'a man hears what he wants to hear and disgregards the rest...'
People don't always listen to the lyrics of their favourite songs. I'm not quite sure why they don't.They can't really like the songs if they don't listen to them can they. Perhaps I'm being a snob. I've been accused before. The Boxer is one of Paul Simon's best known but least understood songs. It's deceptive. It has a gentle, pastoral tune but it's about toughness. Urban living. Then going home. It's five minutes long. It has a narrative that's a powerful and demanding of the listener as great cinema and literature.
Released as a stand alone single on March 21st 1969 but then included on Simon & Garfunkel's fifth and final album, Bridge Over Troubled Water nine months later. It kicks off Side B. Bridge Over Troubled Water kicks off Side A. Pause for a moment and consider this fact. Have you done that? Alright, please go ahead and carry on with your day.
It's a lament. And a sketch of a boxer. A boxer's loneliness. It's about poverty and loneliness and about criticism. We're all poor boys and girls really. And our stories are seldom told. So we need to tell our own. Stories of struggle. Sustenance. And the hunt for love. The heart is a lonely hunter.
But I suspect we need to let our defences down occasionally admit vulnerability. Listen to our favourite songs. And learn from them. Even fighters. There's always someone tougher than you. There comes a time to lay down your gloves. Sit down at the table and enjoy the meal. With those that you need as much as they need you.
This is for a friend that I'm looking forward to seeing soon .
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