Paul Simon Reveals Some of His Favorite Lyricists, Including an Influential Rock & Roll Pioneer and a Fellow Folk Rock Legend

Paul Simon recently launched a European leg of his “A Quiet Celebration” tour, which is scheduled through a May 20 concert in Dublin, Ireland. Shortly before the folk-rock legend hit the road, he paid a visit to CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

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Simon, of course, is one of the most respected songwriters of his generation. During his Late Show interview, host Stephen Colbert shared that he considers Paul part of his “Mount Rushmore” of American lyricists, along with Stephen Sondheim, Bob Dylan, Jackson Browne, and John Prine.

[RELATED: Paul Simon Announces 2026 North American Leg of His ‘A Quiet Celebration’ Tour]

Colbert then asked Simon, “Who is a lyricist that you look to and go, ‘Ooh boy, that is special. That is [an] extraordinary turn of phrase that surprises even me.’”

For his first pick, Simon immediately mentioned one of his early influences, one of rock and roll’s founding fathers.

“Well, I would start to say that in the 50s, Chuck Berry wrote things that were so good that they could have been part of the Harlem Renaissance,” Paul said. “I mean, and he taught … my whole generation. They’re all influenced by Chuck Berry—Bob [Dylan] and The Beatles and everybody—’cause he made stories and words that flowed effortlessly, and his stories were great stories.”

Simon then mentioned the Berry classics “Maybelline” and “Johnny B. Goode” as being two examples of Berry’s genius.

He noted that the latter song told “a great story.” Paul then recited the line, “He used to carry his guitar in a gunny sack,” and recalled, “I’d think, ‘What is a gunny sack?’ … I mean, his descriptions [were great]. … So he was a guy who influenced me and my whole generation.”

Simon Named a Few Other Favorite Lyricists

Continuing on, Simon, not surprisingly, picked Dylan as one of the standout lyricists of his own generation.

“Bob, of course, is a really interesting lyricist,” he noted, then continued, “Let’s see, Joni Mitchell is an interesting lyricist.”

Colbert then humorously pointed out that Mitchell was Canadian, and he’d wanted Paul to stick to “American” songwriters.

The host told Simon that he didn’t need to mention anyone else, but Paul responded, “Well, I don’t want to make it sound as if [those are] the only [ones], cause there were so many.”

He added, “Stevie Wonder was a really good storyteller. Really good. I mean, there’s a long list. I don’t want to just leave it at three.”

Colbert then quipped, “You can fax it later. We’ll put it up on the website.”

Simon Also Performed on ‘The Late Show’

Following his interview, Simon performed a version of his 1973 solo gem, “Something So Right,” on the show. He was accompanied by members of his current touring band.

More About Simon’s 2026 Tour Plans

After wrapping up his European trek, the 84-year-old Rock & Roll Hall of Famer will launch a 2026 U.S. leg of his “A Quiet Celebration” tour. That outing gets underway June 4 in Palo Alto, California, and is scheduled through a July 17-18 stand in Highland Park, Illinois. The latter performances are part of the 2026 edition of the annual Ravinia Festival.

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As previously reported, each concert on the trek features two sets. The show begins with a full performance of Simon’s 2023 album, Seven Psalms, a 33-minute piece featuring multiple movements. The second set features Paul performing songs from throughout his long music career, including hits and deep cuts from his solo releases and several Simon & Garfunkel classics.

Simon’s wife, singer-songwriter Edie Brickell joins her husband to sing several songs at the concerts. Check out Simon’s full tour scheduled at PaulSimon.com.

(Photo by Marc Andrew Deley/Getty Images)