You know a GREAT song when you hear it!! Bridge Over Troubled Water won five awards at the 13th Annual Grammy Awards in 1971, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year. Simon & Garfunkel's most successful single, it is often considered their signature song. It topped the US Billboard Hot 100 chart for six weeks, and also reached number one in the United Kingdom, Canada, France and New Zealand, as well as reaching the top five in eight other countries, eventually selling over six million copies worldwide. Bridge Over Troubled Water became one of the most performed songs of the 20th century, covered by over 50 artists, including Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin and Johnny Cash & is ranked number 66 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
I grew up listening to Simon & Garfunkel & had a lot of their records. Absolutely loved them & their harmonies. You won't find a bad song. They have had so many hits such as "Mrs. Robinson", "The Boxer", "Kathy's Song", "Scarborough Fair", "At The Zoo", "Cecilia", "America", "I Am A Rock", "El Condor Pasa" etc. Paul Simon went on to have a huge solo career with lots of great songs.
Just like Sound of Silence….this is their song. Paul Simon ( short guy in photo ) wrote all their songs…they have been covered by many artists, but no one can touch the originals…Simon and Garfunkel !
Between Art Garfunkels's angelic voice and Paul Simon's deeply profound lyrics, you have such a beautiful song. Loved your reaction! Hope you give a listen to the official video of Kansas doing "Dust in the Wind". You will love their voices, profound lyrics and Robbie playing the violin.
The song didn't have the "sail on silver girl" verse initially but Art Garfunkel thought it was too short to record with just two verses and Paul Simon wrote the third verse which is actually one of the most interesting things about the song I feel like, it builds to the final crescendo.
The beautiful, soaring voice you hear is Art Garfunkel (the tall guy) . Paul Simon wrote the song, and he’s considered a real musical genius. He’s the short guy. They broke up as a duo not long after this song was released if I remember correctly.
Glad you enjoy it 💙💜. They are considered to be folk-rock. They were also considered to be poets. They wrote some of the best songs ever written, true prodigies. They did move and shape their generation. Scarborough Fair is another of theirs I love.💙💜
You're such an endearing guy, Shon. I've been following you for a while, and seeing you react to that wonderful song made me smile, thank you. And with that I'm finally subscribing 🙂
I must say that a stumbled upon your channel about 3 or 4 weeks ago. I can tell you now that you are one of my favorite new reactors that I have found. You are always smiling and putting out such positive vibes on here! You make me smile seeing the joy and happiness that you are always giving while listening to this older music! You have a new subscriber here!!
I used to wonder about the “silver girl” reference too, ever since hearing it when it came out. It’s just an inside joke aimed at Paul’s wife who was only 30 when she was upset at finding her first silver-grey hairs. It’s like “don’t sweat the small stuff” !
I always took the lyric “sail on silver, girl” to mean that water sometimes looks silver when light is hitting it, so he was telling her to sail on silver water. I had never read that about the gray hair, but it makes perfect sense.
For the longest time, I thought the line was "sail on silver bird", which didn't particularly make sense, but once I learned that it was actually "silver girl" it probably confused me even more. It's easily one of the most beautiful songs ever written, regardless, and Paul Simon is a true poet. There are lines in a lot of my favorite songs which leave plenty of room for interpretation.
This is the one I grew up with and even though he would have been performing it when I was a little kid, I didn't know anything about his shows in Vegas and it was only in the last several years that I've watched the standard footage of him doing this later in life and it's fantastic. And Paul Simon basically tipped his hat to Elvis said well it's your song now. But I love this growing up as well. But they have an incredible catalog so many good songs. For something upbeat, check out Baby Driver. And a really fun fast but kind of powerfully lonely and haunting quick unfolding ballad that's over before you know it, April, come she will. It basically traces the blossoming a heavy Summer Romance starting in the spring and going month-by-month until it falls off in Autumn. It's brilliant and really catchy.
Art Garfunkel isone of the purest tenors I've ever heard. And He and Simons harmonies were to die for. The only other group that I would compare them to is Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young because their harmonies were so tight and fit beautifully together. Here's song by "CSN&Y" if interested "Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - Teach Your Children (Official Music Video)" This was so beautiful thanks for sharing
So many great songs from these two, Paul Simon's superb lyrics and Art Garfunkel's wonderful voice. Try my personal favourite "Kathy's Song" which AG says is Simon's best love song.
This is In my Top Ten of all songs since it came out. Oh, their studio music sounds much better than Central Park Special. So glad you picked this song born of genius.
I kind of think of the singer as God... When you're down and out, when you're on the street. If you need a friend, I'm on your side... He's always there... like a bridge over water, he's got your back..So inspiratitonal
the outro reminds me of 1812 Overture with the church bell and cannons on July 4th. Came out like 1970, but like a close out for the 1960's. This is the best version. The album had the lyrics on the paper sleeve and I was a very literate 15 year old, when it was released and an edited version played on radio. Folk/Pop meets classical
The Central Park Concert still gets me. Love that version even more. Great reaction my friend. Loving your channel. If you can find that concert version live, it will blow your mind. To see just how cool and relaxed this Cat is on stage... try and find it. You are genuine, articulate and humble. Diggin the channel
This is a beautiful, goosebump-inducing song. Enjoyed your reaction, Shon. Suggestion: "I Love Your Smile" by Chanice. This lightness and fun of this song always makes me feel summer, even though it was released in the fall. It was an R&B crossover and nominated for a grammy.
