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Legend MADE UP a SILLY SONG with His 3 Year Old Son as a JOKE…Became BIGGEST Hit!--Professor of Rock

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  • čas přidán 10. 07. 2024
  • Next up, 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover, a timeless anthem of liberation from a suffocating romantic entanglement. Fashioned by Paul Simon, one of music's master lyricists following the breakup of his Simon and Garfunkel along with the end of his first marriage. Paul Simon dismissed it as nonsense, a song that was just a joke… a game he was playing with his toddler to teach him how to rhyme simple words. It made his son giggle and somehow it turned into a song he recorded as an afterthought. It was even the last song released from his album…and it became a #1 SMASH… THE BIGGEST OF HIS SOLO CAREER. THE AMAZING STORY IS coming right up on Professor of Rock.
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    During the rock era, there have been many collaborative duos. Besides, perhaps, the most famous collaboration of Lennon & McCartney that flourished throughout the 60s, there was another duo that also spoke for a generation of fans like few others during the so-called ‘cultural decade.’ It was the potent combo of Paul Simon & Art Garfunkel. Just like Lennon & McCartney, Simon & Garfunkel went their separate ways in 1970. Without Paul, Art, or Artie as those close to him called him, had only streaky success as a solo artist, whereas Paul immediately recaptured his superstar status on his own.
    He would score hit after hit, including a single that held the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1976 for 3 weeks. A snappy, comedic chronicle of how to sabotage a romantic relationship THAT came from a nonsense word game he was playing with his son titled “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover.” You gotta here this story…so When Simon and Garfunkel broke up, the big question was… could they achieve the same level of success, separately, as they had together. Unlike Lennon & McCartney, who were both prodigious writers, only the Simon component composed music. Art was an outstanding vocalist, but he couldn’t write.
    Art Garfunkel pursued a career in motion pictures, but in eleven years, he made only three films: the war-time comedy Catch-22” in ‘69, "Carnal Knowledge" in ’71 with Ann Margret & Jack Nicholson, and the psychological drama "Bad Timing" in 1980. Of his eight charting singles during that period, two were "reunion" efforts with Paul Simon, and only one solo song, "All I Know" reached the national Top 10. For a while, Art even left show business altogether, seemingly re-evaluating what to do with his life.
    During his hiatus, Art worked as a teacher in Connecticut, a draftsman in New York, and a math tutor in LA, before working on a solo album himself. “We were really best friends up until 'Bridge over Troubled Water,'” Simon said in the documentary In Restless Dreams. “[Afterwards], it didn’t have the harmony of the friendship…

Komentáře • 850

  • @ProfessorofRock
    @ProfessorofRock  Před měsícem +52

    Poll: What is your pick for the song with the COOLEST Drum part from the Rock era?

  • @LazyIRanch
    @LazyIRanch Před měsícem +144

    Mentioning the book, "Catch 22" reminded me of one of my favorite anecdotes about famous authors.
    The late novelist Kurt Vonnegut informed his pal, Joseph Heller, that their host (at the fancy party they were attending), a hedge fund manager, had made more money in a single day than Heller had earned from his wildly popular novel Catch-22 over its whole history.
    Heller responded - “Yes, but I have something he will never have . . . enough.”
    May all of you have... ENOUGH!

    • @williamsanders2439
      @williamsanders2439 Před měsícem +5

      @LazyIRanch actually got to see Mr Vonnegut speak in person years ago. One of the highlights of my college years!

    • @ProfessorofRock
      @ProfessorofRock  Před měsícem +3

      Thanks!

    • @LazyIRanch
      @LazyIRanch Před měsícem +4

      @@williamsanders2439 WOW! I'm envious! I love Vonnegut, and so does my son. I have found some audiobook recordings on CZcams of Vonnegut reading his own works, but I would have loved to have heard him in person.

    • @babygerald4645
      @babygerald4645 Před měsícem +5

      Thanks for sharing this. Catch-22 is one of my favorite books of all time. I don't usually do this, particularly with music, but this book just hits me on every level. The movie is underrated but nothing close to the book. Given the amount of material to work with in the book, I think it did an admirable job capturing the idiocy and contradictions of war and all the insane characters involved.

    • @xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980
      @xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Před měsícem +1

      I love it!

  • @odditiesparanormalmysterie1723
    @odditiesparanormalmysterie1723 Před měsícem +147

    Can you imagine needing a tutor in math & Art Garfunkel shows up at your door? Only way to top that is Brian May tutoring you in Astrophysics!

    • @ProfessorofRock
      @ProfessorofRock  Před měsícem +9

      No kidding!

    • @AnnaTrail-xp8pr
      @AnnaTrail-xp8pr Před měsícem

      🤣

    • @xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980
      @xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Před měsícem +1

      I wonder if he is a lecturer for college students

    • @Ceelle2
      @Ceelle2 Před měsícem +1

      ​@marktait2371
      Punctuation is your friend, friend.

    • @cheriem432
      @cheriem432 Před 29 dny +4

      There is a *tremendously* strong correlation between music and mathematics that I doubt the general public realizes, so Art and Brian being heavily into math makes sense to me! 😇

  • @oastie3
    @oastie3 Před 28 dny +32

    Paul Simon is what I describe as one of the world’s great wordsmiths. they are few and far between.

