I will lay Me down

[Vic C.]

I am sitting here, watching a PBS Trubute concert for Paul Simon. It's wonderful reminder of how great a songwrither he as and how great his and Art Garfunkel's voices sound together.

As they sang this song on PBS, it's easy to close your eyes and imagine our Lord singing this to us.

Garfunkel said that the moment when he performed it in Madison Square Garden in 1972 was "almost biblical" (from Wikipedia)


When you're weary, feeling small,
When tears are in your eyes, I will dry them all;
I'm on your side, when times get rough
And friends just can't be found,
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down.
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down.

When you're down and out,
When you're on the street,
When evening falls so hard
I will comfort you.
I'll take your part, when darkness comes
And pain is all around,
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down.
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down.

Sail on silvergirl,
Sail on by.
Your time has come to shine.
All your dreams are on their way.
See how they shine.
If you need a friend
I'm sailing right behind.
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind.
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind.

 

[Justmee]

That IS beautiful

I can't tell you how many times I've played that song to find comfort for myself. For such a secular artist that sure hast he hand of God all over it. I'd like to know what inspired such a peaceful song.

 

[Vic C.]

Re: That IS beautiful

I can't tell you how many times I've played that song to find comfort for myself. For such a secular artist that sure hast he hand of God all over it. I'd like to know what inspired such a peaceful song.

Ask and ye shall receive. :-D

Writing and recording

Simon wrote the song in the summer of 1969 while Garfunkel was filming Catch 22 in Mexico. It was written on the guitar in the key of G, though an early demo version Paul Simon detuned the song on his guitar to an F.

The song originally had two verses and different lyrics. He specifically wrote it for Art and knew it was going to be a piano song. He based the lyrics on a line "I'll be your bridge over deep water if you trust in me" by Swan Silvertones. It has elements of a Bach chorale as well.

Art reportedly thought Paul should sing it as he liked Paul's falsetto on the demo. Once in the studio Roy Halee, their producer, and Art thought the song needed three verses and needed to be 'bigger' sounding. Paul agreed and spent two hours writing a third verse which he always maintained you could tell was added on later.

Larry Knechtel spent four days working on the piano arrangement. Art came up with the intermediate piano chords between the verses while working with Knechtel.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridge_ove ... %28song%29

About the Swan Silvertones - http://afgen.com/tones.html