History Music / SimonAndGarfunkel

* BigGuyLittleGuy

!!Principle Members (Founding members in '''bold'''):

* LesserStar: Former TropeNamer. Art Garfunkel has been characterized as the junior partner in the duo, and there is truth in that, as Simon sang, played guitar, and wrote all the musi,c while Garfunkel only sang. However, Garfunkel had a big hand in the vocal arrangements, and helped create the close harmonies that were one of the group's calling cards. One way to observe what Garfunkel brought to the act is to listen to ''The Concert in Central Park'' and pay attention to the Paul Simon solo tunes sung by the duo: "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard", "American Tune", "Late in the Evening", "Slip Slidin' Away", and "Kodachrome". The sound of the Simon and Garfunkel performances is very different from the original Paul Simon versions.

* InMemoriam: "He Was My Brother" was Simon's tribute to [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Goodman Andrew Goodman]].

* LesserStar: Former TropeNamer. Art Garfunkel has been characterised as the junior partner in the duo, and there is truth in that, as Simon both played guitar and wrote all the music while Garfunkel only sang. However, Garfunkel had a big hand in the vocal arrangements, and helped create the close harmonies that were one of the group's calling cards. (Compare the solo version of "American Tune" to the one they recorded together during the concert in Central Park.) Additionally, Art had the solo on the duo's biggest hit ever, "Bridge Over Troubled Water."

[[caption-width-right:236:From left to right: ''Art Garfunkel'' and ''Music/PaulSimon''.]]

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/SimonAndGarfunkel.jpg

Music/PaulSimon and Art Garfunkel first came together in 1957 under the name Tom and Jerry, but rose to fame as Simon & Garfunkel almost ten years later, mostly due to their hit "The Sounds of Silence" (1965). Both men were childhood friends growing up in Queens, [[BigApplesauce New York]] a few blocks away from each other.

Albums with their own page:

** ''Music/BridgeOverTroubledWater'' (1970).

* LesserStar: Former TropeNamer. Art Garfunkel has been characterized as the junior partner in the duo, and there is truth in that, as Simon both played guitar and wrote all the music while Garfunkel only sang. However, Garfunkel had a big hand in the vocal arrangements, and helped create the close harmonies that were one of the group's calling cards. (Compare the solo version of "American Tune" to the one they recorded together during the concert in Central Park.) Additionally, Art had the solo on the duo's biggest hit ever, "Bridge Over Troubled Water."

* NeverBeHurtAgain: "I Am a Rock" describes the feelings of someone who doesn't want to love anymore because they were hurt by it once.

** "At the Zoo" was used for advertisements for the Bronx Zoo and the San Francisco Zoo in the late 1970s, though this may overlap with [[IsntItIronic Isn't It Ironic]] due to the song being more of an allegory for human nature. However, PaulSimon himself later repurposed the song in the form of [[http://www.amazon.com/AT-ZOO-Books-Young-Readers/dp/0385417713 a children's book with the same title]].

* RuleOfSymbolism: A lot of it. For example, anytime a betrayal is implied, thirty pieces of silver (or dollars) is referenced.

** "The Boxer" was also interpreted as a TakeThat to Dylan, but Simon has {{Jossed}} that interpretation, explaining that it was actually about himself in a period he felt like he was constantly criticized. Dylan's own CoverVersion of it was seen as a TakeThat in return.

* NeverBeHurtAgain: "I Am A Rock" describes the feelings of someone who doesn't want to love anymore because they were hurt by it once.
-->Don't talk of love,\\
But I've heard the words before,\\
It's sleeping in my memory.\\
I won't disturb the slumber of feelings that have died.\\
If I never loved I never would have cried.

--> I been Creator/{{Ayn Rand}}ed, nearly branded
-->[[RedScare Communist]], 'cause I'm left-handed.
-->That's the hand I use... [[ADateWithRosiePalms well, never mind]].

-->Prior to this lifetime
-->I surely was a tailor
-->Look at me:
-->(“Good morning, Mr. Leitch! Have you had a busy day?”)

