Hi successhotline,
Although often believed The Boxer is about Bob Dylan, Paul Simon
admits in an interview it is somehow related to himself.
??On its release in early 1969, there was much speculation that this
song was nothing more than a veiled attack on Bob Dylan - his
contemporaries in the Village compared the young Dylan to a boxer -
and that the chorus (lie la lie) referred to Dylan's concealment of
his real Robert Zimmerman persona. But to hail Simon's masterwork as a
sustained assault on his old nemesis was to belittle it. In later
years, Simon admitted that the song was about himself and the
criticisms that Simon and Garfunkel were attracting during that time
of their career. He told Playboy: 'I think I was reading the Bible
around that time. That's where I think phrases such as 'workman's
wages' came from, and 'seeking out the poorer quarters'. That was
biblical. I think the song was about *me*: everybody's beating me up,
and I'm telling you now I'm going to go away if you don't stop.'??
Source: Biography- The Boy in the Bubble, 1988
http://www.medialab.chalmers.se/guitar/the.boxer.html
??Though tinged with desolation and pain, it has no trace of
self-pity. There's a lot of Paul Simon in it. Rumours suggested that
it was written about Bob Dylan's life and, admittedly, there could be
some parallels. But then, when viewed on a superficial level, it could
be about anyone. Clearly it is in fact a very personal song, written
from the inside. Paul commented: 'I would say it's autobiographical,
although it sure surprised me. When we recorded it, someone said to
me, "Hey, that's a song about you." And I said, "No, it's not about
me; it's about this guy who..." and as I'm saying it, I thought, "Hey,
what am I saying? This song is about me and I'm not even admitting
it." One thing is certain, I've never written anything about Dylan;
and I don't know of his personal life??
Source: Biography- Simon and Garfunkel. The Definitive Biography, 1996
http://www.medialab.chalmers.se/guitar/the.boxer.html
??"Although ostensibly about a boxer and not directly related to
Simon's life, the song was deeply personal.
(?)
"I was very pleased with it. It's one of my favourites of all Simon
and Garfunkel's records. It's a very personal song and it's hard to
imagine any other interpretation".
Of course there were other interpretations, the most unexpected coming
from Bob Dylan. Indeed it was rumoured that Dylan's life had been used
as the song's base. Certainly there are parallels but Simon dismisses
this completely??
Source: Biography- Paul Simon - Now and Then, 1973
http://www.medialab.chalmers.se/guitar/the.boxer.html
Taken from an interview with SongTalk:
??SongTalk: It was said that "The Boxer" was written about Dylan. And
"lie la lie" had to do with the lie of his name. Did you ever hear
that one?
Paul Simon: No, I never heard that. [Laughs] But, of course, that's
not so, either. In fact, for me, I thought that "lie la lie" was a
failure of songwriting.
SongTalk: You did?
Paul Simon: Yeah. I didn't have any words! Then people said it was
"lie" but I didn't really mean that. That it was a lie. But, it's not
a failure of songwriting, because people like that and they put enough
meaning into it, and the rest of the song has enough power and
emotion, I guess, to make it go, so it's all right. But for me, every
time I sing that part... [softly], I'm a little embarrassed.
SongTalk: That's hard to believe, since the song is now so much of a
classic. Do you remember writing it?
Paul Simon: All I can remember is a time on a plane. I had taken a
bible from one of the hotels and I was skimming through the bible and
I think I saw the phrase "work- man's wages." That's all I remember
from that song??
Source: Jean-Marc Orliaguet: SongTalk Interview Paul Simon - Spirit Voices Vol. I
http://www.medialab.chalmers.se/guitar/simon.interview8.html
The song tells the story of a young, lonely boy who leaves home in New
York City and literally fights his way out of poverty with his fists.
He only finds kindness in the company of strangers and whores on
Seventh Avenue. But through the scar tissue and bruises, the fighter
retains a sense of dignity that will not permit humiliation, no matter
what comes his way.
?'The words to the first verse ... came with the melody line; they had
a flow to them that made them easy to sing. Consequently, I found I
had started a song about a poor boy who had squandered his resistance
for a pocketful of mumbles. I just tried to make the rest of the
lyrics follow as naturally as possible.' It's a narrative ballad,
possibly the most popular and enduring genre in American folk songs.
The story tells of a young boy who leaves home to seek his fortune,
something Paul would return to in the years to come. The boy is
vulnerable and encounters hardship and loneliness. He discovers the
lives of the ragged people of New York City, and finds unexpected
kindness and comfort from the prostitutes of Seventh Avenue. He has
courage, facing up to his mistakes and coming to terms with reality??
Source: Biography- Simon and Garfunkel. The Definitive Biography, 1996
http://www.medialab.chalmers.se/guitar/the.boxer.html
Main source of research:
Jean-Marc Orliaguet: The Boxer
-The Boxer-
I am just a poor boy.
Though my story's seldom told,
I have squandered my resistance
For a pocketful of mumbles, such are promises
All lies and jest.
Still, a man hears what he wants to hear
And disregards the rest.....
You can find the complete lyrics of The Boxer below:
Ask Lyrics: The Boxer
http://www.asklyrics.com/display/The_Boxer_LYRICS/103762
Song Lyrics
http://www.songlyrics.com/song-lyrics/Paul_Simon/Miscellaneous/The_Boxer/146506.html
Search criteria:
?Paul Simon? ?the boxer?
I hope the information provided is helpful. If you have any questions
regarding my answer please don?t hesitate to ask before rating it.
Best regards,
Rainbow-ga |
Clarification of Answer by
rainbow-ga
on
10 Apr 2004 17:42 PDT
Hi successhotline,
Since the song is about a boy, you may feel the excerpts below
describe *who* the song is about, but in real fact they explain *what*
the song is about.
"The Boxer is a song of optimism, but optimism only earned by riding
the punches of a cold and uncaring world. The 'poor boy' of the song
quit home at an early age to go on the road (like Simon's 'Duncan'
three years later), but can only find solace in the company of
strangers and whores on Seventh Avenue. Through a life buffeted and
harried (listen to Simon's reading of the word 'cut him'), the poor
boy arrives at a clearing, with only his scars and punch-drunk
memories to sustain him. It is a mixture of frustration, humility and
dignity that causes him to cry out: 'I am leaving, I am leaving/But
the fighter still remains!' He recognizes that the essential something
that makes him special, the spark of dignity, is still intact despite
the onslaught of blows; he stands bloodied but unbowed. His cry of
pain and realization offers a note of positivism: that however scuffed
and beaten down the boxer gets, there is still a vestige of hope, of
decency, left, and *that* is what will force him to fly in the face of
the society which has ignored him and constantly put him down."
"The song tells a touching story about a poor boy who literally fights
his way out of poverty with his fists. A proud but vulnerable man
buffeted by the unceasing blows of a hostile world, he is punch- drunk
and weary, with only strangers and whores for company. But through the
scar tissue and bruises, the fighter retains a sense of dignity that
will not permit humiliation, no matter what comes his way."
"The story tells of a young boy who leaves home to seek his fortune.
The boy is vulnerable and encounters hardship and loneliness. He
discovers the lives of the ragged people of New York City, and finds
unexpected kindness and comfort from the prostitutes of Seventh
Avenue. He has courage, facing up to his mistakes and coming to terms
with reality."
Source: Jean-Marc Orliaguet: The Boxer
http://www.medialab.chalmers.se/guitar/the.boxer.html
I hope this helps. If you have any further questions, please don't
hesitate to ask. I will do my best to further assist you.
Best wishes,
Rainbow-ga
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