No artist crafts a tune quite like Paul Simon. Known for his quick-as-a-whip lyricism set against inventive compositions, he pens refined pop tunes that have continually topped charts throughout his six-decade-long career.
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Outside of the famed folk duo Simon & Garfunkel, the former made a name for himself, coming out on top as one of today’s most important figures of the songwriting canon. Here are 10 Simon songs that fully showcase his incomparable skills.
10. “Loves Me Like a Rock”
My mama loves me / She loves me / She gets down on her knees and hugs me / And she loves me like a rock / She rocks me like the rock of ages / And she loves me, plays the gospel-tinged Simon hit “Loves Me Like a Rock.”
Backed by the gospel group the Dixie Hummingbirds, “Loves Me Like a Rock” is a soulful bop about a mother’s love, a song that perfectly showcases Simon’s out-of-the-box songcraft.
9. “Mother and Child Reunion”
The reggae-riddled hit “Mother and Child Reunion” is another testament to Simon’s unconventional, yet poignant songwriting. He reportedly was struck with the song’s title after seeing a chicken-and-egg dish called “Mother and Child Reunion” on the menu at a Chinese restaurant.
8. “Still Crazy After All These Years”
From Simon’s 1975 album of the same name, “Still Crazy After All These Years” is one of his most enduring ballads. The lonesomely lilting tune has been covered by so many – from Ray Charles to Karen Carpenter – because of its relatable, lost-in-love lyricism and moving arrangement.
7. “Late in the Evening”
Few songs groove the way the beat-riddled “Late in the Evening” does. The 1980 hit puts Simon’s skills as a composer on full display as he marries energetic drums, expressive horns, and excitable strings together perfectly.
6. “Kodachrome”
Kodachrome / They give us those nice bright colors / Give us the greens of summers / Makes you think all the world’s a sunny day, oh yeah / I got a Nikon camera / I love to take a photograph / So mama don’t take my Kodachrome away, plays the chorus of the bubbling, buoyant “Kodachrome.”
While it sounds like an advertisement for Kodak, Simon’s 1973 banger “Kodachrome” is just that, an irresistible shuffling bop that we dare you not to bop along to.
5. “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes”
From his 1986 magnum opus Graceland, “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes” is a masterpiece. Backed by the South African vocal group Ladysmith Black Mambazo, the song is a soul-stirring display of heavenly voices and intricate rhythms.
4. “Graceland”
The aforementioned album’s title track is another intoxicating work from the artist. A glorious cacophony of steel and drums, “Graceland” is an indescribable treasure that holds Simon’s incomparable talent.
3. “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover”
You just slip out the back, Jack / Make a new plan, Stan / You don’t need to be coy, Roy / Just get yourself free / Hop on the bus, Gus / You don’t need to discuss much / Just drop off the key, Lee / And get yourself free, Simon rattles off the examples in “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover.”
The jangling, bop-along hit is one of his biggest successes, but Simon once chalked it up to “basically a nonsense song.” He discussed the track with Rolling Stone in a 1975 interview. “I woke up one morning in my apartment on Central Park and the opening words just popped into my mind: ‘The problem is all inside your head, she said to me…’ That was the first thing I thought of,” he told the publication. “So I just started building on that line.”
2. “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard”
Another nonsensical success came with Simon’s “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard.” The shuffling hit may not make much sense when it comes to the storyline, but that doesn’t matter when set to the iconic arrangement.
When asked what it was that “Mama Pajama” saw, Simon – the songwriter – said, “I have no idea what it is … I never bothered to figure out what it was. Didn’t make any difference to me.”
1. “You Can Call Me Al”
Another Graceland great, “You Can Call Me Al” became an international hit when it was released, and is to this day, one of Simon’s greatest works. The triumphant-sounding song is layered with bright horns and crips synths all built upon a sturdy foundation of guttural bass. The infectiously singable lyrics don’t hurt either.
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