    • @gregorymoore2877
      @gregorymoore2877 Před 19 dny +2

      He has his books and his poetry to protect him. He is shielded in his armor. 😉

  • @shellyhm2477
    @shellyhm2477 Před měsícem +29

    Art Garfunkel has one of the most beautiful voices I’ve ever heard

  • @kafkal2281
    @kafkal2281 Před měsícem +37

    You can Call Me Al is one of those songs that always makes me smile and involves crazy antics! Such a fun song 🤪

    • @ProfessorofRock
      @ProfessorofRock  Před měsícem +3

      For sure!

    • @t_cheating8239
      @t_cheating8239 Před měsícem +4

      I did a dance back in the days with my friend for this song.

    • @cheriem432
      @cheriem432 Před 24 dny +4

      Are you referring to the video by Paul and Chevy Chase? I enjoyed it too.

  • @jameshdugan
    @jameshdugan Před měsícem +31

    In 1999 Paul Simon and Bob Dylan came to St. Louis together.. I loved Bob Dylan and still do. But Paul Simon had everyone singing along with nearly every song. Simon has written the sound track of a lot of people's lives.

    • @LQOTW
      @LQOTW Před měsícem +3

      Well put! That is so true.

    • @taraspage
      @taraspage Před 28 dny

      I saw them in Memphis Tennessee around the same time. Very memorable time.

  • @fjcrod
    @fjcrod Před měsícem +18

    It never occurred to me that it was a silly song. It always struck me as pretty serious....and get yourself free, indeed. A year later, he'd release the heart wrenching "Slip Sliding Away." Always thought of it as a follow up to "Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover."

  • @PenneyThoughts
    @PenneyThoughts Před měsícem +25

    Fav Paul Simon tune ... "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes". The SNL performance was/is amazing too.

  • @georgemathie8123
    @georgemathie8123 Před měsícem +79

    Paul Simon is just timeless his music has spanned generations and whether you're a fan or just a casual listener Paul's music will definitely brighten your day

  • @gioknows
    @gioknows Před 28 dny +16

    I remember Donnie & Marie Osmond had a variety show back in the 70's very similar to the Sonny & Cher show and they would do a little monologue with some bantering back and forth and when Donnie said one particular joke to Marie she replied that she would like to talk about the Fifty ways to leave your *BROTHER* which I thought was a cute line. Cheers from Ottawa, Canada🍁

    • @cheriem432
      @cheriem432 Před 24 dny +1

      It was. The whole show was designed to be wholesome and cute.

    • @arfriedman4577
      @arfriedman4577 Před 16 dny

      I was young when i saw donny and marie. I just remember singing and talking.

  • @GoodieWhiteHat
    @GoodieWhiteHat Před měsícem +24

    I watched Paul Simon’s recent interview by Colbert on the Late Show. He said he wasn’t a perfectionist, he just got a song to where he didn’t hate it. that’s the standard of brilliance. He’s got a very interesting life story.

  • @damsbaug33
    @damsbaug33 Před měsícem +111

    Phoebe Snow fact: Billy Joel had a song that he was hesitant to put on his next album, thinking it was too sappy. When Phoebe Snow and Linda Ronstadt heard the song, they told Joel that he MUST include it on the album. The song - Just the Way You Are. The rest is history.

    • @xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980
      @xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Před měsícem

      This is an amazing fact!

    • @gailabert7976
      @gailabert7976 Před měsícem +2

      Yeah, nice song but then didn’t he divorce the idea for that song?

    • @allrequiredfields
      @allrequiredfields Před měsícem

      ​@@gailabert7976What does that have to do with anything?

    • @HalfDeadGeezers
      @HalfDeadGeezers Před měsícem

      I believe everything Billy Joel touched was overly sappy. Except for Uptown Girl and it's video. That is some bad ass stuff!!!!!

    • @yorkiemom6144
      @yorkiemom6144 Před měsícem +3

      If you think that you've not listened to Billy's entire catalog. It's incredibly extensive. For instance, "We Didn't Start the Fire' and " Angry Young Man" were hardly bubble gum, lol.
      Go down the Billy Joel rabbit hole one day and listen to his more obscure stuff. He's truly a genius storyteller. ☺️

  • @user-mw2ou1ix5d
    @user-mw2ou1ix5d Před 23 dny +7

    Simon and Garfunkel made the most beautiful harmony that I’ve ever known. I can’t help but sing with them when I hear their music.

  • @krautnation
    @krautnation Před měsícem +27

    I think Paul Simon will go down as one of the greatest American Poet from the 20th Century.

  • @mournblade1066
    @mournblade1066 Před měsícem +44

    Paul Simon's _Graceland_ is absolutely sublime. I've been listening to that quite a bit lately.

    • @ProfessorofRock
      @ProfessorofRock  Před měsícem +2

      I agree! Great record!

    • @daBEAGLE1017
      @daBEAGLE1017 Před měsícem +1

      I remember my mom playing that album when it came out. Love that album.

    • @Magnum3144
      @Magnum3144 Před měsícem +2

      One of the BEST. Diamonds on the soles of her shoes!!!!! A-wa A-wa

    • @xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980
      @xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Před měsícem +1

      One of the best albums ever.

    • @HotRod12667
      @HotRod12667 Před měsícem

      That's one of my favorites.

  • @highstreetradiocafe5448
    @highstreetradiocafe5448 Před měsícem +14

    Simon and Garfunckel are genuine American treasures.

  • @vonhalberstadt3590
    @vonhalberstadt3590 Před měsícem +11

    Love the "Wake Me Up Before You GoGo" shirt.
    I used to sing this to my infant daughter back when as we danced in her room. We got in trouble when my wife came home while we were rocking as she switched the (loud) radio off.
    Busted!

