50 Ways to Leave your Lover - Paul Simon | College Students' FIRST TIME REACTION! 

Great song!

Matt Shaw is correct!!

Love that as well as "Kodachrome."

IMO, definitely better than 50 Ways.

The video is hilarious!

and Cecilia

Great song choices.

I'll also add Still Crazy After All These Years, Me and Julio Down By the School Yard and Slip Slidin Away

@@jameskirschling7887 thank you!

ONE TRICK PONY. Sorry to shout, but you missed his best song. Peace. (8K]_/

They already responded to "Cecilia."

Also Mother and Child Reunion.

kodachrome is overatted

That's the one!

Most definitely!!! 😊😎

Great song. Could be his best.

Agree. Graceland is an amazing album.

Rythm of the Saints and Allergies are excellent as well.

@X That's an excellent way to describe Paul Simon's writing. 👍

Sometimes he's sarcastic, but he has amazing range. A song like "American Tune" is utterly sincere. Anyone who can write "A Simple Desultory Philippic," "Bridge Over Troubled Water," "Patterns," "Mother and Child Reunion," "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard," and "St. Judy's Comet" is impossible to pigeonhole.

Well put.

And one of the best rhythms guitarists of all time

Great to see this mention of Steve Gadd. He plays with James Taylor as well. Saw him in concert with Taylor. A stellar support role of course.

I've seen Paul Simon live once, at the 2006 Jazzfest in New Orleans, the first one after Hurricane Katrina. Not only can I die a happy man having seen Master Gadd play "50 Ways" and "Late In The Evening" live with Paul Simon, but oh my God, the concert closer was "Bridge Over Troubled Water" as a duet with Irma Thomas, with special guest Allen Toussaint on piano.

@@albertbrown7941 I saw James Taylor a few years ago, and I was psyched that Gadd was touring with him. We get to the show, and after the opener, Bonnie Raitt (who was AMAZEBALLS), they set up for Taylor's band, and wait a minute - dammit, those aren't Gadd's drums! So I looked up the tour on his website, and it turns out that Gadd was only with the band for the first leg of the tour, and the second leg of the tour featured Chad Wackerman. Suddenly I was vastly less disappointed. He did a terrific job.

@@albertbrown7941 Yes, he was playing for James Taylor when I saw him in the mid-nineties.

@@joeday4293 I've also seen him touring with Taylor, and again with Clapton in 2001 (with David Sanctious and Billy Preston!)

Casually crafted perfection. Sung it a million times in life’s wistful moments. I’m not sure if it’s the balm or the wound. That’s S&G.

@@drabbyvideos “the balm or the wound” well stated and I wholeheartedly agree

I LOVE that song! Yes!

Great song however the version by Yes is better.

@@Yanxnix Perhaps they could do a cover vs original comparison.

Still Crazy on SNL was a classic moment.

@@EdwardGregoryNYC I thought it was a poultry try at humor

That's what I think.

I’m thinking PS was intimately familiar with professionals ref ‘the boxer’

Sometimes Alex and Andy are the Dumas Brothers, the female dialogue belongs to a third party, who is giving advice to the first party on how to leave the second party, who is not present. Not complicated.

Yup, the female side of the dialogue is from a side.

That has always been my take on this song also. She's his "mistress" telling him about the 50 ways he could leave his lover.

i like i am a rock - but i prefer "sounds of silence" - the imagery is other-worldly

Paul Simon does I Am a Rock solo, too, on an album with just him and his guitar. Now, I need to go look for it, because it’s great.

The 70s MAJIC

You know, the nearer your destination...

The man has a way with words.

Punkys Dilemma at the zoo

1977

Mother and Child Reunion: Another name for a chicken omelette 😛

Genius song, definitely one to hit next.

@@brentfreeland5834 Exactly. I understand PS saw this on a menu at a Chinese restaurant and thought it was a great title for a song.

That sweet melody gets locked in my head for days!

agreed!

Heartbreak Hotel?

Nights in White Satin, A Day in the Life.

@@kentclark6420 Bohemian Rhapsody, Great Balls of Fire, I Am The Walrus?

@@jacksonmorganfroghin4815 You are? So the mystery has finally been settled!

@@kentclark6420 You are correct, sir! The mystery has been solved. No more calls, please. We a have a winner. We are all together now!!

The entire Rhymin’ Simon album would be a good one for Patreon.

A VERY long way to go!! I was born in 1960 and I've heard a lot of the hits from the 60s and 70s and I'm STILL discovering new bands and artists that I've never heard before. Bands like Wishbone Ash, Budgie and Camel...just to name a few. As well as hearing songs I've never heard from bands I grew up with!!

@@dennisloveland498 I could fill up this channel for the next 2 years just with Stones/Who stuff plus iconic live sessions from late 60's early 70's.

@@simonhudson2031 No doubt. I love the Stones and the Who and I'm still not familiar with their whole catalog of work.

