then when you actually learn the feat that it took to make this recording what it is, you gain a whole different level of respect for it. This is literally one of the greatest pieces of recorded music in American history.
First time I heard this song was when I was a very young African boy growing up in a tiny village called Ikot Uboh in Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria. It touched something inside me and still does today. That "something" is the animating life force that runs through all living beings throughout the entire universe. Anybody who quarrels with IT is just wasting his or her time. Nobody can disconnect living beings from one another.
When this song was at its height, my sister was 19 years old, dying from cancer. I was 17, and left school to spend a dreary winter with her in a Chicago hospital where they were doing experimental chemo. Late night, we'd order a pizza to be delivered to the ER in the basement, because nobody was allowed on the 8th floor cancer ward that late. We'd ride the elevator down and back, harmonizing this song together. She died too soon after that. I'm in my 70s now, but when I hear this song, I'm 17, in an elevator with great acoustics, holding a pizza, and singing my heart out with my best friend.
Thank you for sharing your beautiful sad memories. Just watched Harmony on Sky Arts and discovered the big drum sound in between La La La, was recorded right outside an elevator in Columbia records.
Thank you for sharing such a precious memory - it is beautifully remembered --I bet she is still with you in essence / spirit --what ever you chose to believe, and you honor her in your love and loss evident in your words.
The resolution to the major chord at 4:40 is one of the most beautiful things I've heard. After the drama of the strings and the dissonant harmony and the echoing drums, it's the musical equivalent of the sun coming out from behind a cloud. A great finale to a great song.
Paul Simon & art Garfunkel were two of the very very best singer-songwriters that the late 60s ever produced to date, nobody has ever have come close to them.!!
My father loved this song with all his heart and he passed away ten years ago. I love you dad, thank you for everything. We live on. Our favorite songs survive.
Their music has this strange quality. It's like reuniting with a best friend that you've never met before after being apart for years. It's happy, sad, uplifting, melancholic, nostalgic and fresh all at the same time.
I was reading an interview with Paul Simon and he said its mainly about himself in the guise of a boxer and how life was throwing him heavy punches. The _"I am leaving"_ part was saying he didn't know how many more he could take but he still remained.
@@TonyEnglandUK that's cool. But I listen to every song with my favorite line from Guitar Man by Bread. "You find yourself a message and some words to call your own and take them home" . That's why each and every person in my world has a specific ring tone. My daughter is "Sweet Child O' Mine and my son is "Simple Man". From the very first time I heard each, after they were born , it was "their song". We didn't have cell phones in '85 and '91 (most of us in '91), but the minute I found an app ... believe me, each and every time they call, I answer at the last 2nd as I sing along.
@@marybuckson237 Indeed we do find our own messages. The loud crash noises in the chorus remind me of the sound my Father, an ex-boxer, landed clean punches. Unfortunately for me, his punches were in my direction, too. That still resonates more with me than Paul's own statement about the lyrics.
Wtf are all these comments? This specific page alone hosting this song has over 80 million views, who are all these dolts thinking they're special for knowing about this forgotten gem that is still on the radio regularly ???
I have Greatest Hits Disc. It us my Car Music as I go down life's roads. I still listen and sing with my them. These songs were my teen years songs. From Junior High School through the Viet Nam years and way past there.
@@berdyderg900Your Profile icon is a Big Capital letter "A". After reading your snarky post Thanks for acknowledging your TRUE SELF. A GREAT BIG "A"!!!......HOLE
One of the greatest songs of all time.Simple as that.They'll be playing this on RUclips and radio stations around the world in the next hundred years and beyond.Mark my words : ) May 2nd 2023.
The fact that this was posted 5 years ago and still gets 5-10 comments a day says music is still alive. This was a great song when I was a young man and will be a great song 100 years after I am dead.
That sound is actually the door of St Patrick's Cathedral in NY slamming shut, recorded inside the church. Always reminds me of when someone would drop a kneeler on the floor, almost the same.
@@seamasrigh2162 I don't think that's the case. Some of the song was indeed recorded there but that gunshot snare sound was recorded by drummer Hal Blaine in front of an elevator in the offices of Columbia records.
This song describes my dad, He was a boxer, a brave man of lesser means. This song reminds me of his mindset. He left us and to this day, I do not know where he died or is buried. I wonder if he ever knew that he mattered to me. RIP Dad.
Manny, your post touches me. I suggest you have faith that what ever path he took, you were in his heart. With love and perhaps with guilt. If he thought of it, he would know that you would wonder and care. And that you think of him in a positive way is a good reflection on you both, for he passed on some of himself to you. From an old man, David
One of the most beautiful poignant and powerful songs ever written and recorded. More accumulated wisdom in this single song than many chapters of sacred texts. Not an insult to sacred chapters just a compliment to the song
Matty Matt I wish they had also included the extra verse in the album version. To me it was the most powerful verse. Now the years are rolling by ne They are rocking evenly I am stronger than I once was, Younger than I'll be, that's not unusual Nor is it strange After changes upon changes we are more or less the same After changes we are more or less the same.
The original recording of “ The Boxer” is one of this duo's most highly produced and took over 100 hours to record. The recording was performed at multiple locations, including St. Paul's Chapel (Columbia University) in New York City and Columbia studios in Nashville on a 16-track recorder. The song has only one drumbeat, played during the 'lie-la-lie' refrain. The session drummer Hal Blaine created the heavily reverberated drum sound with the help of producer Roy Halee, who found a spot for the drums in front of an elevator in the Columbia offices. The recording of the drum was recorded as the song was being played live by the musicians. Blaine would pound the drums at the end of the "Lie la lie" vocals that were playing in his headphones, and at one point, an elderly security guard got a big surprise when he came out of the elevator and was startled by Blaine's thunderous drums. The chorus consists of repetitions of the non-lexical vocable "lie-la-lie". Simon stated that this was originally intended only as a placeholder, but became part of the finished song.
Over 5 minutes of pure musical joy! One of the most identifiable guitar intros, ever! Many were the magical days in 1969 when I got captivated repeatedly on the radio by one of the greatest musical epics in the history of music, and certainly the best S & G song, though I also love some of their other classics. I really cannot tell how many times I have enjoyed it since then - too many to count. In the year 2525, this monumental song will still proudly stand above the rest! Goosebump time! Wow!
"I am just a poor boy, though my story is seldom told. I have squandered my resistance on a pocketful of mumbles--such are promises. All lies and jests. Still, a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest." If I had written just these lines, I'd have been content to have that be my contribution to humanity. What a poet.
Why would there be music playing in the maternity as your wife was giving birth? Surely for something as serious as that your poor wife would be better off with the sound of silence?
@@eddiepower3876 Lol.... You got me on that one. I was going to write back how rude you were.... ha ha! But I don't think listening to "Hello darkness my old friend" would suit a birthing..... lol.
@@eddiepower3876 Music brings back to a special time. My oldest daughter was born they play "don't it make your brown eyes blue". My wife hated the song and I liked but music brings back good memories regardless.
