"The Only Living Boy in New York" | |
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Song by Simon and Garfunkel | |
from the album Bridge over Troubled Water | |
A-side | "Cecilia" |
Released | January 26, 1970 |
Recorded | November 1969 |
Genre | |
Length | 3:59 |
Label | Columbia |
Songwriter(s) | Paul Simon |
Producer(s) |
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"The Only Living Boy in New York" is a song written by Paul Simon and performed by Simon & Garfunkel. It is the eighth track from the duo's fifth and final studio album, Bridge over Troubled Water . The song was also issued as the B-side of the duo's "Cecilia" single.
Paul Simon wrote the song as a thinly veiled message to Art Garfunkel, referencing in the first stanza the time when Garfunkel went to Mexico to act in the film Catch-22 . Simon was left alone in New York writing songs for Bridge over Troubled Water ; hence the feeling of great loneliness expressed in "The Only Living Boy in New York". Simon refers to Garfunkel in the song as "Tom", alluding to their early days when they were called Tom and Jerry, and encourages him to "let your honesty shine . . . like it shines on me". [2] The background vocals feature both Garfunkel and Simon recorded together in an echo chamber, multi-tracked around eight times. [3]
Chart (1970) | Peak position |
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Indonesia (Aktuil) [7] | 4 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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New Zealand (RMNZ) [8] | Gold | 15,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [9] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
...meanwhile, the aching, psychedelic ballad "The Only Living Boy in New York" is simply the greatest song they ever released—sort of like having your heart demolished and swiftly re-assembled in just under four minutes.