Paul Simon has more than his fair share of timeless tracks, but that doesn’t mean he feels his track record is spotless. In fact, Simon once took issue with one of his signature songs. Find out which song that is, below.
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Here’s Why Paul Simon Disliked One of His Signature Songs
I’m sittin’ in the railway station
Got a ticket to my destination
On a tour of one-night stands
My suitcase and guitar in hand
And every stop is neatly planned
For a poet and a one-man band
Following the famed reunion of Simon & Garfunkel, Simon took to Playboy to recount his time as one half of the duo. Naturally, he remembered that time with mixed emotions–good times and bad. He considered “Homeward Bound” one of the low points, despite it being a fan favorite.
Simon’s issues with the song stemmed from the lyrical content. Simon, an adept poet, felt the lyrics were a little juvenile for his tastes.
“I was thinking ‘I hate ‘Homeward Bound,” Simon once said. “And then I thought, ‘Why do I hate it?’ I said, ‘Oh, I hate the words.’ Then I remembered where I wrote it. I was in Liverpool, actually in a railway station. I’d just played a little folk job. The job of a folk singer in those days was to be Bob Dylan. You had to be a poet. That’s what they wanted. And I thought that was a drag. And I wanted to get home to my girlfriend, Kathy, in London. I was 22.”
As he thought more about the song, he began to change his tune. “I thought, well, that’s not a bad song at all for a 22-year-old kid,” he continued. “It’s actually quite touching now that I see it.”
What do you think? Was Simon right in thinking the lyrics were a little lacking for an artist of his talents? Or is “Homeward Bound” a feat for such a young songwriter?
Homeward bound
I wish I was
Homeward bound
Home where my thought’s escapin’
Home where my music’s playin’
Home where my love lies waitin’
Silently for me
Photo by David Redfern/Redferns
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