I remember hearing this when it first came out in 1960 something. I am 68 years old now and it takes me back to when life pretty much sucked. It gave me inspiration to carry on in life and reminds me of how my life was and how good it is now. You might say it re centers me. THANK YOU ! Paul and Art it pulled me through some bad times!
am 68 also, getting old is no great shame, but its no great honour either. Saw them in Maple Leaf Gardens (Toronto) in early 70's. great concert, but what was that smell?
THat also depends . Cause I think my life was much simpler , enjoyable and affordable then compared to now where even though I have more money , there's more bills and less excitement for everything including music . Life then was good and things predictable compared to now . My opinion !
My father's face got messed up during his brief career as a fighter during The Great Depression. I used a line from this song when I wrote his obituary. His face carried the reminders..
Depending on context because everytime, at the moment, which of the two participants in actuality knows "the truth." The victor only will speak of "a truth." The vanquished are quelled for a time, 'tis all. Onward …! 🍺 + (💁🏻♀📝) = ⁉
I dunno, I rather think those are the actions of a boy and that a man has learned the value of the truth and the importance of hearing it, despite their own personal feelings towards it.
This song is like, a metaphor for life. Not to take anything away from Garfunkle and his contribution, but Simon really had a serious gift from God in songwriting.
My parents were the two best people in the world. I can remember laying on the living room floor on my back looking under the stereo at the moon shaped speakers with the blue glow learning every word to this album. NEVER forgot a single word. Thank God for strict parents keeping me home safe and sound listening to Simon and Garfunkle
Mary Reese Yes! Me too! I use to complain that I felt like I was growing up in Fort Knox! LOL!! Now I'm Thankful! Thank You DAD! He passed on 10/5/2017! Missed but taught me well! Respect, appreciate, love!!
I actually get a little little sad when I hear how people had good parents,if i raised to my hyesst level of human I would never had done jail or taken love for granted.. good on ypur parents lucky you
@Deanne Magee you're message broke my heart. My parents were so strict. I was the youngest of 4, born into the Roman Catholic faith. My friend's parents were in their 30's. They could do ANYTHING. I spent 3/4 of my teenage years grounded because I wanted their freedom and always got caught. Music was my way to get through those 6 weeks at a time, just to mess up within a week. After becoming a mother, in a shit marriage, I would call them to apologize and thank them for being exactly what I needed. You survived girl and thank God you did
You know, this is like the mature version of the comments saying "I'm (insert age here) and I like this music, not (insert generic modern pop singer/group)!" I applaud you for that.
My grandfather, who was a musician himself and even composed his own music, normally scorned a lot of popular music. He absolutely loved this song. I never got to ask him why. My favorite part of it is the intensely emotional ending. This and Scarborough Fair are my favorite S&G songs.
One of the best lines in any song I have heard "I am leaving I am leaving but the fighter still remains". I lost this time but I will never ever give up.
I never heard them when they were on top, because I was deaf as a door knob. I got fitted with a cochlear 3yrs ago, and found these two, I'm so so happy to hear their fabulous music, I play these two over and over. I'm 81yrs old now. God bless all fans that keep this music alive. Bless Simon and Garfunkel
The song discusses loneliness and poverty. It captures the required essence to portray this. Despite its bleakness, it is a heartfelt song, with beautiful vivid instrumentation and of course the featured vocals make it an epic tune ❤.
I had much older cousins, so my early exposure to music was an eclectic mix of groups. The Boxer always had a profound effect on me. The bittersweet mix of grim lyrics with such beautiful melody. Even when I got to the age of half listening to songs, I can honestly say I've NEVER cut short this song. Listen right to the last note.The harmony + guitar at the end always left me feeling a strange sense of "I'm ok"🌻
i heard it when it was released at night on FM in NYC. those "cannon shots" in the background to me are like the blows that the boxer takes in the ring. maybe we in a way are all "The Boxer" .........
I remember as a kid, my mother was (and still is) obsessed with Simon and Garfunkel. Every time I had to do chores, whether it be cleaning the car or my room, she would crank up their music. Now whenever I listen to any of their songs, I always get more work done.
When I was 20 I left my small village, family, girlfriend and friends to seek an adventure and succeed in another land. My heart was broken when I left, but not my spirit. This song touches my heart.
The Boxer” is a character study: a young man disappointed with the world leaves home while still a child, and tries not to draw much attention to himself, because he knows he will be accepted or at least ignored if he stays among “strangers” This song is about a melancholy adventure through life. The entire song is a metaphor about how life is a boxing match against not only the people fighting against us but also ourselves. All the cuts and marks the boxer carries are symbolic of all the times that life has tried to get him down, and even though he sometimes feels like giving up, he never will because he’s a fighter.
George Evangel Kickboxer: The Story of Jean Claude Van Damme. Jokes aside, this is literally what happened with him. Took his bags and headed to Hollywood and was rejected, didn't fit in.
I love your analysis but I always believed this song captured the essence of failure: how it feels, the experience of feeling stupid in retrospect "all lies in jest still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest", and giving up while still fighting. At the end the lyric "until he cried out in his anger and his shame: I am leaving I am leaving though the fighter still remains" shows he has given up, he is going home, but he will always fight because that's part of the human condition. This is my go to song for hard times in my life because it helps me grieve the dreams I have to let go of for better things to arise.
My, aren't we evangelistic! Thank God we have someone out there who is able to interpret lyrics to a Top Ten 45rpm from the antiquated music of a bygone era! I'll bet your family and friends would be so very lost if you weren't able to discern the hidden meaning of the lyrics. High Five!
At 49 years old I grew up with this song and have also had several family members fall to cancer and this song takes me back to a simpler time when they were still around, and even though I was never a boxer I still listen to this song when I need the strength to get up and fight my way thru life
This week is the anniversary (52yrs) of one of the greatest songs ever written and sung by Simon And Garfunkel. ”The Boxer” was released in March 1969. It would ultimately be a part of their greatest album, The Bridge over Troubled Waters, which would be released the following January 1970. The Boxer has been playing across the Internet this week and I happened to catch it for the first time in many years. It is one of those songs that created an emotional attachment with its listeners and transports them right back to their first contact with it, so many years ago. In my case, I was just finishing up my senior year in high school and had been awarded a scholarship to a college far from my home. I was contemplating the reality of leaving my home and school friends of the last 12 years of my life and going far away from them all for possibly the next 4 years. There were many unknowns facing me in my future. This song came on the radio with cascading notes wrapped around the words “…I am just a poor boy…” and I was immediately drawn in emotionally to it by the dramatic music which had such an urgency about it. The recurring phrase “…Lie-la-lie…” appears in large portions of the song leaving space for deep personal considerations. Paul Simon later said that they were just place holders where lyrics had not yet been formed for the song. In the end, the dramatic effect made the song much more expansive without adding specific lyrics. The songwriter left it to the listeners to fill in their own stories for that portion of the song. The words “…laying out my winter clothes and wishing I was going home…” grabbed me. As I listened, I wondered if I would be that guy or make it in the big, wide world ahead. I felt more attached to the boxer, so knocked down, again and again, and cut up, desiring to leave. He took every hit in every fight and was ready to quit. Still, he remains and we, too, remain. The rest of the song is an empty palette of “…Lie-la-lie…” set with ever expanding crescendos of music, urging us to tell our own story until coming to the final retreat and rest at the end. All of those blank spaces I have now filled after all these years. I am that boxer. I've had many battles in the last 50 years. Lost quite a few. Cut up and shot down, like millions of others before me. Every ‘boom’ of that drum means its time to get back up. Life's final crescendo has come on me, this last week. The VA says that I have Stage 4 Cirrhosis of the Liver. With all the other medical malice’s punching my body at this point, this ‘boxer’ has decided to fight no more. Let the music play on. “… I know in whom I have believed and am persuaded that HE is able to keep that which I have committed unto HIM against that day.” 2Timothy 1:12
Fos as long as you live you are branded a true fighter. Hang in there man ... best to you and be at peace. I hope there will be someboy by your side when the big moment comes.
i am old. I am at the end of my life now..Wow, what a ride. This song just reminds me of how much time has passed and how quickly it goes. If you are young, Im not preaching and your life is yours to live as you choose, but trust me--The days are long but the years are short.