Only 5 studio albums between 1964 and 1970, each one better than the last, this was their masterpiece and their crowning achievement. Art Garfunkel had the voice of an angel, and Paul Simon is a musical and lyrical genius, second only to Bob Dylan. Paul went on to a HUGE solo career as well, probably Graceland was his masterwork.
"Silver girl" was a reference to Paul's then wife, whose hair, as I understand the story, was turning gray and was feeling old. The verse was saying "There's a lot more life to be lived. Go for it."
Dude, always love you’re reactions. If you want to hear and another different sound. This one is from Paul Simon, the dark haired one, after he went solo. It’s called Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard, very upbeat storytelling song.
Out of desperation I walked into a church that just a few years prior was about to close due to oak of attendance but had been reborn and was in a new building. This song was playing and still shots of homeless people in our city were showing on the big screens. And I found my bridge 8ver my troubled waters.
A little study work for you today Sho!! Look up Spector and " The Wall of Sound". Phil Spector ( a very bizarre musical GENIUS) created a way of recording tons of instruments and voices...mixed it up and spit out Hit after hit after hit. Bridge Over Troubled Waters is one of the best examples of the use of The Wall of Sound.
Bob Dylan - Shelter From The Storm One of my favorites of his, has some many layers and opens countless doors of meaning. Truly a beautiful song that i would highly recommend.
Simon and Garfunkel are my go-to and have been since the late 1960s. Over 30 years ago now I had a friend getting married. He asked me to sing this song to his new wife for their first dance. I am a blues singer and a bit of gospel. This was one of the hardest songs I ever had to perform. It has a lot of range. Elvis may have done it really well, but to my ear, nobody can sing it like Art Garfunkel! Great reaction. I'm glad you checked it out. I'm not sure if you checked out The Boxer yet. It is my ultimate favorite of theirs.
To me, this is the quintessential song of friendship… one who halves your sorrows, and (as we see towards the end of the song), is still behind you cheering you on as things get better, letting you shine and have the limelight; if things go sideways though, they’re there still and they’ve got your back. Also the line “when evening falls so hard, I will comfort you” hits hard. There are times when you’ve had a difficult day, and you’re just drained at the end, and it feels heavy. To have someone there to help lift the “weight” makes a huge difference.
This is Simon and Garfunkel at their best. It's a beautiful soulful song and Art has a wonderful voice and together with Paul's ( The shorter guy 😄) voice it's more beautiful. Check out their song, The Boxer. And, Check out Paul singing "50 Says to Leave Your Lover". Elvis did it his way and it was just as good in a different way.
I always dedicated this song to my Nana cuz she went through so many tough times in her life born in the 20’s had 5 kids , lived through the Depression, raised her grandchildren lost my papa when she was in her 50’s. Strongest woman I ever knew
I recommend reacting to “The Boxer,” another song from this same album, and another song with a lot of heart and a killer instrumental track. Roy Halee, S&G's longtime producer was a genius and you have to remember they did all this in the days before digital recording and all the ProTools and pitch correction they use today. Paul Simon is a genius songwriter, and after he and Garfunkel parted ways, he went on to a long very successful solo career. You ought to check out “Graceland,” his best album ever, with deep roots in the music and rhythms of South Africa.
Simon’s girlfriend Peggy found a few silver hairs on her head and was upset about it. Simon was joking with her and reassuring her that she could sail on anyway, and nicknamed her “Silver Girl”.
Glad you are enjoying Simon & Garfunkel. My favorite is Sound of Silence (which I don't find creepy at all) LOL. I have a song I'd like to recommend, Jodeci's Lately (please watch the unplugged version, it's the BEST. Totally different vibe that S&G but outstanding none the less.
Saw you recently reacted to "Vincent" and now "Bridge Over Troubled Water" ? Well, those just happen to be my 2 favorite songs of all time. Can't thank you enough. You can only go downhill from here :)
I saw Paul Simon, the writer of this song say in an interview that the girl was a reference to his ex-wife being overly concerned about a few silver hairs starting to show on her head.
S&G had some great hits, but I have a special love for their lesser known songs. The odd little protest songs, the poems about life in New York, the cheerful sarcasm, the dark strangeness, all of the pieces that no one ever suggests or remembers. "A Poem on the Underground Wall", "Patterns", "April Come She Will", "A Most Peculiar Man" - they had so many interesting, complex songs. Do explore with them, but I'd suggest trying some of the things that don't get a lot of notice. It's often there that you can hear the whole personality of an artist or a group. People tend to focus on the hits, but they forget that every song on those albums is there because the artist wanted it there. Because it meant something to them, if only at that time. The dusty corners can yield treasures. :)
