The Boxer- Simon & Garfunkel

At the moment this feels very familiar. More on this to come in later post.
I am just a poor boy and my story's seldom told
Ive squandered my resistance for a pocketful of mumbles, such are promises
All lies and jest, still the man hears what he wants to hear
And disregards the rest, hmmmm

When I left my home and my family, I was no more than a boy
In the company of strangers
In the quiet of the railway station, runnin scared
Laying low, seeking out the poorer quarters, where the ragged people go
Looking for the places only they would know

Li la li...

Asking only workmans wages, I come lookin for a job, but I get no offers
Just a comeon from the whores on 7th avenue
I do declare, there were times when I was so lonesome
I took some comfort there

Now the years are rolling by me, they are rockin even me
I am older than I once was, and younger than Ill be, thats not unusual
No it isnt strange, after changes upon changes, we are more or less the same
After changes we are more or less the same

Li la li...

And I'm laying out my winter clothes, wishing I was gone, goin home
Where the new york city winters arent bleedin me, leadin me to go home

In the clearing stands a boxer, and a fighter by his trade
And he carries the reminders of every glove that laid him down or cut him
til he cried out in his anger and his shame
I am leaving, I am leaving, but the fighter still remains
Yes he still remains

Li la li...

3 comments:

aliyah06 said...

My very favorite song of all time...."a pocket full of mumbles, such are promises..."

I did a term paper in English once on poetry--and it was all lyrics from S&G.

Jack Steiner said...

I did a term paper in English once on poetry--and it was all lyrics from S&GI can see that. They wrote beautiful songs.

Ayrdale said...

It is a wonderful song. It's strange how sometimes a moment in your past embeds itself firmly in your memory.

This song takes me back to 1968, driving up William Street, Sydney as a young man of 20. We had said goodbye to some GI's who were on RandR, and were headed back. We had hosted them, partied with them and shared some beers. They were good company, and the mother of one of them wrote to us, thanking us for our friendship. I guess they may have expected hostility.

Those words of that song bring that particular moment in time right back. Hope those guys made it home safely.

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