This is a series of posts about the music I listen to while writing. This time I’m back to a Simon and Garfunkel song — Bridge Over Troubled Waters. Paul Simon is among my favorite song writers, poets, musicians and singers. This song is just plain classic Simon and Garfunkel. It’s one of their most recognized songs and a great example of their partnership. Simon’s great writing combined with Garfunkels unique voice.
Simon wrote the song in early 1969 and it was recorded later that year. Simon originally suggested that Garfunkel sing it as a solo, but Garfunkel thought that Simon should be the one to sing it. That didn’t happen and most of us know the Garfunkel version. The piano was played by session musician Larry Knechtel and with other session musicians on bass and drums. It was released as a single and on their album, Bridge Over Trouble Waters in 1970. It stayed top of the charts for six weeks and won a number of Grammy Awards in 1971.
Over the years Simon has stated from time to time that he regretted not following Garfunkel’s suggestion and sing it himself. I have listened to a couple of versions of Simon singing the song and he does it well, but it is much different that the Garfunkel version. The two have very different vocal ranges and abilities. I love the Garfunkel version and wonder if the song would have had the same success if they’d actually released a Simon version of the song.
I do recall hearing the song when it first came out, but at 10 I didn’t really understand the words or the music. In 1973 my mother signed me up for a summer music program at my junior high school. I was taking violin and piano lessons at the time. I was also part of the school orchestra. I wasn’t very good, but at that age they let anybody in. Well, my mother didn’t want me just hanging around the house all summer so she signed me up for the month long half day summer music program. There were three music classes and one recreational each day. I took violin, orchestra, and for reasons I still don’t understand, they put me in the choir. I don’t have a singing voice. I’ve never had a singing voice. The recreation class was just a room with chess boards in it and we played chess each day for an hour. I’ve always thought that they didn’t want a bunch of nerdy musicians running around the playing fields and hurting themselves.
There were two big events for the program. First was a trip to San Francisco to see the Ice Capades with a picnic lunch in Golden Gate Park. That was a fun day out. The other event was a concert that we gave at the San Jose Civic Auditorium. I was in two parts of that concert, the orchestra where we tried to play something by Bach and the choir performance. We sang a few songs, but our big number was our version of Bridge Over Troubled Waters. We had to learn every note of that song and let me tell you, it wasn’t easy for a bunch of 13 year olds to match Garfunkel’s high ranging voice. At the time they had me as a tenor (I’m now a bass, when and if they let me sing) and the tenor’s part was mostly harmony and staying out of the way of the sopranos. While I doubt my singing was that good, I did gain a great deal of respect for the music. It was clear to me how great this music was.
And that’s why this song ends up on my writing playlist — just great music that reminds me of a time when I was young, having picnics in the park, watching ice skaters, and … so many things, so many old stories come to my mind.
I’ll end with three YouTube links to versions of Bridge Over Troubled Waters. First is the classic Garfunkel version. Second is a version that Simon recorded in 1992. Finally I include a Elvis Presley’s version. Over 50 artists have recorded covers of this song, but of all those, Elvis does it best.