  • @KismetKat11
    @KismetKat11 Před měsícem +7

    My first favorite song as a little kid was “Cecelia” by Simon and Garfunkel, I just loved the percussion. Still a fan of Paul Simon after all these years. Such a talented artist!

  • @mitchellbaker9434
    @mitchellbaker9434 Před měsícem +38

    Paul Simon became one of the greatest songwriters ever by keeping his eyes and ears open every waking minute for anything that could become a song, be it a Chinese restaurant menu (Mother And Child Reunion), or this great one.

    • @ProfessorofRock
      @ProfessorofRock  Před měsícem +3

      So true.

    • @Chapps1941
      @Chapps1941 Před měsícem +3

      A song about the colonic combination of the mother, chicken, and the child; the egg?

    • @beenaplumber8379
      @beenaplumber8379 Před měsícem +2

      I'd like to hear the rest of that story about the Chinese restaurant menu. (Did he have a chicken egg foo yong?) That's my favorite Paul Simon song... I think.

    • @mitchellbaker9434
      @mitchellbaker9434 Před měsícem +1

      @@Chapps1941 You've got it

    • @mitchellbaker9434
      @mitchellbaker9434 Před měsícem +5

      @@beenaplumber8379 It's in his bio. He was at a Chinese restaurant, perusing the menu for a dish to order, and came across one called "Mother and Child Reunion". And as our friend above deduced, it is indeed a chicken and egg dish.

  • @rhondaburke2231
    @rhondaburke2231 Před měsícem +50

    I have sang "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" as a kid, to my kids and now to my grandkids. Absolutely love it. When we need to run an errand and we don't want the grandkids to know what we're doing we just say "I'm gonna slip out the back jack" 🤣🤣

    • @ProfessorofRock
      @ProfessorofRock  Před měsícem +2

      Thanks!

    • @xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980
      @xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Před měsícem +1

      Haha!

    • @stephenhanft1226
      @stephenhanft1226 Před měsícem +3

      @@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 I always had a lot fun singing "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover" with the great rhyming. I still remember the words to the main chorus. "Just slip out the back, Jack. Make a new plan, Stan. You don't need to be coy, Roy. Just get yourself free. Hop on the bus, Gus. Don't need to discuss much. Just drop off the key, Lee. And get yourself free." I always considered it a fun, novelty song.

    • @cheriem432
      @cheriem432 Před 29 dny

      Um, "I have *sung*"?

  • @chrisvickers7928
    @chrisvickers7928 Před měsícem +8

    I was in grad school when the track came out. The student newspaper published a list of the best places to drink off campus entitled "Fifty Ways to Lose Your Liver."

  • @Fregulus5
    @Fregulus5 Před měsícem +9

    One of the saddest songs of all time was Art's "Bright Eyes" from Watership Down.

    • @gregorymoore2877
      @gregorymoore2877 Před 19 dny +2

      A beautiful song from an animated movie that runs on nightmare fuel.

  • @timjensen6968
    @timjensen6968 Před měsícem +7

    S & G sounded so great together even after the breakup but I can understand Simon's frustration with Art.

  • @lockedonlaw
    @lockedonlaw Před měsícem +15

    Carrie Fisher telling anyone else the problem was all inside their head is projection. Having said that, I absolutely adored both her and her mother.

  • @thebunter
    @thebunter Před měsícem +22

    I remember the first time I heard this song. I had moved to a new home and had a long country bus ride to school (over an hour) and the bus driver had a radio hooked up in the bus. This song is the first song I really remember listening to on that bus ride. The rhyming structure caught my young ears (4th grade) and I used to sing along with it during those long bus rides. Thanks for bringing the memories back Professor.

    • @ProfessorofRock
      @ProfessorofRock  Před měsícem +2

      Thanks for watching!

    • @LazyIRanch
      @LazyIRanch Před měsícem +5

      So Paul's toddler wasn't the only child who benefitted from his fun lesson in rhyming!💖
      I made up a game to play with my son when he was in elementary school. My son loves Star Trek, and Mr. Spock and Data were his favorite characters. The game was, "How would Mr. Spock say it?" This encouraged him to expand his vocabulary.
      Example: Instead of saying "Birds of a feather flock together" Mr. Spock might say; "Avian animals with similar plumage tend to associate with those who most visually resemble themselves."

    • @patd.3368
      @patd.3368 Před měsícem

      Great story!!!!

    • @allrequiredfields
      @allrequiredfields Před měsícem +1

      WHAT? You had a bus ride to school with music? That would have been fantastic.

    • @thebunter
      @thebunter Před měsícem +2

      @@allrequiredfields Yeah, due to the length of the ride (most days it was over an hour long with some winter days approaching 2 hours) the bus driver added a stereo to the bus. It Wasn't the best but it sure made those long bus rides a bit more endurable.

  • @HollyLetson
    @HollyLetson Před měsícem +26

    My Dad's name was Roy, and we used to tease him with the "Don't need to be coy, Roy." lyric. He didn't like that, and always said he hated this song.
    On another Simon-related note, I used lyrics from *"Kodachrome"* as the quote on my Senior Page in the yearbook in 1999. My English teachers were not too pleased to see *"When I think on all the crap I learned in high school, it's wonder I can think at all. And, I know my lack of education hasn't hurt me none."* listed there, and I was stopped by all 4 of them individually, telling me I knew better than be using double negatives in a sentence. I guess, none of them noticed where I gave credit to the source. I just really loved the song.