His words made me cry.
I feel that. I have blinked and am nearly 40. The time does go by so fast.
God bless You in Jesus mighty name.
@@novocanal7153😢
I Hope you had the time of your live and that there will be lots if years of Joy for you ❤
Well put. How old are you if I may ask? I hope you're not suffering from anything serious. My Grandfather is 95, and he recently was told he has a good year left in him. He has lived a great life. A wife of 75 years, 6 grandkids, 1 great grandson, and he has been to pretty much every country in the world. He's a good man, and I'm going to miss him so much when he is gone.
My dad was a boxer in the 50's and 60's. He became golden gloves and spared for Rocky Marsiano. I grew up with this song , became a guitar player and insist on playing this song in the song list in every band I was ever in. Been playing this song for 40 years now.
Marciano
Good blessing you guys!!!
Wow I'm an unlicensed boxer but to have sparred with rocky Marciano wow much respect brother x
Very cool
My father, also a boxer in the 50s and 60s left his home and his family in Pawtucket R.I. to box in Los Angeles. I can remember him singing along with this song as a small boy riding in his Chevy Impala together. He left us two years ago. I listen to this song sometimes when I remember him.
Masterpiece.
I used to listen to this song while my father drove me to middle school. We buried him years ago, I think about him every day, and I’m middle aged now. This song reminds me of better times. Once you’re old enough to understand the phrase “you can never go home” it’s too late to do anything about it. God bless you all, do your best.
so true
You are So Very Wise... Thank you it did not go un noticed nor Unappreciated...your Absolutely Right...all You can do is Warn.... again I THANKYOU ❤
Thank God we have Jesus!
Amen!😊😊
SO TRUE
My mother used to play this album when it was nap time :) Everything thats good about me came from her. She lost her battle with cancer when she was only 49 in 2005. Everytime I play this she is right there again. Thank you Mom.
How dreadfully upsetting to lose a parent-or for that matter anyone close who has been greatly loved and treasured.The only thing is that no-one ever dies whilst there is there is someone around to love them.Bear that in mind and keep strong remembering your wonderful mother
You are good now and toll the end friend.
I am so sorry for your loss friend.
I am so sorry for your loss, Marc. It was too soon. I can tell from the way you write that she was a wonderful woman who raised a beautiful son with a good heart. May peace always be with you.
Oh, Marc. I'm 50 yrs old, and felt every word of that. I feel your pain, bro. Regards, buddy. 👍
One of America's great poets.....Paul Simon has few peers.
Richard Marshall Bowman I agree with you. i just love the construction of his words. i recently bought a book containing his lyrics and I am happy just reading the wonderful words. sheer poetry!
yes, but how could he afford the whores on 7th without a freaking job?
A great poet indeed!
I'm 73 and still love this song
Yes, absolutely. When Graceland came out, I couldn't stop listening to the lyrics. I kept playing the tape, and a friend confessed he was obsessed with it too. It was then I knew we weren't alone, and that it could possibly be considered his greatest work. But if you listen to any of his lyrics the poetry is undeniably the work of a great mind.
Surely one of the greatest song writing duos ever.
Paul Simon wrote the songs-Garfunkel just sang them. It was all Paul Simon otherwise.
@@RonniePullen That's right Paul Simon wrote the songs,Art Garfunkel provided vocal harmonies occasionally taking solo vocals like on Bridge over Troubled Water, Sounds of Silence or For Emily wherever I may find her.
67, sick,disabled, and lonely. Those chills are running up my spine and around my chest like a squeeze from the past
I am sorry to hear this & felt sad reading it , I hope you have faith; alone but never lonely with God in your life. 🙏🏽 May You find comfort & help in your surroundings.
@@Eassefavery convenient that your God is responsible for the good things and none of the bad things, am I right? What a deity, folks, we love him
😓
Please keep faith,
for the Kingdom of Heaven for you is at hand! God Bless you!
I hearing ya bro, i try to keep the head n mind active n song like this
"In the clearing stands a boxer
And a fighter by his trade
And he carries the reminders
Of ev'ry 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"
Just one of the great lyrical passages ever.
Absolutely
By a mile...it give me chills and make me cry..I got too many related memory.
It is my life.
I think it has always been my favorite part of that song.
It's also very relatable after you leave combat sports. You can never get rid of that urge and that passion.
I am Moroccan from north Africa. I learnt the lyrics of this song by heart in the eighties. It is one of the best songs ever made in history. It reminds me of my youth, my innocence, my family, my old friends. It reminds me of life when it was real and original.
Brother life is stillreal and original.......it is up to you....good luck!!!!!!
me too
Beautiful
Dude it's still ORIGINAL!!!!!!
@@federicoalfaro7991 well said!
Never gets old.
Lately, it seems like this generation doesn't put a lot of stock in history. Songs like this remind of of why history is important. Not just world history or national history - personal history, where each of us comes from as individuals, and how that informs our decisions and ultimately shapes where we are going. Songs like this are history, and they deserve to be appreciated, not just for their artistic beauty, but for how they have contributed to our lives.
Amen!
Theyve been locked up as kids since Dr Phil and Media shamed Free Range Parenting. 20 year olds now dont know how to talkcat work. Work or use any type of tool such as a hammer, box cutter knife or screw driver. The gens underneath will be more useless to society
Their music seems to combine hope and sadness so perfectly. Art Garfunkel is one of the greatest male vocalists I've ever heard.
Yes Hope !
Nach Freddy Mercury, mein Freund, nach Freddy.
Agreed Brian
Yes, next to Paul Simon. Of course, both of them are history, but they had some great songs
*@Brian Cox.* Indeed the best ballad about poverty and loneliness . It is truly a magnum opus.
Just fought the breast cancer battle. I'm here and grateful. I always feel like so many went through so much more. Had double mastectomy and radiation but no chemo. Song definitely picks me up and reminds me of good times
Glad you’re here, keep fightin❤️
Man, Lisa, I don't even know you and I'm so proud of you ❤🩹
Grateful you're still here with us!
As it should and it does
God is GOOd GOD BLESS YOU💜💚ALL❤️
I just buried my father who passed away, after being diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer 16 years ago. He fought cancer 6 TIMES - and he fought so damn hard. This song gives me comfort and reminds me of his amazing strength.
See you on the other side, Dad. ❤
"I am leaving, I am leaving, but the FIGHTER still remains".
