# What didn’t he like? (Paul Simon, Sound of Silence) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [March 30, 2024, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-didn-t-he-like-paul-simon-sound-of-silence/999598 "2024-03-30T03:46:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2024, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-didn-t-he-like-paul-simon-sound-of-silence/999598/101 "2024-04-12T04:19:58Z")
I had some music training in my youth and I, too, don’t see why there is a difference between 3/4 time and 6/8 time. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2024, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-didn-t-he-like-paul-simon-sound-of-silence/999598/102 "2024-04-12T04:32:40Z")
I’ve always thought the difference was something like: 3/4 = “ **ONE** -two-three, **ONE** -two-three” 6/8 = “ **ONE** -two-three-FOUR-five-six” 3/4 puts the same stress on each ONE beat, while 6/8 puts full emphasis on ONE and a little less on FOUR. ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2024, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-didn-t-he-like-paul-simon-sound-of-silence/999598/103 "2024-04-12T10:38:05Z")
It’s in dactyl blank verse - pretty rare for a song. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2024, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-didn-t-he-like-paul-simon-sound-of-silence/999598/104 "2024-04-12T10:55:21Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > I’ve always thought the difference was something like: > > 3/4 = “ **ONE** -two-three, **ONE** -two-three” > > 6/8 = “ **ONE** -two-three-FOUR-five-six” > > 3/4 puts the same stress on each ONE beat, while 6/8 puts full emphasis on ONE and a little less on FOUR. That makes sense. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2024, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-didn-t-he-like-paul-simon-sound-of-silence/999598/105 "2024-04-12T10:55:50Z")
So I recently read a story about how Garfunkel, when at uni, had a very close friend who was diagnosed and certain to lose his sight.His future plans were crushed, he was understandably dejected and quit uni, I think. Anyway his friend Art convinced him to continue studying, promising to be his aid and guide. And did it too, shadowing him through his classes etc. even recognizing when his friend was now fully dependent on him. It explained how he suddenly left him on a subway platform saying, ‘I must run something has come up.’ His friend was terrified as he now tried to manoeuvre the subway system unescorted. He struggled but did find his way. Brushing against a stranger he apologized , the stranger made some reply and he recognized Art’s voice, his friend had followed his every move to keep him safe. Art’s friend, of course, credits his friend with giving him a future and his confidence back, when he was ready to withdraw from the world in defeat. A truly heartwarming story about friendship. Art’s friend, having gone blind, greeted him often, with, ‘Hello darkness, my old friend.’ Since Art was now, just a voice in the darkness. ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2024, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-didn-t-he-like-paul-simon-sound-of-silence/999598/106 "2024-04-12T10:59:32Z")
Yes, agreed. My thanks as well. ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2024, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-didn-t-he-like-paul-simon-sound-of-silence/999598/107 "2024-04-12T12:59:29Z")
It’s true. Her name was Emily, (wherever I may find her) and it happened Wednesday morning, 3 A.M. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2024, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-didn-t-he-like-paul-simon-sound-of-silence/999598/108 "2024-04-12T15:40:12Z")
> [@K364](#): > > Emily, (wherever I may find her) Thanks for the reminder – another great song! ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2024, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-didn-t-he-like-paul-simon-sound-of-silence/999598/109 "2024-04-12T18:47:46Z")
The Kathy he rides with on the bus in America was his actual girlfriend then, Kathy Chitty. She also has “Kathy’s Song” dedicated to her. That’s from the early _Paul Simon Songbook_ that nobody listened to because nobody in America could find it. . Carrie Fisher was the inspiration for several songs, but by that time he wasn’t using her name. Emily, who was as ephemeral as his early album, is apparently nobody in particular, and not Emily Dickinson in particular. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2024, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-didn-t-he-like-paul-simon-sound-of-silence/999598/110 "2024-04-13T04:08:22Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > > [@jsc1953](#): > > > > I think it’s my 2nd-favorite, with everything on BOTW in a tie for 1st. 🙂 I love how the lyrics hit the beats (in 3/4 time, no less) so perfectly … “IT took me FOUR days to HITCHhike from SAGinaw” makes me want to waltz… > > Nitpick: although you can certainly waltz to it, “America” is in 6/8 time, not 3/4. I know it’s a subtle and technical distinction, but my ear can always pick out a 6/8 song, and I’m a total sucker for a 6/8 song. Disagree. This is definitely in 3/4. Strong emphasis on the downbeat of each measure and a pretty typical note-chord-chord 3/4 pattern to the composition. Take the Saginaw lyric quoted above. Each stressed word is a downbeat, with 4 measures total: 1-and-a 2-and-a 3-and-a 4-and-a (slightly simplified). Not one-2-3-4-5-6 two-2-3-4-5-6. A quick search in my sheet music library confirms that published versions are in 3/4. ---
