I am just a poor boy, though my story’s seldom told
Last night I was driving home from work, and “The Boxer” by Simon and Garfunkel came on my iPod. I have mentioned my Simon and Garfunkel love before, and this song is one of my favorites of theirs.
I got into Simon and Garfunkel when my friend Kim made me a tape of the record she had containing their greatest hits. I listened to it over and over in my car, often with my brother in the passenger’s seat. My car didn’t have air conditioning, and we’d roll down the windows and turn the music loud and let it envelop us.
Last night I thought about those days, and I rolled down my window and listened to “The Boxer” over and over. It’s a song about loneliness and failure and despair. And those strings come in at the end, getting louder and louder, pushing you until you think your heart will break, but just when you can’t take it anymore, the song gets quiet and goes back to just guitar, feeling almost hopeful again.
I don’t even feel like I completely understand the lyrics to the song, or why it resonates so deeply with me. But I know it’s a song I never skip, partly because of those days when Joseph and I used to listen to that tape over and over and over, and partly because of the way it ends so quietly with the guitar, reminding me that everyone goes through periods when things look terrible and you think you’ve made all the wrong decisions and your heart is completely broken. It’s a song about being human. And I’m going to go listen to it again now.
May 20th, 2005 at
i have the greatest hits on vinyl that i bought at a used record store for $3. mostly because it has the songs from ‘the graduate’, and at the time i bought it i had recently seen the movie. i’ve never really listened to ‘the boxer’, or if i have i can’t remember what it sounds like. i’ll check it out when i get home.
May 20th, 2005 at
I knew this song since before I can remember… before I totally understood it, I just knew I loved the song with “lie lie lie” in the chorus… I grew up on Simon and Garfunkel… and now I think I shall go clean to Bridge Over Troubled Water
May 20th, 2005 at
p.s. — the best part of the song is clearly, “I AM LEAVING, I AM LEAVING… but the fighter still remains…” .. no?
May 20th, 2005 at
Oh GREAT song Kari! I had forgotten that my family has that ablum. Im going to go put it into iTunes right now.
May 20th, 2005 at
PS - I like Cecilia. Is that bad? LOL. The music is just to fun NOT to like.
May 20th, 2005 at
I like it when they say, “Cut him ’til he cried out,” the best. But the whole last verse is my favorite.
I love Cecilia. It’s not bad to love such a fun song.
March 1st, 2007 at
Had an event here the other night - a couple of ladies were playing this tune with guitar and violin. While chatting with them, they said I should sing along or bang on the window at the appropriate time….heh heh