    • @BearJwG
      @BearJwG Před měsícem +1

      10 bucks says they each knew! Being educators they got the last laugh making you only think about the grammar, and forever wondering if they actually knew where the quote was from. Educators are great like that. Cheers!

    • @iampoch01
      @iampoch01 Před 19 dny

      ​@@BearJwG agreed.

    • @gregorymoore2877
      @gregorymoore2877 Před 19 dny

      Glad to see you could read the writing on the wall. 😉

  • @JC-bt8jo
    @JC-bt8jo Před měsícem +5

    As a kid growing up in the 70s, I always heard it as “don’t need to be corduroy”. Couldn’t understand what he had against corduroy - I loved my corduroy pants 😂
    Also - check out Rick Beato’s interview with Steve Gadd. Phenomenal interview and they also touch on how he came up with that drum riff.
    Love your videos!

  • @maxshea1829
    @maxshea1829 Před 23 dny +3

    I think it's easy to lose sight of how brilliant Art Garfunkel is. I mean, in the shadow of Paul Simon. If he couldn't sing, Art might have been a math professor at Columbia U. Real bright guy.

  • @waynevia6976
    @waynevia6976 Před měsícem +14

    I love that song. Paul Simon is one of the best singer's in my opinion. He has so many great songs. Mother and child reunion is one of my favorites. Late in the evening from the movie one trick pony is one of my favorite songs. I love Phoebe snow's song poetry man another favorite of mine.

  • @Kari.F.
    @Kari.F. Před měsícem +5

    I didn't really know the English language yet when I first heard 50 ways to leave your lover. But even without understanding the lyrics, I loved everything about it. Still do. It's a tiny piece of exquisite art in a huge and often overly elaborate musical universe.

  • @tnrodgers
    @tnrodgers Před měsícem +7

    As a teen with fresh Fifty Ways it helped me see relationships differently. Less panacea. Teaching rhymes makes sense, but under it all, I think Paul needed closure. Love the song. Thanks Adam! You are truly the Professor of Rock.

  • @patrickfort4467
    @patrickfort4467 Před měsícem +18

    Graceland is one of the greatest albums of all time.

  • @donwarrington4916
    @donwarrington4916 Před měsícem +30

    The professor is a confessor , a supressor of stressors ...and a snappy dresser .....lol

  • @andyhowlett2231
    @andyhowlett2231 Před měsícem +9

    'Still Crazy' and 'Fifty Ways' are still my all-time favourite Paul Simon songs.

  • @bartbluemusic
    @bartbluemusic Před měsícem +13

    My Mom used to play this song a lot when I was growing up. I honestly never paid too much attention to it, wasn't one of my favorites. As I got older, I grew a deeper appreciation for it. Now, I really like it. Go figure.

    • @LazyIRanch
      @LazyIRanch Před měsícem +2

      I'm glad you lucked out and had a mom with great taste in music! Me too, and I miss her sumpthin' awful.
      I actually remember watching that Grammy Award ceremony with my mom, when Paul Simon thanked Stevie Wonder for NOT releasing an album that year. I also remember watching the Grammys the year before, when Stevie won several categories and my mom was squealing she was so happy for him!
      In the 90s, she and my dad were vacationing at a resort in Puerto Vallarta, and mom realized they were walking right behind Stevie Wonder and his wife on the grand staircase.
      She told me, "I could have reached out and touched him!" "Oh Momma, please tell me you didn't..." She didn't, but she wanted to! She also said, "Stevie's wife is absolutely gorgeous! Do you think he knows that?" Yeah, I'm sure he's aware.😂🤣
      Dad had no idea who Stevie Wonder was.🙄Nerd!😏

    • @bartbluemusic
      @bartbluemusic Před měsícem +2

      @@LazyIRanch - what a great story! TY for sharing this. :)

  • @edstuff1198
    @edstuff1198 Před měsícem +5

    One of my favorite songs from Simon and Garfunkle is For Emily Whenever I May Find Her. "When I woke and felt you near, I kissed your honey hair with my grateful tears. I love you girl, oh how I love you." That has to be one of the most beautiful and romantic lyrics ever written. Paul Simon is a genius.

    • @deekang6244
      @deekang6244 Před 27 dny +1

      One of my favorites as well. Just the most beautiful lyrics and music.

  • @matthewclark9652
    @matthewclark9652 Před měsícem +5

    The song "My Little Town" is also on Art Garfunkel's 1975 "Breakaway". Art reunited again with Simon & also James Taylor to do the Sam Cooke classic "Wonderful World" (from Art's 1978 "Watermark" album).

  • @kariqualters5908
    @kariqualters5908 Před měsícem +8

    LOVED this one Professor!!! I still get amazed at how you can play 3sec of a song and bring back a lifetime of memories and this one was full of them!!! Thanks, as always, for the memories…❤😊

  • @lynngreen7978
    @lynngreen7978 Před měsícem +19

    "let me explain."
    "That will take too long, let me sum up."

    • @cheriem432
      @cheriem432 Před 24 dny

      ?

    • @gregorymoore2877
      @gregorymoore2877 Před 19 dny

      Paul Simon could have gone to Fezzik for help with any rhymes. Fezzik has a wonderful gift for rhyme.

