Is "Red Rubber Ball" the Best Song Paul Simon Ever Wrote?

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Because it's pretty tight.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Monday, 25 April 2005 21:45 (twenty years ago)

You mean the Cyrkle song? I don't think Simon wrote that. Maybe I'm wrong.

― Cunga (Cunga), Monday, 25 April 2005 21:47 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, the Cyrkle song. Simon wrote it.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Monday, 25 April 2005 21:49 (twenty years ago)

SEE?! YOU ARE WRONG!

― Jimmy Mod Knows You Eat Your Own Farts (ModJ), Monday, 25 April 2005 21:56 (twenty years ago)

Wow, this topic has provided fodder for what would make a great indie-rock THE MORE YOU KNOW public service message.

― Cunga (Cunga), Monday, 25 April 2005 22:05 (twenty years ago)

"Me and Julio Down By The Schoolyard." (But close!)

I think the Diodes version might be better than the Cyrkle one, though.

― xhuxk, Monday, 25 April 2005 22:06 (twenty years ago)

dood had a lot of good songs. many of which were pretty tight. red rubber ball is a good one.

― scott seward (scott seward), Monday, 25 April 2005 22:06 (twenty years ago)

it isn't.

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Monday, 25 April 2005 22:09 (twenty years ago)

Turn Down Day is the best Paul Simon song. The sitar! The harpsichord!

ok. I know he didn't write it. There's a bunch of good songs on the Cyrkle lp.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Monday, 25 April 2005 22:15 (twenty years ago)

i like hey schoolgirl, and a hazy shade of winter, and me & julio, and still crazy after all these years, ans slip slidin' away a lot too. there are a ton. he had a way with a tune.

― scott seward (scott seward), Monday, 25 April 2005 22:15 (twenty years ago)

didn't he co-write red rubber ball with someone? i could be wrong. Prove me wrong!!!!

― scott seward (scott seward), Monday, 25 April 2005 22:16 (twenty years ago)

I've never been able to appreciate this song, for some reason it drives me right up the wall. What am I missing? Why the hell would anybody think this is one of Simon's outstanding accomplishments? 'splain me.

― Joseph B. Cowart (flamingrev), Monday, 25 April 2005 22:26 (twenty years ago)

Late in the Evening

Great pictures, kind of a dreary song, but he's able to just let it all go late in the evening. "And I blew that room awaaaaayyyyy...."

― Big Loud Mountain Ape (Big Loud Mountain Ape), Monday, 25 April 2005 22:28 (twenty years ago)

the only living boy in new york is the best song paul simon ever wrote.

― kyle (akmonday), Monday, 25 April 2005 22:30 (twenty years ago)

I love Red Rubber Ball. Didn't know it was Paul Simon though. Coincidentally I've been downloading a ton of bubblegum and sunshiney stuff the past couple of days so I've just been listening to this song.

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Monday, 25 April 2005 22:34 (twenty years ago)

"America" is the best song Paul Simon ever wrote.

― john'n'chicago, Monday, 25 April 2005 22:37 (twenty years ago)

The melodic contour of the thing is amazing. It flows seamlessly all the way through the verse, right into the chorus, and then all the way through the chorus. The chorus ends somewhat suddenly, but it's somehow a perfect ending to that whole melodic flow.

The harmonies are interesting, too -- doesn't the lead part switch between voices at some points? The Beatles did that, too.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Monday, 25 April 2005 22:43 (twenty years ago)

RED RUBBER BALL Words & music by Paul Simon and Bruce Woodley 1965

― keith m (keithmcl), Monday, 25 April 2005 22:53 (twenty years ago)

"The Boy in the Bubble" is the best song Paul Simon ever wrote.

― Burr (Burr), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 00:43 (twenty years ago)

Mrs. Robinson wasn't too shabby either.

― jim wentworth (wench), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 01:09 (twenty years ago)

'A Desultory Phillipic' ahem.

― 57 7th (calstars), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 01:38 (twenty years ago)

Not the biggest PS fan but I'd go with "The Boxer." I'd even take "Flowers Never Bend With the Rainfall" or "Richard Cory" over "Red Rubber Ball."

― JAS, Tuesday, 26 April 2005 01:46 (twenty years ago)

Seriously, 'At the Zoo.'

― 57 7th (calstars), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 01:59 (twenty years ago)

At The Zoo was my second choice. Yeah, it's realy great. Simon's answer to Itchycoo Park?

― jim wentworth (wench), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 02:07 (twenty years ago)

Only Living Boy seconded

i love 'the 59th street bridge song' too, in spite of myself. That "Life I love you" part kinda gets me every time

― Roger Fidelity (Roger Fidelity), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 02:25 (twenty years ago)

Whatever it is, it's on Bookends.

― billstevejim, Tuesday, 26 April 2005 02:57 (twenty years ago)

I was at LAX the other week, going past the mosaics, and started thinking "Hello darkness, my old friend..." so I'll go with "The Sound of Silence."

― late adopter, Tuesday, 26 April 2005 03:29 (twenty years ago)

for emily, wherever I may find her. wait maybe garfunkle wrote that one.

also the boxer and bridge over troubled water, I mean, yeah, you get tired of them, but what the fuck, listen to those songs! they are amazing!

― kyle (akmonday), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 03:54 (twenty years ago)

I like "Homeward Bound" a whole lot

― Mike O. (Mike Ouderkirk), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 04:02 (twenty years ago)

hey mike!

RRB is a great song, most definitely. i have trouble disagreeing with "only living boy...", i cant forget "leaves that are green", and "the sound of silence" is very very underrated by nerds, in the same way purple rain is. jeez, i wanna listen to a ton of S&G tomorrow.

― peter smith (plsmith), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 04:29 (twenty years ago)

"The Boxer" is such a piece of shit.

― Burr (Burr), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 06:06 (twenty years ago)

I´ll second "America" - pure genius. Also, the Simon & Garfunkel live-version of "Red rubber ball" is great aswell.

― jazzhooligan, Tuesday, 26 April 2005 09:31 (twenty years ago)

kodachrome
lyrics and a sample here:
http://users.cis.net/sammy/kodacrm.htm

― nikon, Tuesday, 26 April 2005 10:21 (twenty years ago)

not a big fan...but yeah, "America" is pretty good, that's the one I'd pick for the "best" song Paul Simon wrote. I like "Mother and Child Reunion." "Me and Julio." I mean, "Bridge Over Troubled Water" is some kind of great song, not that I want to listen to it, but whoever came up with that piano part was doin' his job.

― edd s hurt (ddduncan), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 14:23 (twenty years ago)

Only Living Boy thirded.

― Buffalo Stan (Buffalo Stan), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 14:32 (twenty years ago)

Kodachrome

This is one of the best uses of the word "crap" in rock history. You can tell that he really means it.

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 14:50 (twenty years ago)

"Only Living Boy" has two great things going for it: The lyric about getting the news from the weather report, and Garfunkel's awesome coda. But I still don't think it's his best.

But yeah, I'll be listening to my compilation when I get home from work today!

― 57 7th (calstars), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 15:04 (twenty years ago)

I think my favorite is either "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes" or "The Boy in the Bubble."

― Lyra Jane (Lyra Jane), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 16:17 (twenty years ago)

Okay most of y'all are smoking the monkey crack. Because it is clearly "American Tune."

"Boy in the Bubble" and "The Only Living Boy in New York" are tied for second.

― The Mad Puffin, Tuesday, 26 April 2005 17:35 (twenty years ago)

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