**Author:** ![XOldiesJock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/ec9cab/32.png) [@XOldiesJock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XOldiesJock)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2024, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-didn-t-he-like-paul-simon-sound-of-silence/999598/111 "2024-04-13T16:35:00Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > _The Kathy he rides with on the bus in America was his actual girlfriend then, Kathy Chitty._ “Kathy, I’m lost,” I said, though I knew she was sleeping. “I’m empty and aching and I don’t know why.” That line in “America” has always struck a nerve with me. I’ve often felt that way. Perhaps many of us have. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2024, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-didn-t-he-like-paul-simon-sound-of-silence/999598/112 "2024-04-13T17:06:12Z")
If Michigan seems like a dream to you, why not try hitchhiking to Saginaw Island? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2024, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-didn-t-he-like-paul-simon-sound-of-silence/999598/113 "2024-04-13T17:25:50Z")
The UP’s a dream; the lower peninsula, not so much. I would hitchhike to Mackinaw though. The island. QtM, former Flintstone 1965-67 ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2024, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-didn-t-he-like-paul-simon-sound-of-silence/999598/114 "2024-04-13T17:31:03Z")
_I knew a man, his brain so small He couldn’t think of nothing at all Not the same as you and me He doesn’t dig poetry, he’s so unhip when you say Dylan He thinks you’re talking about Dylan Thomas… whoever he was The man ain’t got no culture But it’s alright, Ma! Everybody must get stoned…_ ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2024, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-didn-t-he-like-paul-simon-sound-of-silence/999598/115 "2024-04-13T17:50:17Z")
I remember when a couple of friends and I were driving on a certain New England road. And as the song demanded, we counted the cars on the New Jersey Turnpike. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2024, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-didn-t-he-like-paul-simon-sound-of-silence/999598/116 "2024-04-13T18:10:54Z")
That’s pronounced ‘dial anne’ Thomas, right? ;-D ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2024, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-didn-t-he-like-paul-simon-sound-of-silence/999598/117 "2024-04-13T18:19:46Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > I remember when a couple of friends and I were driving on a certain New England road. > > And as the song demanded, we counted the cars on the New Jersey Turnpike. Wow! That’s quite a feat! ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2024, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-didn-t-he-like-paul-simon-sound-of-silence/999598/118 "2024-04-13T19:38:41Z")
Finestkind of island, love that place. ---
**Author:** ![Disinfectus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/disinfectus/32/11085_2.png) [@Disinfectus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disinfectus)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2024, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-didn-t-he-like-paul-simon-sound-of-silence/999598/119 "2024-04-13T23:52:17Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > Late in the Evening may be my favorite of his solo work. I’d enjoy an entire album or two of whatever that musical style is that he’s borrowing. (Salsa?) According to Steve Gadd, the drum part was [based on a Mozambique pattern](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7W33sLJi78). ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2024, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-didn-t-he-like-paul-simon-sound-of-silence/999598/120 "2024-04-14T01:22:46Z")
There was an old SNL skit when Paul Simon was hosting, in which he and a friend were out on the street. Someone walks by and says something like, “hey Paul, you probably don’t remember me, I was the engineer on your second album”, and Simon says, “of course, you’re Frank Richards, right? How’s your wife Annie?”. Then another person walks by and greets him with an even more tenuous connection, “hi Paul, I’m sure you don’t remember me, I was blah blah blah” and Simon remembers him too. This gets more and more ridiculous: “Hi Mr. Simon, I saw you at your concert in Central Park” and Simon says “oh yeah, you were sitting on a green blanket under a tree; didn’t you have a new baby with you?” etc. Finally for the punch line, Art Garfunkel walks up and greets him and Simon says, “sorry, have we met?” Garfunkel tries to jog his memory but Simon claims to not remember him. It was hysterical but also kind of sad, given Simon’s real life relationship with Garfunkel. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-didn-t-he-like-paul-simon-sound-of-silence/999598.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-didn-t-he-like-paul-simon-sound-of-silence/999598.md?page=7)