  • @pennyslug
    @pennyslug Před měsícem +2

    Another Paul Simon episode = GOLD! I was in a long running show with a live band and there was moment where I “beat up” the lead singer and the drummer would play a little beat. One night I asked him if he knew the opening of “50 Ways” and he started playing for me every night. This is one of my all time favorite songs and I have used it and referenced it a lot! And still, I didn’t know this story. Thanks, Adam!

  • @trinaq
    @trinaq Před měsícem +9

    I always used to sing this song with my mum, and we'd have fun listing the various different rhymes.

  • @rogertemple7193
    @rogertemple7193 Před měsícem +9

    Paul and Art were a great pop music duo of the 60's and 70's.🎤🎶🎸🎶🎹🎶🥁

    • @ProfessorofRock
      @ProfessorofRock  Před měsícem +2

      Amen!

    • @rogertemple7193
      @rogertemple7193 Před měsícem +2

      @@ProfessorofRock I did like Art's singing a bit better than Paul's
      but I never really heard enough of Art singing solo since Paul did
      most of the lead vocals on their songs, Hall and Oates were like
      them with Daryl Hall doing the lead singing and John Oates was mainly
      backing vocals and guitar playing and solos Thank You Professor.

  • @mremusic999
    @mremusic999 Před měsícem +2

    As James Brown said, "give the drummer some!"
    The right drum part can make or break a song, and Gadd's part is...(chef's kiss).

  • @jaynefurze9942
    @jaynefurze9942 Před měsícem +3

    Saw Paul Simon on the Graceland tour. It was one of the best concerts that I ever attended.

  • @ReverendDr.Thomas
    @ReverendDr.Thomas Před měsícem +3

    DEFINITELY one of the finest songwriters of our era!
    I remember listening to this song on the radio not long after it was released, and recognized it as an unusually good song lyrically, which is rather rare in popular music.

  • @cindysnow2123
    @cindysnow2123 Před měsícem +3

    As a kid, I remember everyone knowing the part where he starts naming ways to leave!! I remember a character using the rhyme to teach Mork something on Mork and Mindy! Paul Simon knew this song would form earworms in heads for years!!

  • @user-hr1gw3qr8w
    @user-hr1gw3qr8w Před měsícem +14

    Or as Ralph on the Muppet Show called it "50 Ways to love your lever" 😊😊😊😊

  • @rogerdeahl9629
    @rogerdeahl9629 Před měsícem +16

    ❤🎉
    Paul Simon is an amazing artist. 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover, and You Can Call Me Al are two great silly songs that hit it big.
    Who would have thought Paul would produce a song like this after the classic compositions with Art Garfunkle?
    Thanks Professor!
    Great Wham! shirt.

  • @danstone8783
    @danstone8783 Před měsícem +9

    Such cool drumming in this song.

    • @LazyIRanch
      @LazyIRanch Před měsícem +2

      IKR? I wonder why that doesn't get mentioned more often. The snare drum in the beginning is a whole mood, it gives it an almost military marching feel that to me seemed to symbolize glumly trudging towards one's destiny, until the funny lyrics kick in and we are let in on "the joke" and we are cheering the singer on in his quest to get himself free!😃❤‍🩹

    • @raymondm4441
      @raymondm4441 Před měsícem +1

      @@LazyIRanch It's great you picked up on the military feel as Steve Gadd played in the US Army Field Band.

    • @xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980
      @xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Před měsícem +1

      The great Steve Gadd!

  • @CowGirlKat8691
    @CowGirlKat8691 Před měsícem +2

    My son really liked this song whenever I played because his nickname is used as one of the men's names. My favorite will always be "Scarborough Fair", but who doesn't love Paul & Chevy Chase in the video for, "You Can Call Me Al"?! My second favorite Paul Simon song. 🤠

  • @fivestring65ify
    @fivestring65ify Před měsícem +2

    I wasn't aware of this being his biggest solo hit, but it is a great one. Simon is one of the best songwriters of the rock era. Great episode, professor. My personal favorite is, You can call me Al.

  • @allengray5748
    @allengray5748 Před měsícem +3

    One of my FAVORITES of Paul along with LOVE ME LIKE A ROCK 💟 GOAT among male singers song writers!! Great Job Professor!! Peace 🕊️☮️♾️😎

  • @LazyIRanch
    @LazyIRanch Před měsícem +17

    There Goes Rhymin' Simon!💝

    • @ProfessorofRock
      @ProfessorofRock  Před měsícem +1

      Sucha good record!

    • @LazyIRanch
      @LazyIRanch Před měsícem

      @@ProfessorofRock One of my favorite albums. I really enjoyed this episode, thanks Adam!

  • @ForrestGreen-bi9nj
    @ForrestGreen-bi9nj Před měsícem +3

    Love the song, occasionally (?). But I’m truly amazed that “You Can Call Me Al” wasn’t any where near the top of the charts. I guess people don’t count endless plays on MTV (remember when they played music?) Highly favored by many people who I suppose don’t count😮

  • @-Skookie-
    @-Skookie- Před měsícem +1

    It’s not a matter of which was better, the duo or Simon alone. Very few of this world can match Simon‘s ability to put words and music to our lives. But the early Simon wrote with the intention of knowing his long time friend Garfunkel would be lending his beautiful voice. Once that magic was gone, Simon couldn’t force what he couldn’t feel. Thank goodness he still could translate his feelings into a different kind of magic.

