Simon and Garfunkel - a love story

The love of my life. I haven't yet had the pleasure of experiencing it, but my love of the music of Paul Simon has come pretty close. The love affair started when I was 12 years old, maybe 10. I listened to the Greatest Hits tape and learned to sing The Boxer, by heart. And "Slip Slidin' Away". When I hear it, I thought about me and my parents' trip to America in 1979. I remember palm trees, I remember cowboy boots. I remember wide pants. I remember Disneyland and me being terrified of Captain Hook. I remember jacuzzis and swimming pools in Palm Springs. I remember the highway and Americana music on the radio. Slip Slidin' away...

In school, I started taking cello lessons. Don't ask me why, I hated it more than anything. Nowadays I find it pretty nice to listen to. In the 8th grade, I fell totally in love with Magnus, the guitar teacher in our school. He was a star! And I was even more in love with Paul Simon, whom I used to worship back home. I could fingerpick many of the songs already. I was a fast and eager learner, and it paid off. Decided to go to New York for a year after 9th grade, beause PAUUUUL lived there. Crazy, yes, but it was the best year of my life.


I remember sitting in the back seat of the car as my host was driving in Manhattan at night...oh what a sight - the skyline was magnificent for a little chick like me! I of course, never met Paul there, but I did go to see his office.

Back home, a year later, I heard that he was to play in Sweden. I was in tears, and in shock at the same time. I couldn't believe it. My hero for years and years. In front of me. For real. Unbelievable.

I'll leave you with a fine song "Soft Parachutes" from the movie One Trick Pony from 1980. I was in America when I heard this for the first time, and it made a big impression on me. I had to learn it. I loved my life and the people in it. A perfect year.

Time marches on.