With the release of "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvsX03LOMhI The Sounds of Silence]]," Simon & Garfunkel became one of the {{Trope Codifier}}s of folk-rock alongside TheByrds. The song was also their first hit on the pop charts, reaching the number one spot on New Year's Day in 1966. Their later hits included "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYQaD2CAi9A Scarborough Fair/Canticle]]," which combined the English folk ballad "Scarborough Fair" with an anti-war poem sung in counterpoint, "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwQYH-6quEE Homeward Bound]]" and "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_a46WJ1viA Bridge Over Troubled Water]]." Later, their fame took an ever bigger boost when their music was used in the film ''TheGraduate'', which not only included their older songs (which was rare at that time for film) but also new material like "Mrs. Robinson."

Simon is by far the more well known of the group. He experienced a BreakupBreakout and a successful solo career, while Garfunkel is still best known for his efforts with the band, although he's also known for singing the ThemeSong of ''WatershipDown''. They have broken up several times, and reunited over the years. Most famously, they came together for The Concert in Central Park, which drew a crowd of over half-a-million.

* ConceptAlbum: Much of ''Bookends'' is tied together with the themes of aging and decaying love. [[BreathlessNonSequitur Also, it has that song from]] ''TheGraduate'' on it.

* OneWomanSong: "Mrs. Robinson", "Cecelia", "Kathy's Song", "For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her"

* TakeThat: "A Simple Desultory Philippic (or How I Was Robert Mc Namara'd into Submission)" is a rather savage BobDylan parody.

* ConceptAlbum: Side One of ''Bookends'' is tied together with the themes of aging and decaying love. [[BreathlessNonSequitur Also, it has that song from]] ''TheGraduate'' on it.

* ConceptAlbum: Much of ''Bookends'' is tied together with the themes of aging and decaying love. [[BreathlessNonSequitur Also, it has that song from]] ''TheGraduate'' on it.

* InTheStyleOf: Their early recordings as Tom and Jerry were a inspired by Music/TheEverlyBrothers' sound (whose song "Bye Bye Love" was covered on the ''Bridge over Troubled Water'' album).

* SomethingCompletelyDifferent: On ''Bridge over Troubled Water'', "Baby Driver" (a silly little IntercourseWithYou song in great contrast to the very serious tone of most of the other songs) and "Bye Bye Love" (a cover of Music/TheEverlyBrothers, and possibly a CallBack to their earlier years as "Tom and Jerry").

** "The Boxer" was also interpreted as a TakeThat to Dylan, but Simon has {{Jossed}} that interpretation, explaining that it was actually about himself in a period he felt like he was constantly criticised. Dylan's own CoverVersion of it was seen as a TakeThat in return.

* WanderlustSong: "And we walked off/To look for America"

-->When you say [[BobDylan Dylan]], he thinks you're talking about DylanThomas\\

The man ain't got no culture

** ''The Sound of Silence'' features the instrumental track "Anji", composed by Dave Graham.

* ChristmasSongs: In 1967 they recorded two carols ("The Star Carol" and "Comfort and Joy") for a planned Christmas single. It was never released, though the A-side turned up on a couple Christmas compilation albums and both songs were eventually included in the ''Old Friends'' box set.

* LesserStar: Former TropeNamer. Art Garfunkel has been characterized as the junior partner in the duo, and there is truth in that, as Simon both played guitar and wrote all the music while Garfunkel only sang. However, Garfunkel had the better voice, had a big hand in the vocal arrangements, and helped create the close harmonies that were one of the group's calling cards. (Compare the solo version of "American Tune" to the one they recorded together during the concert in Central Park.) Additionally, Art had the solo on the duo's biggest hit ever, "Bridge Over Troubled Water."
** Of course, YMMV about Garfunkel having the better voice - some simply prefer Simon's voice.

* Imagine Spot: "Fakin' It"

** "The Boxer" was also interpreted as a TakeThat to Dylan, but Simon has {{Jossed}} that interpretation. Dylan's own CoverVersion of it was seen as a TakeThat in return.

* YouAreNotAlone / AFriendInNeed: "Bridge Over Troubled Water"
--> I'm on your side/When times get rough/And friends just can't be found

* YouAreNotAlone: "Bridge Over Troubled Water"