  • @jstnxprsn
    @jstnxprsn Před měsícem +3

    Good morning Adam and music lovers. How cool os this. Paul Simon is national treasure.. Not only as part of Simon and Garfunkel, but his solo albums were masterpieces as well. His level of song mastery to me became obvious with the There Goes Rhymin' Simon album, with genius works like Kodachrome, Love Me Like A Rock, and American Tune. Later songs like 50 Ways jst cemented that legacy. Looking forward to this one. Thanks Adam.

    • @ProfessorofRock
      @ProfessorofRock  Před měsícem +2

      Thanks for watching my friend!

    • @jstnxprsn
      @jstnxprsn Před měsícem

      @@ProfessorofRock How could I not brother, after all the work you put in? Appreciation is an important part of life, and I greatly appreciate you, my friend.

    • @AnnaTrail-xp8pr
      @AnnaTrail-xp8pr Před měsícem +1

      Good morning.

  • @geoffreykeane4072
    @geoffreykeane4072 Před měsícem +3

    Just noting that “Bright Eyes” sung by Art was a huge hit all around the word in 1979 - other than in the US.

  • @shiroibasketshoes
    @shiroibasketshoes Před měsícem +6

    Hi Professor, nice to see the latest promotion of the multi-talented Paul Simon. I second a fan’s suggestion you feature Johnny Clegg, of whom Paul is a fan. I'm an Art Garfunkel fan, too. It seems you always mean single song when you refer to a hit, though writing does not specify it. But Paul Simon had two US #1 hits if one counts the album “Still Crazy After All These Years.” Marie Osmond told a joke about “50 ways to leave your brother.”

    • @LazyIRanch
      @LazyIRanch Před měsícem +1

      I love Johnny Clegg's music! For those not familiar:
      Johnny Clegg & Savuka, was a multi-racial South African band formed in 1986 by Johnny Clegg after the disbanding of Juluka. Savuka's music blended traditional Zulu musical influences with Celtic music and rock music that had a cross-racial appeal in South Africa.
      They had a pretty popular hit in the USA with their gorgeous song, "Dela" which was featured in the "George of the Jungle" movie with Brendan Fraser. Here's a link to that perfect love song, and one of my top "feel-good" songs to listen to when the world seems ugly and hate-filled:
      czcams.com/video/y9POxYRcwvc/video.html
      I agree, an episode about Johnny Clegg would be fascinating. Sadly, Mr. Clegg passed from pancreatic cancer in 2019 so he's not available for interviews.

    • @shiroibasketshoes
      @shiroibasketshoes Před měsícem +2

      @@LazyIRanch Thanks very much for all that information on the late great Johnny Clegg, Lazy I Ranch. I’m a big fan of his work solo and with Juluka and Savuka and of course his and their dancing on stage was amazing. Of course the linked song is one of his best, along with “Scatterlings Of Africa,” “Fever,” “Asimbonanga,” “Kilimanjaro,” “Ring On Her Finger,” “Great Heart,” “Cruel, Crazy Beautiful World”…

  • @ericbgordon1575
    @ericbgordon1575 Před měsícem +3

    The first time I remember hearing "50 Ways" was in the early nineties when my sister had been giving her first CD Boombox upon graduating high school and received Paul's compilation record *Negotiations and Love Songs.* Shoetly after we purchased a carousel CD player, my mother purchased the *Still Crazy...* album, and I heard the song in the context of the ones surrounding it. As the 90s and my teen years progressed, I had more than one occasion to relate to the different feelings of frustration and regret that Paul mused about on this album. The Year 1997 when I was 17 was the first time I remember hearing that my father would divorce my mother, even though he didn't make that move for another 6 . I also remember thinking about another single, "Have A Good Time", in the context of my 17th birthday and how I was having a lousy school year. Since then, I have figured out that he must also have been singing about the Fallout from when he and Garfunkel split up 5 years earlier and how "My Little Town" was something I could relate to, coming from a similar small town environment to one Adam Reader.
    That part of the saga including Paul making the joke at the Grammys about Stevie not issuing an album in 1975 is something I learned about recently. I can just imagine the amount of giggles both dudes had over it in the aftermath. The most interesting part has to do with how Paul was not the most prolific writer while Stevie had an ethic of writing a song a day 50 years ago.

    • @ProfessorofRock
      @ProfessorofRock  Před měsícem +1

      THanks Eric

    • @AnnaTrail-xp8pr
      @AnnaTrail-xp8pr Před měsícem +1

      I always figured you as older. Same age as my daughter. Glad you discovered him.

    • @ericbgordon1575
      @ericbgordon1575 Před měsícem

      Thanks, @AnnaTrail-xp8pr . One thing that I probably have said too often below uploads by the Professor of Rock is how my date of birth is January 1980.

    • @AnnaTrail-xp8pr
      @AnnaTrail-xp8pr Před měsícem +1

      @@ericbgordon1575 you say what comes to you nothing wrong about that.

    • @xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980
      @xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Před měsícem

      Did you grow up in Idaho?

  • @ManUnhappy
    @ManUnhappy Před měsícem +4

    One night many years ago I was up late trying to write a new song. I switched to bass from guitar trying to shake something loose from my brain. I hit what I thought was gold and I recorded it. The next day I played it back and my girlfriend was blown away. “You have something great here.”
    I said “Yes I do… it’s a definite hit song..”
    It was this song, shook from my brain.

    • @cheriem432
      @cheriem432 Před 24 dny +1

      I'm confused. Are you Paul Simon?

