Forget “The Sound Of Silence”, “Mrs. Robinson”, “Bridge Over Troubled Water”, and “The Boxer”. It’s time to appreciate some lesser-known – but very worthwhile – Simon & Garfunkel songs. These songs may not had the cultural impact of the duo’s most famous hits, but they easily rank among the most beautiful tracks in Simon & Garfunkel’s rich repertoire. For this article, I’ve selected 8 of the most underrated songs by the folk duo that deserve a listen.
1. For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her (Live 1969)
“For Emily” is easily one of the greatest love songs Paul Simon has written. Oddly enough, Simon revealed he isn’t a fan of the song. “Artie likes that song an awful lot. He liked to sing it. Well, it was a very romantic song but I don’t like it,” he said in 1990. The song about the fictional girl Emily was originally released on the duo’s third studio album Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme, but the live version of “For Emily” is where the magic is truly at.
2. Overs
Side one of Simon & Garfunkel’s fourth studio album Bookends is very underrated, including its 4th track “Overs”. Paul Simon stated the song is about the loss of the belief in true love and can be seen as an oppositional piece to “For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her”. Simon’s acoustic guitar playing is the highlight of the song.
3. Bleecker Street
While Simon & Garfunkel’s debut album Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. is mainly known for their breakthrough hit “The Sound Of Silence”, it certainly shouldn’t be set aside as such. Songs like “Bleecker Street” and the album’s title track are beautiful folk songs that are often ignored, but certainly shouldn’t fly under your radar.
4. Song for the Asking
In Art Garfunkel’s opinion, “Song for the Asking” is one of Paul Simon’s most underrated songs. “I love that song. ‘Song for the Asking’ is an underappreciated gem,” Garfunkel said. “Of all of Paul’s statements from the heart, [‘Song for the Asking’] is one of the supreme songs. It’s just a gem of a song.”
5. Old Friends/Bookends Theme
“Old Friends/Bookends Theme” is the beautiful closer of side one of Bookends, which explores the stages of life. While “Old Friends” and “Bookends Theme” are separate songs, they seamlessly segue into each other, and therefore, are often listed together. Both the music and lyrics of the songs are outstanding.
6. The Dangling Conversation
Paul Simon reportedly believed “The Dangling Conversation” was the best song on the duo’s third studio album Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme. Art Garfunkel, however, dismissed it as pretentious. The song was released as a single and performed moderately, reaching number 25 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Still, “The Dangling Conversation” is one of the highlights of Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme.
Read more: Paul Simon’s Favorite Paul Simon Songs
7. A Poem on the Underground Wall
Another underrated song from Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme. “A Poem on the Underground Wall” was reportedly inspired by the artwork of Simon & Garfunkel’s debut album Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. The album photo features the duo in a subway station in New York City. Many of the pictures taken during the shoot were unusable because of ‘a single worded poem comprised of four letters’ on the wall in the background. At least it inspired Paul Simon to write a great song.
8. Kathy’s Song
“Kathy’s Song” may not be as underrated as some other songs on this list. Still, the beautiful song deserves more recognition. Paul Simon wrote the song for his then-girlfriend Kathy Chitty, who is also mentioned in Simon & Garfunkel’s “America”. The song was originally released on Paul Simon’s debut solo album The Paul Simon Songbook and was later re-recorded for the duo’s second studio album Sounds of Silence.
For this list, I’ve decided to exclude Simon & Garfunkel’s most popular 10 songs on streaming services, as they don’t qualify as ‘underrated’. Songs like “April Come She Will” and “The Only Living Boy in New York” are part of this list. View Simon & Garfunkel’s top songs.
