In 1969, Paul Simon released a song he considered a “failure of songwriting”. It sold 2,000,000 copies, and he is still embarrassed
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.
In short
- 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.
Explained simply
Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel were an American folk-rock duo whose close harmonies and carefully written songs made them popular in the 1960s. Simon wrote most of their material, including “The Boxer”, released in 1969.
The song follows a man facing hardship and loneliness, and its chorus includes a repeated sound with no specific words. Simon later said listeners gave that sound meaning through the feelings they brought to the song. The story matters because it shows how a writer’s own doubts can differ from the way audiences hear and value a piece of music.