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

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/in-1970-paul-simon-wrote-his-best-song-he-immediately-wanted-to-get-away-from-it/
- Published: 2026-11-07T17:30:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-07T18:35:30+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/1970-paul-simon-made-best-song-get-away/
- Topics: Entertainment, Music

## Key points

- Simon called ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ unusually strong songwriting.
- He wanted to move on from its grand sound.
- His next album explored rhythm and Jamaican influences.

## Summary

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.

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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.