Condolences to you and your Family .
Dang he's strong, 6 TIMES!!! Sorry to hear tho
Love and resilience.
I wish you peace.
Inspiring, powerful words, catmini.
99 3 3:06 c❤❤:06 3:06
We were blessed in the sixties and seventies. Our lives were set to the greatest music ever written or performed.
what a beautiful way of putting that, thanks.
Aye aye!!
Well said Jim
It's the sixties again and I'm laying out my winter clothes wishing I was home.
Damn right, Jim. Songs like this are equal to the best of Mozart and Beethoven.
In my opinion this is pure musical genius ... both instrumental and lyrical ... A true classic that will stand the test of time
Just simply no doubt about it
Absolute masterpiece. My favorite.
When you get older hearing this can bring some tears , because you're reminded of hearing it as a child and seeing your mom walk around the house doing chores, caring for you
and your family . And now hear it but she's gone, & the memories of her image and the sound of her voice is forever in your memory. I visited her 2 weeks before she died over 2 decades ago, she was down to 70 pounds from the horrible 'chemo' treatments they poisoned her with , my blood seemed to drop thru my body to my feet in shock when i saw her. I now wish i'd have wrapped my arms gently around her frail shoulders for a much longer time back then and cried for her , with her and held on for a long time to express to her how much i loved her.
WOW!!
Heartfelt...Our dear mothers. Like no other love.
I love you brother 🙏
Take heart brother, 2023 AD , Praise God, Amen! Take it easy
Just had to read this again. I feel very much the same.
I am 72 yrs old. As a native New Yorker, not only do I relate to this song, it could have been written about me. My 3 favorite song writers are: Bob Dylan, Robt. Hunter and Paul Simon.
“All lies and jests, still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest” What a killer line and like all great poetry, so true.
Like the way that people embrace the policies on one political party over another... All lies and jests, still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest.
"...pocketful of mumbles
Such are promises"
This song mares me weep
The naked Truth.....
So very very true 🙏✌️🙏
How true, always been the same
The conclusion with all the instruments combining and the fog horn is one of the most beautiful things in music.
I agree! its one of the most beautiful endings of all..BUT..if you listen closely;at the end they dont play differently than during the song. it repeats a few times, its just when everything else fades down you hear how beautifully harmonious the guitarplay is. ...btw....if you love beautiful endings I advise '' the man is too strong '' from Dire Straits.
It's an industrial folk song before time.
You're so right. I'm guilty of going to the start of that section and listening to the buildup over and over again.
I get incredibly emotional during this part of the song. The older I get the harder it hits and the harder it becomes to listen to this around people without tearing up to it.
Still the man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest… so true to this day!
In my opinion, one of the greatest songs, of any genre, ever made.
Not an opinion, that’s a hard fact.
@@Marth66666 AMEN!
Chanson éternelle 🙏🙏🙏
100/100.
You should listen to bridge over troubled waters and others....
I originally heard this song on the radio in Montreal during late 1979. I am at a loss to explain why I still feel choked up from re-listening many times already. The lyrics pack quite a punch. How many viewers agree?
You're not alone. There are many songs I liked for decades but nowadays get me emotional due to changed. Photograph by Ringo Starr is one. The Boxer is another. The story is about how he was being treated by the critics and how he wanted to leave the limelight but he wasn't going to go away. So the boxer is a metaphor in the song. Keep your stick on the ice.
It's a beautiful song and sung with emotion. And the orchestra evokes more emotion and passion.
This is my favorite S&G song... and has to be played LOUD.
@@feliciagaffney1998 Definitely
It has always made me cry too
Totally agree it hits me every time
That was my mum's favourite song. She passed away two days ago. Rest in peace and thank you for everything! I love you mom, will never forget you 💖
I'm sorry for your loss, she chose her favourite song well
Sorry for your loss.
Sorry for your loss my friend……time passes so quickly
Sorry to hear that..my mom left over 15yrs&I Hope she as at peace
Listening to this masterpiece will always remind her, and moments you shared. So sad for you
This song got me through one of darkest and loneliest nights of my life in October 1985. Thank God for music. I don't think I'd be alive to tell the story otherwise.
Thanks Lisa. I know what you mean.
Lisa I was bummed out until l read your heartfelt note
I'm happy you're still here. I really am ❤
My dad grew up listening to S&G in his teens. He would play them at home and in the car on our road trips to Michigan from Oregon. We would blast it loud and sing along together. I lost him in 2017. He meant everything to me. Now I listen to this music and tear up... but also makes me happy.
Dad had very good taste 💚🙏🏼✌️
S&G, Elvis, and Dean Martin were what we'd listen to on trips to Greece when I was a little kid.
I'm sorry about your dad. I lost mine when I was 15. But I'm glad you have sweet memories of him.
Some of the First music I remember from my oldest brother coming from his bedroom I lost him all the way back in 83 to suicide Bridge Over Troubled Waters was one of the songs at the memorial service so I to get teared up when I hear S&G
So sorry for your loss.
Sorry for your loss man, sounds like he was great.
My dad has end stage alzheimers. This song will always make me think of my dad the way he was. The amazing dad and man he was. He was a boxer when he was a young man in the army. I cry every time I listen to this song. It is so bittersweet ❤
This song got me through homelessness. One of the most touching songs of all time. I can't hear it and not cry.
Bless you
wow. Bless you!
God bless
Homeless
having to steal and hunting small game to survive shouldnt be normal for a 5 year old in this Country
But becoming more And more
Hope things are going well for you now, brother.
My father passed away last week at age 90. He was a champion amateur boxer and loved this song. He was a boxer and even moreso, a fighter. We played it at his funeral as he is truly "going home."
Your father will always be with you. Gina in lights
WOW, That's truly beautiful! Your dad won all the rounds. (People NEED to play their loved ones favorite records at funerals!!!) He won, Got the belt 10/10 👊👊 Sounds like a champion!
Sorry for your loss. My father died when he was 48. Many years ago. Still think of him often
Sorry for your loss My mother died since 7 years
Condolences to you and your family for the loss of your father. May he always rest in peace. 🙏
I'm 70 now but when I hear this song it takes me back to my youth. no regrets.
An era of song, an era of fun, an era fading with our passing, thank goodness we were there.
I hear ya buddy, I'm 68 and it does the same to me, times were better then, glad I lived in that era.
I hear ya buddy, I'm 68 and it does the same to me, times were better then, glad I lived in that era.
I discovered this song in high school over 50 years ago.
My husband and I went to see them in concert when we were dating in 1969 in Chapel Hill, NC. They were so great! We got married the following year and remained married for fifty years until his death in 2020. Every time I hear one of their songs it brings back great memories of dancing in the kitchen!
"The Boxer" is an exquisite masterpiece, more a work of art than just a song. Thank you, Art. Thank you, Paul. Love you guys, from the 1960's through the 2020's, and beyond...
its even more than a work of art, its also a work of paul!
Here we are on 2-22-2022 and still enjoying this beautiful and deep song!
Me too….❤️
Dulzura...
Yes a Masterpiece!
My father was a boxer when in the Marines. He was killed in a accident when my mom was 8 weeks pregnant with me. From what I hear of him he was a huge character and left an impression on everyone he met. Hope I make him smile
I'll bet that you do.
