The Paul Simon song that happened like magic: “I have no idea where it came from”
Surely, when you’re responsible for masterful songwriting, you’d recall exactly how the song came to you in the first place.
Whether it’s an arduous process of chopping and changing elements over time, or a quick wave of inspiration that comes in an instant, you’re bound to be able to share a handful of tidbits about how the track was conceived. However, if you’re anything like Paul Simon, who has written an endless list of masterpieces throughout his career, the memory can probably get a little foggy.
Of course, Simon has recalled certain stories about how some of his most beloved songs came to fruition in the past. Some notable examples of this include ‘Homeward Bound’, which was written on a railway station platform in Widnes, and how he allegedly wrote ‘The Sound of Silence’ in his bathroom with the lights off as a means of helping him concentrate on the finer details. However, there’s one illustrious Simon and Garfunkel hit that Simon still has no idea where the inspiration or scenario came from, and which puzzles him to this day.
‘Bridge over Troubled Water’ is often cited as being the duo’s finest moment on record, and its status as the opening track of their final album together fills it with a sense of overwhelming melancholy, serving as a bittersweet coda on their collaborative career. Some people may go as far as to say it’s a milestone in musical achievement, which can’t be argued with, and because of this, many wonder how a human mind can come up with a song so flawless.
Well, you’re not alone in thinking that. Simon himself was so stunned in the moment when he realised he had the skeleton of a song forming in front of him that it changed his entire perception of how he approached the art of songwriting, but still to this day, he doesn’t quite understand what it was that changed for him in that instance and helped him conjure up the finest composition of his life.
He’d delve into greater detail on this feeling in the documentary, The Harmony Game: The Making of Bridge Over Troubled Water, which was made in 2011, over 40 years after he wrote the song. “I have no idea where it came from,” Simon revealed, still puzzled by his creation. “It came all of a sudden. It was one of the most shocking moments in my songwriting career. I remember thinking, ‘This is considerably better than I usually write.’”
There are some aspects of the song that Simon does understand the origins of, most notably the title, which was adapted from a line in ‘Mary Don’t You Weep’ by gospel group, The Swan Silvertones. The line in question read, “I’ll be your bridge over deep water if you trust in my name,” which Simon claimed to be the basis of his own lyrics.
While ‘Mary Don’t You Weep’ is a traditional folk song of disputed origin, Simon would go on to send a cheque to the Swan Silvertones’ vocalist, Claude Jeter, for his unwitting contribution to helping write one of the finest songs of all time. As for how the rest of the song, the tune, and the insatiable vocal melody came about, it’s anyone’s guess – not least Paul Simon.
