# In 1969, Paul Simon released a song he considered a “failure of songwriting”. It sold 2,000,000 copies, and he is still embarrassed

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/in-1969-paul-simon-released-a-song-he-considered-a-failure-of-songwriting-it-sold-2000000-copies-and-he-is-still-embarrassed/
- Published: 2026-10-31T16:21:12+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-31T18:33:14+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/in-1969-paul-simon-released-a-song-he-considered-a-failure-of-songwriting-it-sold-2000000-copies-and-he-is-still-embarrassed/
- Topics: Entertainment, Music

## Key points

- Simon thought ‘The Boxer’ lacked proper lyrics.
- The song became a hit and a fan favourite.
- He accepted its power but remained embarrassed by the refrain.

## Summary

Paul Simon initially judged Simon and Garfunkel’s 1969 song ‘The Boxer’ a songwriting failure because its refrain, “lie-la-lie”, had no intended words. The song became a favourite with listeners, and Simon later acknowledged that its emotional force and the meaning people found in it made it work.

In a 1990 interview, Simon said he had come to accept the song, though he still felt embarrassed singing the refrain. The article presents this as an example of the high standards he applied to his writing and the gap between an artist’s doubts and a song’s reception. The headline says it sold two million copies.

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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.