Paul Simon: Doing

“Well its great to do a neighborhood concert.”

Paul Simon

During the Concert At Central Park (19 September 1981)
Context: Well its great to do a neighborhood concert. I hope everyone can hear us. I hope that the sound is good. I hope we are blasting Central Park West and Fifth avenue pretty much away. I just want to thank the police department and the fire department and the parks commissioner, and Ed Koch [Audience boos] — and particularly, you know, people that never get recognized for doing good things for the city, a group of people that have donated half of the proceeds that they're making tonight — the guys who are selling loose joints are giving the city half of their income tonight.

“I wanted to sing other types of songs that Simon and Garfunkel wouldn't do.”

Paul Simon

On the breakup of Simon and Garfunkel as a musical team. Interview with Jon Landau for Rolling Stone (1972); republished in The Rolling Stone Interviews: 1967-1980 (1989) edited by Peter Herbst, p. 210
Context: I wanted to sing other types of songs that Simon and Garfunkel wouldn't do. "Mother and Child Reunion" for example, is not a song that you would have normally thought that Simon and Garfunkel would have done. It's possible that they might have. But it wouldn't have been the same, and I don't know if I would have been so inclined in that direction. So for me it was a chance to break out and gamble a little bit … The breakup had to do with a natural drifting apart as we got older and the separate lives that were more individual. We weren't so consumed with recording and performing. We had other activities … there was no great pressure to stay together other than money, which exerted very little influence upon us. … We didn't need the money.

Singing

“We don't mean to mess things up,
But mess them up we do.”

Paul Simon

Everything About It Is a Love Song
Song lyrics, Surprise (2006)
Context: We don't mean to mess things up,
But mess them up we do.
And then it's "Oh, I'm sorry."
Here's a smiling photograph
Of love when it was new.
At a birthday party.
Make a wish and close your eyes:
Surprise, surprise, surprise.

“All I've got to do today is smile.”

Paul Simon

Variant: I've got nothing to do today but smile.

Smile

“If the answer is infinite light,
Why do we sleep in the dark?”

Paul Simon

How Can You Live In The Northeast?
Song lyrics, Surprise (2006)

Sleep , Light

“"Fools," said I, "you do not know
Silence like a cancer grows
Hear my words that I might teach you
Take my arms that I might reach you"
But my words like silent raindrops fell
And echoed in the wells of silence.”

Paul Simon

The Sound of Silence
Song lyrics, Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. (1964)

Fools , Silence

“First thing I remember when you came into my life
I said I wanna get that girl, no matter what I do
Well I guess I've been in love before and once or twice have been on the floor
But I've never loved no-one the way that I love you.”

Paul Simon

Late in the Evening
Song lyrics, One-Trick Pony (1980)

Love , Life , Way , Girl

“Someone told me
It's all happening at the zoo.
I do believe it,
I do believe it's true.”

Paul Simon

At The Zoo
Song lyrics, Bookends (1968)

“And if I was the President, (was the President)
And if'n the Congress called my name (was the President)
I'd say "Now who do,
Who do you think you're fooling?"”

Paul Simon

Loves Me Like a Rock
Song lyrics, There Goes Rhymin' Simon (1973)
Variant: When I was a little boy, (when I was just a boy)
And the devil would call my name (when I was just a boy)
I'd say "Now who do,
Who do you think you're fooling?"

Fools , Thinking

“When I was a little boy, (when I was just a boy)
And the devil would call my name (when I was just a boy)
I'd say "Now who do,
Who do you think you're fooling?"”

Paul Simon

Loves Me Like a Rock
Song lyrics, There Goes Rhymin' Simon (1973)

Boy , Fools , Thinking