    • @ManUnhappy
      @ManUnhappy Před 24 dny +3

      @@cheriem432 no the riff was stuck in my subconscious from when my dad used to spin the 45 when I was little. And it popped up out of the blue and I realized what I’d done the next day.

  • @gregoryschwert4051
    @gregoryschwert4051 Před měsícem +1

    Always makes me think of John Valby and his X rated version. Had never heard of him when friends said we had to go see him live. Place was packed and after a few beers, his show had everyone laughing.

    • @brianc9642
      @brianc9642 Před měsícem

      “The Prince of Porn” is not forgotten!

  • @michellemorris2888
    @michellemorris2888 Před měsícem +1

    Love Paul and Call Me Al is my favorite song! You can't hear it without feeling a mood lift. I can't hear it without picturing him and Chevy Chase, love that video.

  • @hugome778
    @hugome778 Před měsícem +7

    Paul Simon is a genius lyricist. 50 Ways..was never a favorite, but I remember playing a CD of his greatest hits for my kids to fall asleep to when they were little. My daughter used to ask for "Mama Pajama." She's 30 now, and still thinks of Paul Simon as her bedtime music. My favorite might be Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes.

  • @Johnwick-ed7vo
    @Johnwick-ed7vo Před měsícem +1

    Paul Simon, man what can I say that has not already been said, he influenced my younger years before I even knew his name, koda chrome reached deep so deep that I ended up writing a poem based off of it , I always miss heard the lyrics and thought he said " coat of chrome" lol😂😂. Well I may have heard it wrong for over a decade but it still inspired me.
    I place upon him a title that few artists in the music business ever let people hear.
    He was a true musician, questioning, answering, and always keeping it fresh

  • @eggsngritstn
    @eggsngritstn Před měsícem +4

    I remember being confused about this as a kid, not knowing the emotional strain that can come from an overbearing partner. Now I get it.

  • @Whisper_292
    @Whisper_292 Před měsícem +2

    Here's another song I didn't like as a child but do now. Still, my Paul Simon solo faves are Loves Me Like a Rock and Call Me Al (and that fantastic video! ).

  • @MyName-pl7zn
    @MyName-pl7zn Před měsícem +1

    My girl sings this song to me when she isn't happy with me, sometimes more seriously than others. Paul is such a great writer that he can write a song as kinda a goof and hit number 1, I remember my mom was upset when Simon and Garfunkel broke up but after hearing his solo album she was no longer upset. Paul is definitely one of the greatest American songwriters ever. Fantastic episode professor!!

  • @missmarthafawker
    @missmarthafawker Před měsícem +1

    This was my favorite song when i was little. Im 52 now and i still love it.

  • @sandijohnson2216
    @sandijohnson2216 Před měsícem +4

    Grew up with Simon and Garfunkle. Great back story. ❤❤

  • @danbartfield8252
    @danbartfield8252 Před měsícem +5

    Apparently before Paul Simon showed this song to Steve Martin it was 47 Ways to Leave Your Lover 😂😂

  • @Sujowi
    @Sujowi Před 29 dny +1

    Loved Phoebe Snow…divine voice!

  • @paulendicott9151
    @paulendicott9151 Před měsícem +1

    I always loved Paul Simon's songs. Like most people, with or without Art. I was young and knew a man who had just got married. I congratulated his wife on becoming Miss Robinson, she looked at me funny but I had not seen the movie that had just come out. Lol.... he always made such great music. Good show as usual.

  • @catbutte4770
    @catbutte4770 Před měsícem +1

    I like how Paul Simon can make fun of himself. I still remember him dressed up as a turkey on Saturday Night Live. 🦃

    • @r1l56me
      @r1l56me Před měsícem

      Still crazy after all these years… lol

  • @ericwilliams1031
    @ericwilliams1031 Před měsícem +1

    My mom played the "Still Crazy" album all the time. Those songs bring back memories. I love "My Little Town". That and Art's "All I Know" are on my playlist for work.

  • @Bobbyo60
    @Bobbyo60 Před měsícem

    50 ways was my 7 year old sons favorite song. Anytime it came on the radio he would be belting it out from the back seat.
    Paul Simon is truly a brilliant songwriter and singer!

  • @TerrickTerran
    @TerrickTerran Před měsícem +5

    Shame Paul only had 1 #1 but it's an awesome song and Paul has an incredible list of great songs no matter where they ended on the charts.

  • @linda.christie
    @linda.christie Před měsícem +1

    This is only my third or fourth favorite Paul Simon solo tune.
    First is probably "You Can Call Me Al" because I see the video in my head, and it cracks me up and makes me happy every single time! This is followed by a tie of "Me & Julio Down by the Schoolyard" and "Mother and Child Reunion" with "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" ending up in fourth place.
    I always thought he said, 'You don't need a decoy, Roy...' LOL

  • @scottrobinson529
    @scottrobinson529 Před měsícem +4

    I used to love singing along to this when I was a kid.

    • @ProfessorofRock
      @ProfessorofRock  Před měsícem

      It's so fun!

    • @scottrobinson529
      @scottrobinson529 Před měsícem

      @@ProfessorofRock it is. I think I was in the second grade. I got into trouble a couple years before for singing Celia at my grandma's house at a family dinner. I was walking down the hall singing "making love in the afternoon with Celia up in my bedroom" then I heard my dad say " what the hell are you singing. Funny thing is I heard it at home while he was playing the record.

  • @susanwoodcarver
    @susanwoodcarver Před měsícem +2

    Paul Simon was a poet.