You’re honoring his memory with this wonderful song. He’s gone but not forgotten and maybe he’s smiling down on you
If there's one thing on earth that can make a man smile every time its his beautiful daughter...
He's smiling back from heaven.
He misses you Danielle.
He wishes he got to know you.
You are worth knowing.
He’s looking over you
I still can't listen to this song without breaking down and weeping at some point it is one of the most powerful songs ever written
I have been practicing singing and this is one of the hardest songs to sing because at times my voice cracks while i sing it
@@julianlavalley7454 💞💞💞💞💞
I cannot listen to this song without shedding at least one tear. I've been listening to this my entire life, starting from when my dad would listen to it in the car when I was a kid and a teenager.
It's such a powerful song.
Same! It reminds me of my late daddy😥
Right on! I feel the same way.
The outro to this song is honestly one of the very best there has EVER been. That harmony, building strings, strumming guitar, percussion, and horn. Truly mesmorizing and emotional.
One of the most beautiful songs ever done. A masterpiece! Greetings from Sweden 🇸🇪
"..... in the clearing stands a boxer and fighting is his trade, and he carries the reminders, of every glove that laid him down, and cut him till he cried out, in his anger and his shame, i am leaving! i am leaving! but the fighter still remains...." Such a powerful verse. If you reflect about life most of us are the boxer this songs is talking about. Life has dealt us blows and at times in our lowest forms, we cry out how badly we want to quit this life, but at the end of the day we still wake up the following morning and live. Because fighting is our trade and it is only real fighters who remain standing.
My our strengths be renewed every morning and for those who are going through tough times, remember you are a boxer and fighting is your trade. Keep on fighting.
Those are beautiful words
Yep, we have to get up and keep going, not give up!! No matter how hard life can be. Thankyou for those words😊
Very thoughtful comment. Thank you.
By the lie.
Muuna Nkari thank you for your words. Just what I needed right now.
This may literally be one of the best songs ever written and recorded. To this day I can listen and play it on my guitar over and over again and never get tired of it. So deep!!
Keith I agree with you.
Simon and Garfunkel didn't have a bad song.Superb.
I agree: no bad song
I felt into this album as a 16 years old in love with a beautiful girl named Christine. I can still feel he peaceful air, I can smell the wood and see the dimmed lights of the country house where I spent week-ends with Christine and her wonderful family. This music was the soundtrack of some beautiful evenings, of this first pure love. It all feels absolutely like it was yesterday, or even just a few minutes ago. I can almost touch those moments. I open my eyes, and we are in 2024... it was 52 years ago! I have 2 adults children (not with Christine), lights of my life, and a young boy with my new partner, a gift I cherish every day. It just went so freaking fast. Music is a blessing in life, and such a powerful retriever of past moments. Thank you Mr. Paul Simon. This interview is so simple and genial at once.
Damn, that fingerpicking run-down in the outro will never get old. Sounds so technical, but in its entirety, it's only three chords. Paul Simon is a master at making a few chords sound like a flurry of notes that must have come from a lot of chord changes. That's the magic of fingerpicking. Simon is definitely one of the best of all time.
It's taken from Travis fingerpicking, a '60 technique by Merle Travis and Chat Atkins
Genius...
@@Escape99100 Chet and Merle were imitating the Country blues pickers like Mose Rager, in the same tradition that Mississippi John hurt, Etta Baker, and Elizabeth Cotten grew up around and learned (now frequently called Piedmontblues).
You have an extremely eloquent way of explaining this, very nicr
THat's for the history, information and the finger-tip - hardy har.
A fricking masterpiece. These boys did so much for music but nothing these days can hold a candle to this. Wonderful.
EXACTLY RIGHT
So true
I dont understand the use of the word BUT here. It usually indicates some form of contradiction, yet you state two obvious compliments towards S&G. The word AND would have been a better pick....otherwise I fully agree with you.
Disturbed does an incredible job on The Sound of Silence, and equals Simon and Garfunkel on it and many even say Disturbed does it better but I say equals them. They were and still are the best harmonizing duo ever and probably always will be
True!
Paul Simon...one of the great poets of his generation.
of any generation
Absolutely ❤❤
One of the greatest American poets ever
@@jimpinkey8382 They never did as well apart as they did together.
Autori come loro, pieni di lirismo e spiritualita' oltre che di cultira, non esistono piu'.
I’m 16 years old and I can’t stop listening to this I absolutely love this song!!
And there is so much more good music from that time to discover. Have fun
I was a teenager over 40 years ago when i discovered their music. It spoke to me then an still does.
I was the same at age 16. That was in 1971.
you have amazing musical taste, i am 58, the musical future is safe in your hands x
Great era of music 👍🏴
Y'all people and your commentary on this song is simply BEAUTIFUL. God bless each of you. 🙏♥️
And God bless you 2!
One world one love
U2!
Paul Simon penned many masterpieces, and this one is the jewel in his crown. One of the greatest songs ever written.
Superb songwriter. Got into a lot of trouble with Scarborough Fair, though.
@@TonyEnglandUK How so?
@@farrellmcnulty909 Paul Simon didn't write Scarborough Fair, it's an old traditional English ballad written centuries ago. Martin Carthy introduced Paul Simon to the song and when Paul recorded it he didn't credit the original ballad, so it looked like he was essentially stealing the song. Obviously it was really just an oversight on Paul Simon's part but there was a lot of trouble over it. Even today, Google replies _"Paul Simon"_ when asked it _"Who wrote Scarborough Fair."_
@@TonyEnglandUK I had no idea. Thanks, Tony
Bridge over trouble water, too.
My dad can sing just like the voices of the golden era of music. It always gives me chills to hear the same songs I remember him singing in the car as a child. Matching pitch perfect.
There is No age limits, when you listening to these beautiful songs that touches your soul ❤ so pure and so beautifully poetic 😊
Excellent point Ruby
This song, just as art, is a masterpiece, and then when you actually learn the feat that it took to make this recording what it is, you gain a whole different level of respect for it. This is literally one of the greatest pieces of recorded music in American history.
What's the feat?
@@jaberosier9853 Columbia had to get a recorder with more tracks to get every single layer that makes up this composition
It truely is one of the absolute greatest. I don't care what anyone says; without art, we would all be doomed.
And yet they still censored it at the Kennedy Center!
@@javamanV3why?
Paul Simon: one of the greatest American songwriters/composers. Timeless.
Agreed!!!!
Joined by Brian Wilson, Bob Dylan, Frank Zappa, Tom Waits etc etc.
Art Garfunkel the only vocalists who could sing these songs.
@@Meneervdbergand John Lennon and Paul McCartney too
@@ericburns9132 Not american! But Paul McCartney is the greatest songwriter in the history of the world!
First time I heard this song was when I was a very young African boy growing up in a tiny village called Ikot Uboh in Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria. It touched something inside me and still does today. That "something" is the animating life force that runs through all living beings throughout the entire universe. Anybody who quarrels with IT is just wasting his or her time. Nobody can disconnect living beings from one another.
💜💜💜💜
Much love
What a true and lovely comment.
