Growing up Catholic in New York I was surrounded by all kinds of music including my parents’ ’60s and ‘70s record collection. When I was a kid I asked my mom if Simon & Garfunkel were Jewish. “Well, maybe ethnically,” she responded before trying to explain how the message of S&G’s music was much bigger than any one religion. Mom was right. Take “Bridge Over Troubled Water” which is now considered to be one of the greatest gospel songs ever written. A little Jewish boy from Queens wrote “Bridge Over Troubled Water” but does knowing this fact dilute the power and spirit of the song for Christians? After all, a little Jewish boy from Nazareth founded Christianity.
I am not comparing Paul Simon to Jesus, but Simon- like Bob Dylan- was a Jewish folkie who discovered how to tap into the eternal and touch the souls of Christian and non-Christian listeners alike. No doubt Paul and Artie recorded lots of duds in their day and that’s why for me Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits stands as their finest testament. Times have changed (good luck finding any timeless folk songs among today's Top 40 hits) but instead of lamenting why there aren’t more songs like “Bridge Over Troubled Water” perhaps we should take solace in the fact that such songs are still there for the listening. Here are my favorite Simon & Garfunkel songs. Enjoy!
01. Simon & Garfunkel – “Flowers Never Bend with the Rainfall” (1966)
01. Simon & Garfunkel – “Flowers Never Bend with the Rainfall” (1966)
02. Simon & Garfunkel – “Bleecker Street” (1964)
03. Simon & Garfunkel – “The Sound of Silence” (1965)
04. Simon & Garfunkel – “The Boxer” (1969)
05. Simon & Garfunkel – “At the Zoo” (1968)
06. Simon & Garfunkel – “America” (1968)
07. Simon & Garfunkel – “The Only Living Boy in New York” (1970)
08. Simon & Garfunkel – “Blues Run the Game” (1965)
09. Simon & Garfunkel – “Bridge Over Troubled Water” (1970)
10. Simon & Garfunkel – “The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy) (Live)” (1970)
Listen to the playlist on Spotify...
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