I agree about 60's and 70's. Though I prefer the punk/underground 70's music, over the stadium rock. In my opinion the record Industry learned how to steer "the youth" away from free expression, and into cliches. With lyrics that support materialism, conformity etc. But they were letting the Artists have more creative control in the 60's. Because the corporations were not Hip, they were older than the hippies etc. But yes I visit the 60's and 70's every day :P

Late in the Evening is so rich in description, he totally puts you on location. I love songs that are word pictures.

To me this is just another typical Paul Simon song. Cloying and too clever by half. But hey, if it gets your rocks off who am I to judge.

Glad I'm not the only one who found this song nothing special. To me, it's cheesy, wonky, and pretentious. So many other songs by Paul Simon himself, and with Garfunkel, so much better. I was 19 when it came out in' 75, and it did absolutely nothing for me.

@@cr16219 I don't like it either, and it's still stuck in my head from hearing it too many times on the school bus.

couldn't agree with you more

I concur!

That’s the way I take it

Exactly!

Agreed. I always thought she was devil's advocate

There's a little bit more to it. She's not simply some "old friend" trying to help him resolve his ambivalence towards his girlfriend, she's an interested party. She wants to be his next lover, and this is her sly way of getting rid of the old girlfriend in order to make way for her. How can you tell? "She said, 'It's really not my habit to intrude / Furthermore, I hope my meaning won't be lost or misconstrued / But I'll repeat myself, at the risk of being crude / There must be fifty ways to leave your lover." This verse tells us that: a) She's intruding (explaining that she usually doesn't do so is a dead giveaway that's she's lying, given the cold way that she's telling him in the chorus to put his current squeeze in the rear-view mirror without so much as a goodbye); b) she *wants* her meaning to be misconstrued (note the "but" that begins the next line), because she's actively trying to sabotage his current relationship; and c) she says "I'll repeat myself," indicating that she's being persistent in trying to persuade him down this path, rather than simply giving him advice and then saying he can take it or leave it (which is what any normal and objective confidante would say). Then, in the final verse, she states that they should "both just sleep on it" (i.e., have sex -- it's implied in the "something" in the second verse as "I wish there was something I could do to make you smile again"), and that in the morning he'll "begin to see the light." The "light" isn't that he should go his own way after he gets himself free; the "light" is that he should be with her (in other words, not be free at all), since she's just rocked his world doing the horizontal mambo. This is a window into the genius of Paul Simon, lyricist -- he's the only male songwriter I can recall offhand who has ever fully captured the nuances of a femme fatale at work.

I honestly want to tell them to ditch whatever album is next on Patreon and do Graceland.

Seconded. I played that vinyl album until it melted.

A thousand times this.

Good call, Laura.

How do we get them to react to this?

@@williamtoliver5959 Pretty sure we just wait. They will get around to it eventually. Hopefully, with as much love as they have for Paul Simon now, they will circle back sooner rather than later.

Just absolutley one of my all-time favorites!

Me neither. I liked it as a kid, but it was just one of many great songs. This didn’t stand out that much except I still remember the lyrics after all these years, even if I hadn’t heard it in years.

100%.

Yes!!

Yep yep yep!

An American Tune, by the perfectly sublime Mr Simon . And all of the Graceland album.

Absolutely Late in the Evening ... my favourite Paul Simon song, and I love all of them.

There truly are too many great songs from his solo catalog to list them all! But Graceland should be a full-album reaction, in my opinion.

@@allisonreed7682 I agree. Every song on Graceland is excellent.

I made a similar point above. "50 Ways" is clever and catchy but nowhere near Paul Simon's best.

Paul Simon can have as many S tier songs as he deserves. No problem with that rating.

@@allisonreed7682 I'd argue that there are a few S tier from him but way more as part of Simon and Garfunkel.

Hold the line By Toto 1978,,

You literally named all the songs I was gonna recommend 😂

I 2nd Kodachrome!

Are there really any bad Paul Simon songs?

Omg I forgot Loves Me Like A Rock! Recorded in Muscle Shoals!

@@kjmorley Not really but these ones are excellent imo.

I concur, but I recently (re)stumbled onto America's Homecoming album, and Hal Blaine did some amazing work on almost all the tracks. Keltner and Gordon also shone through with many artists during this period.

Those solos on Aja are iconic.

Pretty simple drumming, to be honest

@@Frankincensedjb123 Let's hear your amazing, better-than-Steve-Gadd drum work, then. Just link it down below. Can't wait to hear it.

Cool to watch Gadd play this on the Live in Central Park version

You.. ain't.. lying!

Absolutely! It is the one song that always makes me stop whatever I am doing to close my eyes and just listen.

Stunning song!

I always thought the same as you.

That's what I always heard it as too.

I agree. One of his finest songs.

I suggest "Late in the Evening" for the guys. Gadd plays on that too, and there are some excellent live versions on RU-vid with Gadd playing.