I am 58 . I live in Venezuela . and it touched me all long time ago
Its s great song. I loved it in 9ja too
When this song was at its height, my sister was 19 years old, dying from cancer. I was 17, and left school to spend a dreary winter with her in a Chicago hospital where they were doing experimental chemo. Late night, we'd order a pizza to be delivered to the ER in the basement, because nobody was allowed on the 8th floor cancer ward that late. We'd ride the elevator down and back, harmonizing this song together. She died too soon after that. I'm in my 70s now, but when I hear this song, I'm 17, in an elevator with great acoustics, holding a pizza, and singing my heart out with my best friend.
Beautiful but sad story. Thanks for sharing the story!
omg, that's so beautiful, what a story, thank you for sharing that xoxo
you made me cry
Thank you for sharing your beautiful sad memories. Just watched Harmony on Sky Arts and discovered the big drum sound in between La La La, was recorded right outside an elevator in Columbia records.
Thank you for sharing such a precious memory - it is beautifully remembered --I bet she is still with you in essence / spirit --what ever you chose to believe, and you honor her in your love and loss evident in your words.
This is not just a song, this is life.
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
nice words, korean friend
It is VERY descriptive of MY life. It's kind of my "theme song" even if I was only 3 year old when it came out. IT IS LIFE
Exactly. Well said friend.
Simon and Garfunkel in my opinion r the best duo that ever teamed up. great harmonies, songs that meant something and all around great team
The resolution to the major chord at 4:40 is one of the most beautiful things I've heard. After the drama of the strings and the dissonant harmony and the echoing drums, it's the musical equivalent of the sun coming out from behind a cloud. A great finale to a great song.
Well said.i agree its one of the best i ever heard.you really said it well
That's so beautifully put!
@@adithyadushyanth4653 Thank you! :)
Just love it, though old!
Thank you....i was wondering why it is so beautiful
It's hard to believe it's been 53 years, it seems like yesterday!😢
To all those amazing memories and the days we thought would last forever!❤️
That means this song is as old as I am yikes
Paul Simon & art Garfunkel were two of the very very best singer-songwriters that the late 60s ever produced to date, nobody has ever have come close to them.!!
Their songs were all composed by Paul S.
My father loved this song with all his heart and he passed away ten years ago. I love you dad, thank you for everything. We live on. Our favorite songs survive.
Your Father had excellent taste.
Their music has this strange quality. It's like reuniting with a best friend that you've never met before after being apart for years. It's happy, sad, uplifting, melancholic, nostalgic and fresh all at the same time.
How poetic. Love, love, love your comment ❤️
I think your comment just can't be bettered. I think the term is "hitting the nail on the head"
I was reading an interview with Paul Simon and he said its mainly about himself in the guise of a boxer and how life was throwing him heavy punches. The _"I am leaving"_ part was saying he didn't know how many more he could take but he still remained.
@@TonyEnglandUK that's cool. But I listen to every song with my favorite line from Guitar Man by Bread. "You find yourself a message and some words to call your own and take them home" . That's why each and every person in my world has a specific ring tone. My daughter is "Sweet Child O' Mine and my son is "Simple Man". From the very first time I heard each, after they were born , it was "their song". We didn't have cell phones in '85 and '91 (most of us in '91), but the minute I found an app ... believe me, each and every time they call, I answer at the last 2nd as I sing along.
@@marybuckson237 Indeed we do find our own messages. The loud crash noises in the chorus remind me of the sound my Father, an ex-boxer, landed clean punches. Unfortunately for me, his punches were in my direction, too. That still resonates more with me than Paul's own statement about the lyrics.
We’re so lucky that people like Paul created and shared songs like this with the world. My life would be much less without music like this.
This is honestly one of the best songs ever! It's a shame people hardly listen to S&G anymore.
Wtf are all these comments? This specific page alone hosting this song has over 80 million views, who are all these dolts thinking they're special for knowing about this forgotten gem that is still on the radio regularly ???
I live in Peru. They are big here.
I have Greatest Hits Disc. It us my Car Music as I go down life's roads. I still listen and sing with my them. These songs were my teen years songs. From Junior High School through the Viet Nam years and way past there.
@@berdyderg900Your Profile icon is a Big Capital letter "A". After reading your snarky post Thanks for acknowledging your TRUE SELF. A GREAT BIG "A"!!!......HOLE
I'm People and I'm Listening still!!!
One of the greatest songs of all time.Simple as that.They'll be playing this on RUclips and radio stations around the world in the next hundred years and beyond.Mark my words : ) May 2nd 2023.
The fact that this was posted 5 years ago and still gets 5-10 comments a day says music is still alive. This was a great song when I was a young man and will be a great song 100 years after I am dead.
for sure.. its just timeless and eternal to be honest
Brilliantly put.
We're here for but a short time,but some of us manage to leave something which will last forever.
And this is one example.
It means it is true art and not just a noise.
There is something divinely beautiful in this song
Most likely. Some songs will survive the test of time.. not many.
The gun shot drum sound in the chorus gets me every time. Absolutely chilling
That sound is actually the door of St Patrick's Cathedral in NY slamming shut, recorded inside the church. Always reminds me of when someone would drop a kneeler on the floor, almost the same.
It's the bass harmonica, played by Charlie McCoy, that really stands out.
@@ClassicTVMan1981X Hal Blaine on drums!
@@seamasrigh2162 I don't think that's the case. Some of the song was indeed recorded there but that gunshot snare sound was recorded by drummer Hal Blaine in front of an elevator in the offices of Columbia records.
@@seamasrigh2162 yep..heard that many-a-times..cradle catholic here
Song writer, storyteller, poet. Yes, the best I have heard. Get busy modern age, improve. I challenge you!
This song describes my dad, He was a boxer, a brave man of lesser means. This song reminds me of his mindset. He left us and to this day, I do not know where he died or is buried. I wonder if he ever knew that he mattered to me. RIP Dad.
Manny, your post touches me. I suggest you have faith that what ever path he took, you were in his heart. With love and perhaps with guilt. If he thought of it, he would know that you would wonder and care. And that you think of him in a positive way is a good reflection on you both, for he passed on some of himself to you. From an old man, David
Simon and Garfunkel is, without a doubt, the very best music the USA has produced.
Errrrr have you never listened to Kanye?
No, me neither.
I think imagine dragons comes close tho.... after S&G a definite favourite
@aidandatari2147 I appreciate that opinion is entirely subjective, but this particular opinion is frankly ludicrous.
Imagine Dragons 😂
@@UncleGwendolyn I agree where is "Bridge over troubled waters" equivalent from anyone?
Concordo ❤
One of the most beautiful poignant and powerful songs ever written and recorded. More accumulated wisdom in this single song than many chapters of sacred texts. Not an insult to sacred chapters just a compliment to the song
Well done.
Parts of this song was taken from the Bible.
Matty Matt I wish they had also included the extra verse in the album version. To me it was the most powerful verse.
Now the years are rolling by ne
They are rocking evenly
I am stronger than I once was,
Younger than I'll be, that's not unusual
Nor is it strange
After changes upon changes we are more or less the same
After changes we are more or less the same.
yes, so true. Immortal lyrics, but the rhythm is what makes them so special....
