# How Negative Reviews Inspired One of Paul Simon’s Best 1970s Songs: “I’m Going to Go Away if You Don’t Stop”

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/how-negative-reviews-inspired-one-of-paul-simons-best-1970s-songs-im-going-to-go-away-if-you-dont-stop/
- Published: 2026-11-12T23:30:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-13T00:34:28+00:00
- Original publisher: American Songwriter
- Original article: https://americansongwriter.com/how-negative-reviews-inspired-one-of-paul-simons-best-1970s-songs-im-going-to-go-away-if-you-dont-stop/
- Topics: Americas, Entertainment, Music, World

## Key points

- Reviews helped inspire Simon’s autobiographical song “The Boxer”.
- The song appeared on Simon & Garfunkel’s 1970 album.
- Simon said early praise gave way to doubts about the duo’s identity.

## Summary

Paul Simon said criticism from reviewers helped inspire “The Boxer”, the autobiographical song he wrote for Simon & Garfunkel’s 1970 album *Bridge Over Troubled Water*. After years of praise, the criticism left him feeling under pressure, and the song gave voice to his frustration and urge to escape.

Simon recalled that the duo’s early success with “The Sound of Silence” was followed by questions about whether they were genuine folk musicians or hippies. In his account, “The Boxer” reflected the feeling that people were “beating me up” and his warning that he would go away if they did not stop. Its lyrics about hardship and wanting to go home also leave space for listeners to relate their own experiences to the song.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.