{"id":585124,"date":"2026-04-04T14:14:13","date_gmt":"2026-04-04T14:14:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/585124\/"},"modified":"2026-04-04T14:14:13","modified_gmt":"2026-04-04T14:14:13","slug":"the-hit-simon-and-garfunkel-record-that-paul-simon-grew-to-resent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/585124\/","title":{"rendered":"The hit Simon and Garfunkel record that Paul Simon grew to resent"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Simon<\/p>\n

(Credits: Far Out \/ Album Cover)<\/p>\n

Sat 4 April 2026 6:58, UK <\/p>\n

\u2018Bridge Over Troubled Water\u2019 is a song that means everything to millions of people around the world. However, Paul Simon<\/a>, as its creator, has a more complex and nuanced relationship with the timeless classic.<\/p>\n

Simon\u2019s collaborative partnership with Art Garfunkel is one of the most formidable in the history of music. A key part of what made them so great is that both men were vital to the operation, with their strengths complementing one another magnificently<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Without Simon\u2019s lyrics, they\u2019d have been nothing; similarly, if it weren\u2019t for Garfunkel\u2019s vocal prowess, which made those songs so special. However, as the end of their recording career edged close, it became clear they were now on different plains rather than on a shared mission.<\/p>\n

Artists within the same band vying for attention is a tale as old as time, usually ending in disaster. In the case of Simon and \u2018Bridge Over Troubled Water\u2019, it was watching Garfunkel take credit for the creation from adoring fans that proved to be the bitter pill to swallow. Despite writing the song, his voice wasn\u2019t on the record, and that\u2019s all that mattered to most, much to his frustration.<\/p>\n

At this time, Simon and Garfunkel were among the biggest in the world, which inevitably meant that Hollywood came calling. Not for five-foot nothing Simon<\/a>, however, who slaved away on their final album, Bridge Over Troubled Water, while his bandmate was acting on the television series Catch-22.<\/p>\n

Therefore, rather than collaborating over a series of months in the studio, it was an isolated affair for Simon, who wrote by himself while Garfunkel attempted to get his acting career off the ground. Their interests had veered off in different directions, and Simon remained wholly committed to the project while the bright lights of Hollywood enticed his bandmate.<\/p>\n

\"Paul<\/a>(Credits: Far Out \/ Alamy)<\/p>\n

Simon had always been the primary songwriter of the operation, but it had still been more of a collaborative effort on previous records. However, with the making of Bridge Over Troubled Water, the pendulum swung too far, leaving the delicate balance in disarray.<\/p>\n

Even Garfunkel conceded that the title track should never have been his to sing, claiming he only did so because of his bandmate\u2019s reluctance, once sharing, \u201cHe didn\u2019t want to sing it himself. He couldn\u2019t hear it for himself. He felt I should have done it. And many times I think I\u2019m sorry I didn\u2019t do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Whether it would have gone on to sell six million records if Simon\u2019s vocals were on the song is another question, but it may have kept him happy. It wasn\u2019t just this incident that caused them to part ways; however, it was certainly one of the nails in the coffin.<\/p>\n

While Simon can now appreciate what \u2018Bridge Over Troubled Water<\/a>\u2018 has done for him and Art Garfunkel\u2019s careers, it hasn\u2019t always been that way. When they played it live, rather than Simon feeling elated, it left him with a sense of emptiness and jealousy toward Garfunkel.<\/p>\n

He explained: \u201cMany times on a stage, though, when I\u2019d be sitting off to the side and Larry Knechtel would be playing the piano and Artie would be singing \u2018Bridge,\u2019 people would stomp and cheer when it was over, and I would think, \u2018That\u2019s my song, man. Thank you very much. I wrote that song.’\u201d<\/p>\n

Simon knew at the time his reaction wasn\u2019t healthy, which was further proof that he needed to escape the partnership and go it alone. He admitted, \u201cI must say this, in the earlier days when things were smoother, I never would have thought that, but towards the end when things were strained I did. It\u2019s not a very generous thing to think, but I did think that. I resented it, and I must say that I was aware of the fact that I resented it, and I knew that this wouldn\u2019t have been the case two years earlier.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Simon and Garfunkel went on to reunite on several occasions throughout the decades, with their relationship going through peaks and troughs, this was the end of their recording career. Simon understood it was wrong that he felt jealousy rather than revelling in what should have been their shared success, so he could never go back with a clean conscience to that toxic environment.<\/p>\n

Even when things appeared perfect for the duo, they still couldn\u2019t bring themselves to savour the moment, which highlights why the partnership could never last and was built on two egos that were destined to collide. Musically, they were made for another, but that alone wasn\u2019t enough to keep them together forever.<\/p>\n

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