The original recording of “ The Boxer” is one of this duo's most highly produced and took over 100 hours to record. The recording was performed at multiple locations, including St. Paul's Chapel (Columbia University) in New York City and Columbia studios in Nashville on a 16-track recorder.
The song has only one drumbeat, played during the 'lie-la-lie' refrain. The session drummer Hal Blaine created the heavily reverberated drum sound with the help of producer Roy Halee, who found a spot for the drums in front of an elevator in the Columbia offices. The recording of the drum was recorded as the song was being played live by the musicians. Blaine would pound the drums at the end of the "Lie la lie" vocals that were playing in his headphones, and at one point, an elderly security guard got a big surprise when he came out of the elevator and was startled by Blaine's thunderous drums.
The chorus consists of repetitions of the non-lexical vocable "lie-la-lie". Simon stated that this was originally intended only as a placeholder, but became part of the finished song.
Over 5 minutes of pure musical joy! One of the most identifiable guitar intros, ever! Many were the magical days in 1969 when I got captivated repeatedly on the radio by one of the greatest musical epics in the history of music, and certainly the best S & G song, though I also love some of their other classics. I really cannot tell how many times I have enjoyed it since then - too many to count. In the year 2525, this monumental song will still proudly stand above the rest! Goosebump time! Wow!
Harry S. Anchan I think this song will be for ever
It will.You just can`t beat this.The bar is way too high.
Scarborough Fair has a more recognizable guitar intro, in my opinion
Maybe in the year 2525, but that presumes that man is still alive, and woman can survive.
The outro from 3:18 is glorious, how it slowly builds up adding more instruments, culminating in a thick texture with beautiful strings.
Jani Ukkonen my favorite part of the song
Hal Blaine’s drumming really makes this track special.
Jani Ukkonen agree this is incredible production value unreal really. I’m sure they were inspired by the beatles productions and so on
Hits a crescendo brilliantly!
The entire song is truly a masterpiece for the ages!
"I am just a poor boy, though my story is seldom told. I have squandered my resistance on a pocketful of mumbles--such are promises. All lies and jests. Still, a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest."
If I had written just these lines, I'd have been content to have that be my contribution to humanity. What a poet.
Truly poetic, no other way to describe it. Brings a smile to my face and my heart overflows with admiration.
My daughter was born to this song. The surgeon played it. Her dad was a boxer in the Navy.
Why would there be music playing in the maternity as your wife was giving birth? Surely for something as serious as that your poor wife would be better off with the sound of silence?
@@eddiepower3876 Lol.... You got me on that one. I was going to write back how rude you were.... ha ha! But I don't think listening to "Hello darkness my old friend" would suit a birthing..... lol.
@@eddiepower3876 Music brings back to a special time. My oldest daughter was born they play "don't it make your brown eyes blue". My wife hated the song and I liked but music brings back good memories regardless.
I remember hearing this when it first came out in 1960 something. I am 68 years old now and it takes me back to when life pretty much sucked. It gave me inspiration to carry on in life and reminds me of how my life was and how good it is now. You might say it re centers me.
THANK YOU ! Paul and Art it pulled me through some bad times!
Margaret Adler good music never dies
It is pulling me through some rough times
am 68 also, getting old is no great shame, but its no great honour either. Saw them in Maple Leaf Gardens (Toronto) in early 70's. great concert, but what was that smell?
It was 1969....i am 68 also
THat also depends . Cause I think my life was much simpler , enjoyable and affordable then compared to now where even though I have more money , there's more bills and less excitement for everything including music . Life then was good and things predictable compared to now . My opinion !
A masterpiece, music doesn't get any better than this.
My father's face got messed up during his brief career as a fighter during The Great Depression. I used a line from this song when I wrote his obituary. His face carried the reminders..
I’m sorry 😞
"Still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest." Ain't that the truth 😂
absolutely the truth.
Depending on context because everytime, at the moment, which of the two participants in actuality knows "the truth." The victor only will speak of "a truth." The vanquished are quelled for a time, 'tis all.
Onward …! 🍺 + (💁🏻♀📝) = ⁉
Yup it's called confirmation bias.
You know today thinking of a friend those lyrics came into my head, i am 73
I dunno, I rather think those are the actions of a boy and that a man has learned the value of the truth and the importance of hearing it, despite their own personal feelings towards it.
This song is like, a metaphor for life. Not to take anything away from Garfunkle and his contribution, but Simon really had a serious gift from God in songwriting.
I completely agree
Paul Simon... the short hero for Short men like me (5'7 is short for the White standard in Aus lol)
My parents were the two best people in the world. I can remember laying on the living room floor on my back looking under the stereo at the moon shaped speakers with the blue glow learning every word to this album. NEVER forgot a single word. Thank God for strict parents keeping me home safe and sound listening to Simon and Garfunkle
i'm with you my friend my life as well..
When I read moon shaped speakers with the blue glow it gave me a shiver up my back. Thank you :)
Mary Reese Yes! Me too! I use to complain that I felt like I was growing up in Fort Knox! LOL!! Now I'm Thankful! Thank You DAD! He passed on 10/5/2017! Missed but taught me well! Respect, appreciate, love!!
I actually get a little little sad when I hear how people had good parents,if i raised to my hyesst level of human I would never had done jail or taken love for granted.. good on ypur parents lucky you
@Deanne Magee you're message broke my heart. My parents were so strict. I was the youngest of 4, born into the Roman Catholic faith. My friend's parents were in their 30's. They could do ANYTHING. I spent 3/4 of my teenage years grounded because I wanted their freedom and always got caught. Music was my way to get through those 6 weeks at a time, just to mess up within a week. After becoming a mother, in a shit marriage, I would call them to apologize and thank them for being exactly what I needed. You survived girl and thank God you did
Their mellifluous harmonies and heart wrenching lyrics seem to reach down to my soul. Just lovely in every way...🎶❤️🙂
My niece saw them perform during a brief reunion and I am envious
Mellifluous...I'm headed to Google now.
@@Mjg503 Your comment made me smile, Matthew! I hope you found the meaning of mellifluous:)
I guess pleasant just wasn't going to work Judy.
@Judy Jae I did, thank you 😊
Paul Simon not just a great entertainer but a great poet.
It's cool being a young person and stumbling across stuff like this. It's like music from another dimension
I'm glad you found it...being young and Simon and Garfunkel go hand in hand. Full of hope and idealism, but not blinkered optimism.
so truehrusah - rah
Cool! I'm a teen and I love S&G music, too.
You know, this is like the mature version of the comments saying "I'm (insert age here) and I like this music, not (insert generic modern pop singer/group)!"
I applaud you for that.
I am in their dimension cause I'm a dimension traveler. I think we all are.
Absolutely one of the best songs ever written and sung
My grandfather, who was a musician himself and even composed his own music, normally scorned a lot of popular music. He absolutely loved this song. I never got to ask him why. My favorite part of it is the intensely emotional ending. This and Scarborough Fair are my favorite S&G songs.
They’re my favorites too along with “Bridge Over Troubled Waters”.
@@monicacall7532 'Cathy's Song' is also a wee bit special to me. Stay free. Rab 🍻 😎 💚 🌠
The resolution at 4:40 is the musical equivalent of the sun coming out from behind a cloud. Just beautiful.