  • @richardhinshaw2116
    @richardhinshaw2116 Před 24 dny +1

    Art also wrote and performed 'Bright Eyes' for the 'Watership Down' soundtrack. Pretty good.

  • @JeffBetker
    @JeffBetker Před měsícem

    So much of the pop music of the 60’s & 70’s brings a sense of euphoria that’s not easy to describe. I snapped up the opportunity to accompany a friend and his parents just to see Simon and Garfunkel live in 1984 at BC Place Stadium, Vancouver. Awesome, despite the poor acoustics of the venue!

  • @mikenixon2401
    @mikenixon2401 Před měsícem +5

    Paul Simon is an underrated U.S. music legend. Wow, I think I lived "50 ways..." when it was released. Fortunately, years later I met the love of my life and we have remained happily married 30 years and counting. "My Little Town" is better when one grows older. Man, Adam, you are really taking me down a long memory lane today. Thanks.

    • @ProfessorofRock
      @ProfessorofRock  Před měsícem

      Thanks!

    • @davidhinkson8856
      @davidhinkson8856 Před měsícem +1

      "My Little Town" has some great word pictures in it - I love the line, "And when it rains there's a rainbow and all of the colors are black".

  • @rasmusalmqvist5960
    @rasmusalmqvist5960 Před měsícem +1

    Aah, ok.. I was expecting "Baby Shark.. doo doo doo doo.." 😂

  • @guarddave
    @guarddave Před 16 dny

    Credit needs to be given to Artie for his vocal arrangements that added so much to S & G recordings.

  • @hillaryposner9665
    @hillaryposner9665 Před měsícem

    Ahhh.. I was five when this came out… it’s always been one of my favorites… my mom had just left my dad… we connected with this song.. it brings back memories.

  • @peggybaxter8480
    @peggybaxter8480 Před měsícem

    Simon and Garfunkel were my heros. Still love them! Thank You for sharing this history!

  • @donna7873
    @donna7873 Před měsícem +2

    This song and Todd’s onomatopoeia always make me smile . 🌼

  • @barbbonam
    @barbbonam Před 15 dny

    I loved when Simon and Garfunkel were a thing, and was heart broken when they split. I did like Paul Simon's solo endeavors also, however. I remember rollerskating at the Akron Arcade and them playing it while we were skating...."50 Ways to leave your lover"...

  • @markadams7046
    @markadams7046 Před měsícem

    I am such huge Simon & Garfunkel fan, and I think Simon is one of the greatest song writers, if not the greatest, of the 20th century. I often sing 50 Ways as I walk my dog because it's such a fun song to sing. As for Art, I always like the song he sang for the movie Watership Down "Bright Eyes." I know Art didn't write it, but I love his soothing voice on it. I wish that song was more popular.

  • @Hazeltunes
    @Hazeltunes Před měsícem

    I think this a quite a caring, understanding and ‘grown up’ relationship song. Basically, the partner is saying I know you don’t want to be with me anymore, so if you want to leave then go. It really doesn’t matter how you go, there may not be a perfect way to leave, but there are plenty of ways to do it. Emotionally the singer has already gone and the partner knows that, but still cares.

  • @minkhollow
    @minkhollow Před 22 dny

    Always a delight to see Hermit of Mink Hollow lurking on the record shelf. XD

  • @jeffponcar391
    @jeffponcar391 Před měsícem +1

    50 Ways is one of those songs you get sucked into 10 seconds in. Great wordplay in the lyrics.

  • @loupeluso1223
    @loupeluso1223 Před měsícem

    this song was everywhere for like two weeks when i was a child. it was back in the days when a song could get "played out" like the captian and tenile haha but this one in particular woudl get various cousins to groan. great channel thank you.

  • @thatonedude1003
    @thatonedude1003 Před měsícem +2

    His appearance and performance of this song on The Muppets was fantastic!

  • @billybubba8344
    @billybubba8344 Před měsícem +2

    That is hilarious about his grammy speech. Stevie was tough to beat.

    • @williamashton9235
      @williamashton9235 Před měsícem

      Stevie had won "Album of the Year" Grammys both years just before Paul Simon won, but I think he just won one more afterwards, so this video is incorrect.

  • @idanwillenchik3050
    @idanwillenchik3050 Před měsícem +2

    Catch 22 was released in 1970. Art Garfunkel actually had two solo UK # 1 hits while Simon had no solo UK # 1 hits to date except his particiapation in USA for Africa's We Are the World in 1985. Garfunkel's Bright Eyes was the best selling single of 1979 in the UK but failed to reach the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.

    • @davidhinkson8856
      @davidhinkson8856 Před měsícem

      Bright Eyes was huge - I remember it on the radio all the time in the UK when I was nine years old and it was a very melancholy song. Gets me emotional now since I found out what it was all about during lockdown.

  • @kevinmcconnell3641
    @kevinmcconnell3641 Před měsícem +1

    Can we all just agree that the word great applies to Paul Simon whether working as a single, or as a twofer!!

  • @scottburton9701
    @scottburton9701 Před měsícem +1

    "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover" is an all-time classic-Ironically,it was the # 1 song on Valentine's Day 1976.

  • @kpopf4nmom
    @kpopf4nmom Před měsícem

    I would absolutely love to hear you do a piece on Phoebe Snow. She has such a beautiful voice and I couldn't help singing along when her songs came on the radio. Her story needs to be told and you're the only one who could do it justice.