I consider myself a pretty big Paul Simon fan, but I had never heard of The Paul Simon Songbook before working on these weekend posts. I’d always assumed his first solo album was released after the break-up of Simon & Garfunkel.
To be fair, Songbook wasn’t exactly a high-profile release. Simon himself killed a planned U.S. release of the album and reportedly requested that the British release be removed from circulation. Presumably he was unhappy not with the songs but with the recordings, because he went on to release almost all of the material on different albums over the next few years.
The Paul Simon Songbook did eventually get a U.S. release in 2004 and it is featured on Simon’s official website alongside the rest of his solo material, so I guess he came around to accepting it as an historic artifact if nothing else.
It’s a strange experience to hear these raw versions of songs I’ve come to know and love by Simon & Garfunkel. ‘April Come She Will’ seems tailor made for Art Garfunkel’s voice but is no less poignant or beautiful as sung by Simon here.
Similarly, ‘Flowers Never Bend With the Rainfall’ has always been a favorite of mine for the way their voices blend on the verses before Garfunkel lifts the chorus gently into the clouds. But this solo version is sweetly perfect as well.
Past the shadows dark and deep
My mind dances and leaps in confusion.
I don’t know what is real,
I can’t touch what I feel
And I hide behind the shield of my illusion.
So I’ll continue to continue to pretend
My life will never end,
And flowers never bend
With the rainfall.
The mirror on my wall
Casts an image dark and small
But I’m not sure at all it’s my reflection.
I am blinded by the light
Of God and truth and right
And I wander in the night without direction.
So I’ll continue to continue to pretend
My life will never end,
And flowers never bend
With the rainfall.
It’s no matter if you’re born
To play the King or pawn
For the line is thinly drawn ‘tween joy and sorrow,
So my fantasy
Becomes reality,
And I must be what I must be and face tomorrow.
So I’ll continue to continue to pretend
My life will never end,
And flowers never bend
With the rainfall.
Meet Me In Montauk 
I feel like I need to buy this album immediately. Loving both songs you have featured, and I really want to hear his solo take on a song like “April Comes She Will.”
I agree. I’d never heard any of these versions before but now I feel I must own all of them immediately.
🙂 You two are so funny. Meanwhile, I’m still getting over the fact that Art Garfunkel has a Masters in MATH from Columbia!!
Beautiful song, and a lovely version of it.
[…] As does Meet Me in Montauk: “[It] has always been a favorite of mine for the way their voices blend on the verses before Garfunkel lifts the chorus gently into the clouds. But this solo version is sweetly perfect as well.” (https://meetinmontauk.com/2011/09/25/song-of-the-day-1571-flowers-never-bend-with-the-rainfall-paul-…😉 […]