This is their best. The production team need some credit for putting this classic together. The final sequence is wonderful!!
One of the best lines in any song I have heard "I am leaving I am leaving but the fighter still remains". I lost this time but I will never ever give up.
What song
Goosebumps EVERY SINGLE TIME. One of THE greatest songs ever written
You need some serious help.
@@WallyVanRiper1 Care to elaborate? We're discussing Simon and Garfunkel here not Nickelback.
I never heard them when they were on top, because I was deaf as a door knob. I got fitted with a cochlear 3yrs ago, and found these two, I'm so so happy to hear their fabulous music, I play these two over and over. I'm 81yrs old now. God bless all fans that keep this music alive. Bless Simon and Garfunkel
@@petergreen2552 Don't mind Wally. He probably listens to Justin Bieber. In his mother's basement.
Paul Simon, one of the great musical geniuses of the 20th century.
This song makes me wanna cry as it was my grandfather's favourite song and it outlined his life before he sadly passed.
The song discusses loneliness and poverty. It captures the required essence to portray this. Despite its bleakness, it is a heartfelt song, with beautiful vivid instrumentation and of course the featured vocals make it an epic tune ❤.
I had much older cousins, so my early exposure to music was an eclectic mix of groups. The Boxer always had a profound effect on me. The bittersweet mix of grim lyrics with such beautiful melody. Even when I got to the age of half listening to songs, I can honestly say I've NEVER cut short this song. Listen right to the last note.The harmony + guitar at the end always left me feeling a strange sense of "I'm ok"🌻
i heard it when it was released at night on FM in NYC. those "cannon shots" in the background to me are like the blows that the boxer takes in the ring. maybe we in a way are all "The Boxer" .........
I am your forgotten cousin!!!
I remember as a kid, my mother was (and still is) obsessed with Simon and Garfunkel. Every time I had to do chores, whether it be cleaning the car or my room, she would crank up their music. Now whenever I listen to any of their songs, I always get more work done.
lol same with me except it was the Eagles
In the immortal words of the dude. "I hate the f@ckin' eagles, man."
Funny, for my Mom it was The Mamas and Papas. Simon and Garfunkel reminds me of my Dad, and listening to them on 8-track!
my mothers was Elvis
My mom's was 80's music. Yet I'm into the Beatles and 60's music lol
When I was 20 I left my small village, family, girlfriend and friends to seek an adventure and succeed in another land. My heart was broken when I left, but not my spirit. This song touches my heart.
Paul Simon , the Greatest song writer that ever lived.
"Im leaving , Im leaving, but the fighter still remains" Epic
Yes!
One of the best songs ever written.
One of the goats.
Ever
@@guilhermehomsy674 Whaaaat?
@@WallyVanRiper1 GOAT = Greatest of all time.
It is one of most It is the most breaking nice song of the delivery
The Boxer” is a character study: a young man disappointed with the world leaves home while still a child, and tries not to draw much attention to himself, because he knows he will be accepted or at least ignored if he stays among “strangers” This song is about a melancholy adventure through life. The entire song is a metaphor about how life is a boxing match against not only the people fighting against us but also ourselves.
All the cuts and marks the boxer carries are symbolic of all the times that life has tried to get him down, and even though he sometimes feels like giving up, he never will because he’s a fighter.
Great, that was what I looking for
George Evangel Kickboxer: The Story of Jean Claude Van Damme. Jokes aside, this is literally what happened with him. Took his bags and headed to Hollywood and was rejected, didn't fit in.
I love your analysis but I always believed this song captured the essence of failure: how it feels, the experience of feeling stupid in retrospect "all lies in jest still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest", and giving up while still fighting. At the end the lyric "until he cried out in his anger and his shame: I am leaving I am leaving though the fighter still remains" shows he has given up, he is going home, but he will always fight because that's part of the human condition. This is my go to song for hard times in my life because it helps me grieve the dreams I have to let go of for better things to arise.
Thanks for the explanation. Can you now explain what a sunrise is?
My, aren't we evangelistic! Thank God we have someone out there who is able to interpret lyrics to a Top Ten 45rpm from the antiquated music of a bygone era! I'll bet your family and friends would be so very lost if you weren't able to discern the hidden meaning of the lyrics. High Five!
At 49 years old I grew up with this song and have also had several family members fall to cancer and this song takes me back to a simpler time when they were still around, and even though I was never a boxer I still listen to this song when I need the strength to get up and fight my way thru life
This week is the anniversary (52yrs) of one of the greatest songs ever written and sung by Simon And Garfunkel. ”The Boxer” was released in March 1969. It would ultimately be a part of their greatest album, The Bridge over Troubled Waters, which would be released the following January 1970. The Boxer has been playing across the Internet this week and I happened to catch it for the first time in many years. It is one of those songs that created an emotional attachment with its listeners and transports them right back to their first contact with it, so many years ago. In my case, I was just finishing up my senior year in high school and had been awarded a scholarship to a college far from my home. I was contemplating the reality of leaving my home and school friends of the last 12 years of my life and going far away from them all for possibly the next 4 years. There were many unknowns facing me in my future. This song came on the radio with cascading notes wrapped around the words “…I am just a poor boy…” and I was immediately drawn in emotionally to it by the dramatic music which had such an urgency about it. The recurring phrase “…Lie-la-lie…” appears in large portions of the song leaving space for deep personal considerations. Paul Simon later said that they were just place holders where lyrics had not yet been formed for the song. In the end, the dramatic effect made the song much more expansive without adding specific lyrics. The songwriter left it to the listeners to fill in their own stories for that portion of the song. The words “…laying out my winter clothes and wishing I was going home…” grabbed me. As I listened, I wondered if I would be that guy or make it in the big, wide world ahead. I felt more attached to the boxer, so knocked down, again and again, and cut up, desiring to leave. He took every hit in every fight and was ready to quit. Still, he remains and we, too, remain. The rest of the song is an empty palette of “…Lie-la-lie…” set with ever expanding crescendos of music, urging us to tell our own story until coming to the final retreat and rest at the end. All of those blank spaces I have now filled after all these years. I am that boxer. I've had many battles in the last 50 years. Lost quite a few. Cut up and shot down, like millions of others before me. Every ‘boom’ of that drum means its time to get back up. Life's final crescendo has come on me, this last week. The VA says that I have Stage 4 Cirrhosis of the Liver. With all the other medical malice’s punching my body at this point, this ‘boxer’ has decided to fight no more. Let the music play on. “… I know in whom I have believed and am persuaded that HE is able to keep that which I have committed unto HIM against that day.” 2Timothy 1:12
God bless you and keep you strong. Your story brought tears to my eyes.
The World thanks you for fighting the Good Fight. May God bless.
💜 ✌️
i hope you are in a more peaceful place 🙏❤️
Fos as long as you live you are branded a true fighter. Hang in there man ... best to you and be at peace. I hope there will be someboy by your side when the big moment comes.
Such gorgeous harmonies and metaphors-so many ways to interpret these lyrics. Beautiful.
I'm an old person these days but grew up with this timeless brilliance.
The melody and vocals are both beautiful and refreshing, and the detailed music is impressive and touches your heart.