@@zebra3stripes The boys definitely need some exposure to real drummers that's for sure. The first Gadd Gang album is a must BTW.

Shhh. Peart.

And Purdie! Don't forget Bernard! When you get your own riff named after you......"Purdie Shuffle"!

@@frankbarnwell____ Yeah, not quite. More like Tony Williams. Peart, Bonham, Moon, Ginger Baker - yawn.

My all time favourite S&G song and in my ten top songs ever. Astonishing.

@@jamesdignanmusic2765 same

That and America: my 2 favorites. However when I look at these 3 albums (each just under 30 minutes!) I think the entire albums should be listened to in one sitting. Sounds of Silence; Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme; Bookends. I was 14 when Bookends, 1968, was released. What a year of music for folk rock and classic rock! Bring up anyone’s top 15 or top 50(!) of that year (really of 1967 and each year through the early 70s)and be prepared to be bowled over by what “new” music we were gifted with. We were a very fortunate generation.

@@foxandscout Good point - Bookends in particular is meant to be heard in one sitting. And yes, America is also an astonishing track.

A great one for sure!

I'll second that. 👍

Also played the drums on the track Aja for Steely Dan

Third, but most people think of "There Goes Rhymin' Simon" as his second. It was only the second released in the U.S. and the second after Simon & Garfunkel broke up. "The Paul Simon Songbook" was just an English release, and I think 9 of the 12 tracks are better known as Simon & Garfunkel songs. They were either on "Wednesday Morning, 3:00 am." or ended up on later S & G albums. "There Goes Rhymin' Simon" is such a strong album. In addition to "Kodachrome" and "Loves Me Like a Rock," it has "American Tune," which I think is one of his best. And I think like most parents of young boys, I have a special place in my heart for "St. Judy's Comet."

@@richardnanian2446 Did not know that. Thanks.

Much better actually imo

Love love love all of them

All of those! My favorite is probably Mother and Child Reunion. Although the origin story almost ruined it for me 😄

My favorite is "Diamonds On the Soles of Her Shoes". Oowah Oowah...

Kodachrome sucks

So many great songs to choose from…You Can Call Me Al, from the Graceland album is top-notch lyrically & musically in my opinion. Kodachrome is another classic. Let’s face it…Paul hasn’t produced a dud yet….

And tony Levin on bass.

Beat me to it, Liz…Steve Gadd!

…and Chuck E’s in Love, and tons of Chick Corea stuff, etc. Gadd’s discography is insane. There is an old axiom that Neil Peart is your favorite drummer’s favorite drummer. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love The Professor but I think that probably belongs to Steve Gadd (or maybe Bernard Purdie).

Honestly, I vastly prefer "Still Crazy After All These Years."

Especially if you are singing it while wearing a turkey suit while opening NBC Saturday Night! Hope you remember that Paul Simon blast from the past. Remember that early on, the show wasn’t called Saturday Night Live because another show on ABC debuted with that title first. Lorne Michaels eventually took it for his show after the other was cancelled.

@@stantheman9072 yeah i remember. it was saturday night live with howard cosell. the turkey suit opening is classic.

@@DannyD714 “I can’t fit through the door!!”

@@stantheman9072 lol

And it's about Carrie Fisher!

@@loosilu I didn’t realize that! Their relationship was so tumultuous. I remember him being absolutely heartbroken when she passed.

😁

Hey, @@Shadowrider1872! Happy Monday! ☺️

Beautiful song! Paul really knew his way around a melody and a lyric!

One of the first white reggae songs. When people were stunned by Graceland and Simon's adaptation of isicathamiya music, all I could think of was that he been adapting world music since "El Condor Pasa," if not before.

That first solo album was my fave....💝

I hope they will do the entire Graceland album

❤

@@Shadowrider1872 Hi John! 💜

"Kodachrome" is loaded with enough hooks to keep the song in your head for hours afterwards. Such a shame that the lyrics are now a bit obscure, since Eastman Kodak discontinued Kodakchrome 13 years ago and most people now take pictures with their cell phones. I hope it doesn't damage the song's listenability for future generations.

A fellow old schooler agrees with you.

I LOVE Obvious Child.. OMG those drums at the start- best intro ever, and stunning lyrics that take you through a man’s whole life in a few lines,. Utter genius 😍

Not only that, he puts the word into the mouth of one of the song's two main characters, the one who is deliberately trying to get the other main character -- the narrator -- to do exactly that, misconstrue her advice to him as being the dispassionate and objective analysis of a disinterested third party, when in reality getting him to misconstrue her intentions is the linchpin to her stealing the narrator away from his current girlfriend. It's genius-level songwriting, not just because he uses a sophisticated word like "misconstrued", but because he subtly makes that word the theme of the entire song.

Of course when Steve Martin was intro'ing the Kennedy Centers Honors for Paul Simon, Steve said, "I don't use the word genius often. I just thought I'd mention that.".

True. Its one of the licks I find myself breaking into when I'm warming up.