Soon after releasing their 1970 album, Bridge Over Troubled Water, Simon & Garfunkel were finished as a duo. Crushed by the weight of their own success, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel had reached a breaking point. According to Simon, “I think if Artie had become a big movie star, he would have left.” And Simon, the group’s primary writer, chose to beat his partner to the punch and move on.
When Times Get Rough
Still, one of the duo’s biggest songs remains the title track of its fifth and final studio LP. And it’s a song about holding on.
When you’re weary, feeling small.
When tears are in your eyes,
I will dry them all.
I’m on your side when times get rough.
And friends just can’t be found,
Like a bridge over troubled water,
I will lay me down.
Like a bridge over troubled water,
I will lay me down.
Your Time Has Come To Shine
In the 2023 documentary, In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon, Simon describes growing tensions between him and Garfunkel and the unequal distribution of creative power within the group.
“We had an uneven partnership because I was writing all of the songs and basically running the sessions because I would say, ‘This is how it goes, and this is the guitar part, and you should be playing that on drums, and the bass should be doing this,’” he said.
Sail on, silvergirl,
Sail on by.
Your time has come to shine.
All your dreams are on their way.
See how they shine,
If you need a friend,
I’m sailing right behind.
Meanwhile, Simon felt a tinge of jealousy witnessing the crowd’s reaction to Garfunkel singing “Bridge Over Troubled Water”, with the audience often responding with a standing ovation.
Like a bridge over troubled water,
I will ease your mind.
Between Garfunkel’s acting ambitions, the creative imbalance between the two, and Simon’s nagging sense that he no longer needed his partner, the biggest folk duo in the world wouldn’t survive. Regardless of how powerfully Simon’s lyrics in “Bridge Over Troubled Water” urge patience, encouragement, and solidarity.
Photo by Tom Copi/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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