In 1970, Paul Simon wrote his best song. He immediately wanted to “get away” from it

Paul Simon said ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ came to him suddenly and felt markedly better than his usual songwriting. Although the song became a defining success for Simon and Garfunkel, he quickly wanted to move away from its grand sound and explore different musical directions.

Simon described the song as one he knew he would never repeat, and said he wanted his next work to be “smaller” and centred on rhythm. His 1972 solo album began with ‘Mother and Child Reunion’, which he recorded in Jamaica; the article links this shift to his later exploration of varied influences, including on ‘Graceland’. Simon wrote the title track, which was sung by Art Garfunkel.