For Paul Simon, Whenever I May Find Him.

It's been a while since I've done anything new in this space, but I couldn't let the day pass without giving recognition to the songwriter who changed the way I listened to lyrics. Yes indeed I was a Beatles girl, and enjoyed all of those bands from the British Invasion. But for a very young girl,just learning to write, hearing 'The Sounds Of Silence," was like having a switch go off in my brain.

Living just across the river from NYC, it was so close and yet so very far away, both in distance to a pre-teen and by the promise of what it was about. "The Sounds Of Silence," only enhanced all those feelings I had about the city. I never bought the album it was on, only the 45. My best friend at the time had Wednesday Morning 3 AM, and along with a few other albums, we played it non-stop,

Then came Simon & Garfunkel's "Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme" and it set my gold standard for excellence. "Homeward Bound" became the big hit, deservedly so, and then there was "Feelin' Groovy" and "Scarborough Fair/Canticle." But the song that got my juices flowing was another song about New York. About the dark part of New York, the New York Subway.

Now at that time I had never been on a subway, that privilege would come several years later. At this point all I knew of it was what was talked about on the evening news...and it wasn't pretty. Muggings, stabbings and graffiti. And here on this new album, right alongside songs as beautiful as "The Dangling Conversation" and "For Emily, Wherever I May Find Her," was this dark and gritty song; Side 2 Song 5: "A Poem On The Underground Wall."

I had no idea what imagery was at the time, all I knew was this song's vision was sent to that part of the brain that goes "holy shit." And it was clear. And it was unnerving. And it was stunning.

This video has an interesting lead-in story to go along with the song. But let the lyrics take you down to the shadows of the 60s New York City subways. Happy Birthday Paul.

"The last train is nearly due

The underground is closing soon

And in the dark deserted station

Restless in anticipation

A man waits in the shadows

His restless eyes leap and scratch

At all that they can touch or catch

And hidden deep within his pocket

Safe within his silent socket

He holds a colored crayon

Now from the tunnel’s stony womb

The carriage rides to meet the groom

And opens wide and welcome doors

But he hesitates, then withdraws

Deeper in the shadows

And the train is gone suddenly

On wheels clicking silently

Like a gently tapping litany

And he holds his crayon rosary

Tighter in his hand

Now from his pocket quick he flashes

The crayon on the wall he slashes

Deep upon the advertising

A single-worded poem comprised

Of four letters

And his heart is laughing, screaming, pounding

The poem across the tracks rebounding

Shadowed by the exit light

His legs take their ascending flight

To seek the breast of darkness and be suckled by the night"

Copyright by Paul Simon.