Troubled water. It is a perfect metaphor for our times.
Wherever we look, there is a churning. The world feels deeply unsettled. We wonder how we will be able to navigate these dire straits.
We look around us, yearning for support and help. By leaning on each other, by embracing positive leadership, by building the bonds of our common humanity, we can find paths of comfort and hope.
We came to our idea for this “Smile for a Saturday” a bit backwards. We found the story behind the song and realized the song itself was, at least in our minds, a perfect fit. We hope it will bring a smile to your faces as well.
As many of you have likely guessed by now (ok, the title of this piece is pretty much a dead giveaway) we are featuring the Simon & Garfunkel hit “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” We suspect most of you know this song well, but it can be comforting to revisit an old friend.
Let us start with the opening lyrics:
When you're weary
Feeling small
When tears are in your eyes
I'll dry them all
I'm on your side
Oh, when times get rough
And friends just can't be foundLike a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down
The words alone are a balm of understanding and compassion. But of course there is a musical accompaniment that raises these sentiments to an even more spiritual realm.
In 1981 (more than 40 years ago!), the duo took to the Great Lawn in New York’s Central Park for a free concert that soon became the stuff of legend. “Bridge Over Troubled Water” was of course on the set list, and we share that performance here. Listen as the excitement of the audience builds with the famous opening notes. Perhaps you will, as we did, smile.
We also want to share the video that brought us back to this wonderful song. It is the story behind “Bridge Over Troubled Water” from its creators, including of course Paul Simon, who wrote it, and Art Garfunkel, who sang it. But we also hear about the orchestration, the gospel music inspirations, and the third verse that was added late in the process. For anyone interested in the artistic process, or for anyone who just loves this song, we highly recommend it.
“A bridge over troubled water” is something we can all use.
Often better to build bridges instead of walls. Thanks!
Thank you, Dan. This is bittersweet for me. I was married to Art's younger brother and he was usually at all their concerts throughout the early years and those that Art gave alone. During my morning walk today, I spoke to Jerry, who died a few short years ago, saying how much I miss him. Jerry's hair was like Art's so their hair was a hallmark, especially when going out to dinner. The "final" verse begins with "sail on silver girl" and has a deep personal meaning, which I will not reveal. However, Art's piano always had sheet music on it. What was it? Bach! Thank you as I process sweet memories with a little grief of what was. 💜