HELP! Paul Simon and "Richard Cory"(Songs of Silence)
James Reynolds
I need some help here, and the local library hasn't been of much
assistance(surprise, surprise, surprise!). For English class, I need to
do a comparasion of E.A. Robinson's "Richard Cory" to the song "Richard
Cory" written by Simon & Garfunkel and sung on the album "Sounds of
Silence". I already have the lyrics to Simon's "Richard Cory", but I need
more information on Simon himself... biographical data, musical
influences, why he wrote "RC" and what was it a reflection of, etc...
At this point, I just need something to start with. I'll just have to
lay it on real thick after that. But, I know nothing about music and
could not even appear to be convincing without having something to go on.
No books have been written about Simon, and I don't have access to any of
the magazine articles.
If someone could provide a screenful of information about Simon, or
"Songs of Silence", I would be forever grateful. I will give you credit
as a source in my essay, as if that really means a damn thing. :) I'm
not going to plagerize anything, I just need something to work off of!
Any recommendations on something I could dig up real quick in the
library that's going to be of some help? These new elecrtronic catalogs
they have in there SUCK, and never cross-reference anything correctly.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
HELP!! HELP!! HELP!!
Harry S. Anchan
> Silence". I already have the lyrics to Simon's "Richard Cory", but I need
> more information on Simon himself... biographical data, musical
> influences, why he wrote "RC" and what was it a reflection of, etc...
>
> At this point, I just need something to start with. I'll just have to
> lay it on real thick after that. But, I know nothing about music and
> could not even appear to be convincing without having something to go on.
> No books have been written about Simon, and I don't have access to any of
> the magazine articles.
The one and only Paul Simon, born Oct. 13, 1941 at Newark, NJ. His father
was Louis Simon, a bass-playing veteran of Arthur Godfrey's, Garry Moore's,
and Jackie Gleason's TV shows on CBS. Simon and Garfunkel meet at Forest
Hills high school in NY in 1953, and while in the 6th grade, play The White
Rabbit and The Cheshire Cat respectively in a production of "Alice in
Wonderland".
After singing "Sh-Boom" at assembly at Parsons high school in '55, they
start writing their great songs as a team, and register the copyright for
the "Girl For Me" at the Library of Congress for $4. In 1957, at Sande's
Recording Studio in NY, they tape a demo of "Hey Schoolgirl". Sid Prosen
hears this and gets them a recording contract with Big Records.
In the same year, they take on the name, Tom & Jerry and "Hey Schoolgirl"
is released. They appear on Dick Clark's "American Bandstand" following
Jerry Lee Lewis's "Great Balls Of Fire". "HS" makes it to #49.
In 1959, Simon goes to Queen College to study English.
From 1960 to 1963, Simon records a few singles for Warwick Records,
including "I want to be the lipstick on your collar" and "Play me a
sad song". Both stiff out.
During this time, Simon starts law school. Garfunkel is at the same
university studying for a Mathematics degree. They team up again and
S & G is born.
In 1964, Simon drops out of law school and they play the folk circuit in
Great Britain. Tom Wilson signs them to CBS/Columbia Records in '64.
I do know one of their musical influences was the Everly Brothers, a la
"Bye Bye Love".
I couldn't find any references to "Richard Cory", unfortunately. I have
always wondered who this unhappy, rich guy was who went home and "put a
bullet through his head".
Maybe someone else can help you here.
Good luck.
-- Harry
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I love Gary Owens, Robert W. Morgan, Charlie Tuna, Rick Dees, Larry Lujack,
Murray the 'K', Dr. Don Rose, Casey Kasem, Dick Biondi and Wolfman Jack.
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Stephen C. Crampton
>the magazine articles.
I find this very hard to believe. If you are at any university of note, there
must be past issues of magazines containing articles on Simon. Look for a
spate of articles shortly after Sounds of Silence was released. There
probably are a number of interviews, and Simon may have mentioned Richard Cory.
Coincidentally, when I was in high school I analyzed a Paul Simon song (Night
Game, from Still Crazy After All These Years) for a poetry class. At the
time, I was able to find interviews with Simon which were helpful.
Speaking merely from intuition, and as a long Simon fan, I would point out
that Simon, as a songwriter, is a craftsman. Regarding Richard Cory, I would
guess that he liked the poem and decided to rewrite it as a folk song.
Obviously, although Richard Cory reads well as a poem, it would sound absurd
set to folk music with altering the lyrics. How Simon went about making the
translation from poem to song is a reflection of his craftsmanship.
Stephen C. Crampton
of Cambridge, MA
Chris Bellomy
: Speaking merely from intuition, and as a long Simon fan, I would point out
: that Simon, as a songwriter, is a craftsman. Regarding Richard Cory, I would
: guess that he liked the poem and decided to rewrite it as a folk song.
: Obviously, although Richard Cory reads well as a poem, it would sound absurd
: set to folk music with altering the lyrics. How Simon went about making the
: translation from poem to song is a reflection of his craftsmanship.
Also worthy of consideration is that _Sounds of Silence_ was put to-
gether in great haste in order to capitalize on the success of the
electric remix of the title track, which originally appeared as an
all-acoustic track on _Wednesday Morning, 3am_. The commercial fail-
ure of WM3AM actually led Simon & Garfunkel to dissolve the partner-
ship, until the remix of "The Sound of Silence" scored big.
My personal impression is that "Richard Cory," like many of the tracks
on that album, was for Simon something of a throwaway track, hurriedly
arranged for use on the album. By most the standards of most other
songwriters, though, it's a great song. :-)
--
Chris Bellomy University of North Texas
email: cbel...@hsc.unt.edu Health Science Center
http://molly.hsc.unt.edu/~cbellomy Fort Worth, Texas
Greenberg Elliot
the duo. I once heard that they toured in the early days as Tom and
Jerry, and that they played a coffee house in Kingston, Ontario, in 1964
(which seems to me to be awefully early, when I thought Sounds of Silence
was only released in '66)
Elliot
ggafter
"Sounds of Silence" was stolen from another songwriter, Rupert Hine.
He is a famous producer/musician, and admitted this in an interview
last year.
Glen.
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|I never guessed I'd find myself under house arrest.. -Rupert Hine|