The Legacy of Simon & Garfunkel: From The Sound of Silence to Bridge Over Troubled Water
Simon & Garfunkel was an incredibly successful American folk duo, initially formed in 1957 under the name Tom & Jerry. Early on, they drew heavy inspiration from their favourite duo, The Everly Brothers.
In 1963, they signed with Columbia Records and released Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.. Unfortunately, the album failed to gain traction, and Paul Simon decided to pursue a solo career. Meanwhile, Art Garfunkel returned to his university studies.
In a surprising move, the record label decided to overdub drums, bass, and electric guitars onto Sound of Silence, one of the tracks from the album, and released it as a single without consulting Simon & Garfunkel. The song unexpectedly climbed to #1 on the charts, prompting the duo to reunite.
Their second album, The Sound of Silence, was quickly released with the overdubs intact. Other notable songs from this album included Homeward Bound (which was a hit only in the U.K.), I Am A Rock, and Kathy’s Song.
In 1966, they followed up with Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme. Highlights from this album included Scarborough Fair, Homeward Bound (once again), and The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy)—one of my personal favourites. These tracks were mostly written by Paul Simon during his time in England, when he thought the duo had disbanded.
Their next album, Bookends (1968), really cemented their fame, largely due to the inclusion of Mrs. Robinson, which featured prominently in the Dustin Hoffman film The Graduate. By this point, Simon & Garfunkel were household names, alongside legendary artists such as Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, The Beatles, and The Rolling Stones.
The duo’s career culminated with their final album, Bridge Over Troubled Water (1970), which featured the iconic title track, The Boxer, Cecilia, and El Condor Pasa. Paul Simon’s songwriting talents were often compared to those of Bob Dylan and Lennon/McCartney. Their unique sound was largely due to the harmonisation of their voices, which blended perfectly on almost every track.
Ironically, for their most famous song, Bridge Over Troubled Water, Paul Simon didn’t play guitar or sing until the final verses.
After the release of Bridge Over Troubled Water, the duo split. Paul Simon went on to have a highly successful solo career, while Art Garfunkel also found success, with his single Bright Eyes (1979) becoming the best-selling single in the U.K. that year. He also released covers such as Wonderful World.
Since their split in 1970, Simon & Garfunkel have reunited on several occasions, delighting fans with brief moments of their iconic partnership.
Simon & Garfunkel Tunes | Related Pages
The Boxer | Chords + TAB
You can learn how to play The Boxer by Simon & Garfunkel using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| C (C/G) | C G/B Am Am/E |
I am just a poor boy, though my story’s seldom told…
Check out the full TAB lesson here: The Boxer (Simon & Garfunkel) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Scarborough Fair | Chords + TAB
You can learn how to play Scarborough Fair by Simon & Garfunkel using chords, lyrics, a chord chart, , chord analysis, and Spytunes video guitar lessons.
| A13sus4 | Asus2 | G C/E G | A13sus4 | A7sus2 |
Are you going to Scarborough Fair…
Start learning with the full lesson series: Scarborough Fair – Guitar Lessons with TAB.
Wonderful World | Chords + TAB
You can learn how to play Wonderful World by Sam Cooke using chords, lyrics, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| B | G#m |
Don’t know much about history…
Check out the full TAB lesson here: Wonderful World (Sam Cooke) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Simon & Garfunkel on the web
