Simon & Garfunkel — The Dangling Conversation
Album: Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and ThymeAvg rating:
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Total ratings: 535
Length: 2:34
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It's a still-life watercolor
Of a now-late afternoon
As the sun shines through the curtain lace
And shadows wash the room
And we sit and drink our coffee
Couched in our indifference
Like shells upon the shore
You can hear the ocean roar
In the dangling conversation
And the superficial sighs
The borders of our lives
And you read your Emily Dickinson
And I my Robert Frost
And we note our place with book markers
That measure what we've lost
Like a poem poorly written
We are verses out of rhythm
Couplets out of rhyme
In syncopated time
And the dangling conversation
And the superficial sighs
Are the borders of our lives
Yes, we speak of things that matter
With words that must be said
Can analysis be worthwhile?
Is the theater really dead?
And how the room has softly faded
And I only kiss your shadow
I cannot feel your hand
You're a stranger now unto me
Lost in the dangling conversation
And the superficial sighs
In the borders of our lives
Of a now-late afternoon
As the sun shines through the curtain lace
And shadows wash the room
And we sit and drink our coffee
Couched in our indifference
Like shells upon the shore
You can hear the ocean roar
In the dangling conversation
And the superficial sighs
The borders of our lives
And you read your Emily Dickinson
And I my Robert Frost
And we note our place with book markers
That measure what we've lost
Like a poem poorly written
We are verses out of rhythm
Couplets out of rhyme
In syncopated time
And the dangling conversation
And the superficial sighs
Are the borders of our lives
Yes, we speak of things that matter
With words that must be said
Can analysis be worthwhile?
Is the theater really dead?
And how the room has softly faded
And I only kiss your shadow
I cannot feel your hand
You're a stranger now unto me
Lost in the dangling conversation
And the superficial sighs
In the borders of our lives
Comments (21)add comment
I still have this vivid memory of Bill playing S & G's Flowers Never Bend In The Rain and, just as the final sweet harmony was fading, he followed that with 23rd Century Schizoid Man- classic and eclectic indeed.
These guys have a future with Hallmark Greeting Cards.
Mot wrote:
You know, it's not often you see a negative comment on RP that actually has some arguments AND makes you laugh.
So, even though I do not agree with your comment at all, I gave it a thumbs up!
LLRP PLUR
Excessive polish, head strong, too majestic. Thought provoking in all the ways I don't care to provoke thought.
Or maybe I just can't stand S&G. Heck, they can't even stand each other.
You know, it's not often you see a negative comment on RP that actually has some arguments AND makes you laugh.
So, even though I do not agree with your comment at all, I gave it a thumbs up!
LLRP PLUR
Sap
Its a shame these two couldn't have worked out a way to get a long with each other they truly were amazing artists together.....Paul Simon had an amazing solo career as well but it would have been nice to see more from S&G
GODS of music! What an era! The best of originality.
kcar wrote:
Maybe I'm missing something in much of today's music, but can you imagine any song this subtle and rueful making the pop charts these days?
Perhaps it could happen, but 1966 was a long time ago. This song didn't make the year-end Top 100 that year, though a few of their other songs did. Keep in mind the other big hits of that year: "The Ballad of the Green Berets" by SSgt Barry Sadler, "Strangers in the Night" by Sinatra, "Elusive Butterfly" by Bob Lind, "Sweet Pea" and "Hooray for Hazel" by Tommy Roe, etc...
Maybe I'm missing something in much of today's music, but can you imagine any song this subtle and rueful making the pop charts these days?
Perhaps it could happen, but 1966 was a long time ago. This song didn't make the year-end Top 100 that year, though a few of their other songs did. Keep in mind the other big hits of that year: "The Ballad of the Green Berets" by SSgt Barry Sadler, "Strangers in the Night" by Sinatra, "Elusive Butterfly" by Bob Lind, "Sweet Pea" and "Hooray for Hazel" by Tommy Roe, etc...
I've loved this song since I myself was young and silly (now I'm old, and only silly when I can get away with it). People who find the lyrics to be pretentious are kind of missing the point--of course they're pretentious, since that's what Simon is wistfully making fun of, even while he recognizes it in himself. And the music and harmonies are beautiful.
Has an echo of Pink Floyd — Grantchester Meadows. Rather, that (later) Floyd has a melody hook echo of this.
Ouch.
One of my all-time favorite songs...absolutely beautiful
missjanuary wrote:
Perhaps so naively affected you didn't realise they were barbed and acidic?
Maybe I'm missing something in much of today's music, but can you imagine any song this subtle and rueful making the pop charts these days?
Perhaps so naively affected you didn't realise they were barbed and acidic?
Maybe I'm missing something in much of today's music, but can you imagine any song this subtle and rueful making the pop charts these days?
Originally Posted by missjanuary:
Perhaps so naively affected you didn't realise they were barbed and acidic?
What is it about S&G and college? I went to college in the 1980s and this song touches me as well. Perhaps because I went to Amherst, home of Emily Dickinson and Robert Frost. Snowy evenings, impossibly simple relationships -- and, yes, all of us so naive that any deper meaning in this song (and others) went unnoticed. I think I may have liked the song more when it was just beautiful harmonies.
What a treat to hear this song for the first time in nearly 20 years. Thanks.
Perfect ! 
Originally Posted by KevDog:
What a coincidence - - I was listening to this tune quite a bit over the weekend from the S&G "Old Friends" box set. Simon is a terrific lyricist, whom I think is often taken for granted. Go back and listen - - beautiful, introspective writing. This one reminds me of the break-up with my first serious girlfriend in college. The lyrics are a bit naively affected <"Is analysis worthwhile; Is the theater really dead? wrote:
- - but then again, I was pretty naively affected in college as well. Great addition to RP.
Perhaps so naively affected you didn't realise they were barbed and acidic?
Originally Posted by Mot:
Excessive polish, head strong, too majestic. Thought provoking in all the ways I don't care to provoke thought.
Or maybe I just can't stand S&G. Heck, they can't even stand each other.
Your loss if you can't dig this music. The lyrics are wonderfully poetic, the harmonies grand and the song very, very beautiful.
Excessive polish, head strong, too majestic. Thought provoking in all the ways I don\'t care to provoke thought.
Or maybe I just can\'t stand S&G. Heck, they can\'t even stand each other.
Glad to hear this. It removes one song from a compilation of tunes I was assembling for submission. Sounds good.
I have always loved S&G. I first heard them in 1966 and still enjoy listening to them.
Oh my, I haven\'t heard this since the late 60\'s when I thought I wanted to be a tortured poet. Still generates an ache, even 30 years later.