Paul Simon On His Writing Process for 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' | The Dick Cavett Show

Paul Simon explains the song writing process for Simon and Garfunkle's hit 'Bridge Over Troubled Water'
Date aired - 4/9/1970 - Paul Simon
#PaulSimon #DickCavett #BridgeOverTroubledWater
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Dick Cavett has been nominated for eleven Emmy awards (the most recent in 2012 for the HBO special, Mel Brooks and Dick Cavett Together Again), and won three. Spanning five decades, Dick Cavett’s television career has defined excellence in the interview format. He started at ABC in 1968, and also enjoyed success on PBS, USA, and CNBC.
His most recent television successes were the September 2014 PBS special, Dick Cavett’s Watergate, followed April 2015 by Dick Cavett’s Vietnam. He has appeared in movies, tv specials, tv commercials, and several Broadway plays. He starred in an off-Broadway production ofHellman v. McCarthy in 2014 and reprised the role at Theatre 40 in LA February 2015.
Cavett has published four books beginning with Cavett (1974) and Eye on Cavett (1983), co-authored with Christopher Porterfield. His two recent books -- Talk Show: Confrontations, Pointed Commentary, and Off-Screen Secrets (2010) and Brief Encounters: Conversations, Magic moments, and Assorted Hijinks(October 2014) are both collections of his online opinion column, written for The New York Times since 2007. Additionally, he has written for The New Yorker, TV Guide, Vanity Fair, and elsewhere.
#thedickcavettshow

[@MrRookie1981]

"I was stuck there" "What got you stuck?" "Well, everywhere I went, led me where I didn't wanna be. So I was stuck." Genius answer :)

[@PeanutSpring3]

Welp, time to steal that quote for a song

[@michaelb9619]

"Well, everywhere I went, led me where I didn't wanna be. So I was stuck." This should be Aa song.

[@PeanutSpring3]

@@michaelb9619 Working on it

[@PeanutSpring3]

@E.A. de Ruiter Slowly figuring things out for it. When I imagine it being a lyric, I imagine a delicate acoustic piece, similar to Overs, or some of the other stuff on Bookends. I just keep getting distracted with other song ideas XD But yeah, not middle eight yet.

[@PeanutSpring3]

@E.A. de Ruiter Thanks for the encouragement! I'll drop a link when it is eventually done!

[@brainflash1]

"Am I speaking too softly?" "No, am I speaking too often?" Such a gracious host.

[@marcusbradley6207]

brainflash1 yeh much better than Jimmy Fallon.

[@Wise__guy]

@@marcusbradley6207 a sack of potatoes is better than jimmy Fallon

[@marcusbradley6207]

Wise Guy yeh I feel bad saying it but he’s just not as intelligent or as interesting as Dick Cavett or David Letterman. He just looks like a random guy.

[@docwill184]

The worst is Hannity, and I usually agree with his politics. Has interesting, really accomplished guests and then interrupts to virtue signal how his mom was a C.O. and he supports L.E. and the military and on-and-on. So in love with his own voice; he must pay those people well. Just STFU already. Insufferable and unlistenable...

[@oliverkalamata2753]

@@marcusbradley6207 Yeah, he's literally a late night host that got his start just doing impressions... And his Trump impression is absolute cringe...

[@RFcity712]

this 11 minute clip has more substance in it than the past 11 years of late night talk shows

[@pagamenews]

What? You don't like it when Jimmy Fallon laughs spontaneously every 30 seconds? Or how Steven Colbert's show is totally scripted and everyone knows the questions AND the answers they are supposed to give?

[@jenniferrothschild4329]

Such truth.

[@themeadowshadows]

I don’t think I realized talk shows were actually semi genuine at one point

[@kickstar1]

haha totally

[@yearnpill]

@@ACMxxxx2 stop bringing politics into this bozo headass

[@MCK620]

Even when he speaks, he sings. Such a great voice.

[@GjaP_242]

6:33

[@Bapuji42]

Totally, Eminem does that too.

[@user-jt5ot4hy9q]

Watching the old shows, one thing becomes clear: Cavett was the most clever, sensitive, on spot, and witty interviewer ever.

[@ebbenielsen7]

I don't like his style. It's as if he's constantly just waiting to make an ironic or humorous comment. And the other excellent questions are just necessary pause for the next "fun" feature. That's pretty strenuous.

[@snwbm]

Seems like a jerk

[@devindevine6887]

ebbenielsen7 Unfortunately that was, and still is, what the majority of the public wants. Most public talk shows nowadays don’t really go nearly as in depth as they could. Moreso geared towards “gUeSs WhAt bRaNd oF MaNgO tHiS Is?!?”-kind of games. You wouldn’t see anything close to this these days. At least he has some good questions!

[@SThompsonRAMM_1203]

L7 , Dick’s Biography is pretty fascinating. His style of show was considered conversational, allowing guests to talk about what they wanted to talk about, interjecting as little as possible. His subtle bits of wit is what got him noticed, after writing an opening monologue for The Tonight Show’s, Jack Parr, and later Johnny Carson. It was people like Carson, Groucho Marx, and Woody Allen that convinced him to try stand-up. Dick Cavett is very sharp, witty, and intelligent. After all, he was a Yale graduate. His show eventually was cancelled, even though it was highly acclaimed, won several awards, and had not only the most interesting guests but also tackled controversial subject matter. The ratings slipped as it was deemed to intelligent of a show for normal viewers leading to it’s cancellation. You want a dumbed down show, you got it. We want Howard Stern. Ugh!

[@jaybestnz]

He has a sensitivity and fully present authenticity.

[@bfne00]

The second he picks up the guitar, he blooms.

[@sgt.thundercok4704]

Nice observation.

[@matimus100]

He's lost

[@patrickdowling529]

He was born to it!

[@mobilitytactics9877]

He truly became animated.

[@boataxe4605]

2:26: “Am I speaking too often”, words that will never come out of the mouths of today’s talk show hosts.

[@FPSBuzz]

Oh shush

[@bigtony1434]

@@FPSBuzz Sad but absolutely true.

[@vampyros1]

Oh, how I adore this man. He has such child like innocence (up to this very day) and is so forthright. No canned responses from Paul. A towering genius.

[@taylorferrari1153]

not towering height-wise, though, i must clarify

[@maryspencer4975]

@@taylorferrari1153 So what.

[@suehaden6103]

I totally agree. I absolutely love this adorable guy and his music. Always have, always will. 💕💕

[@BGmary]

Paul Simon was inspired by a word from the Lord, from the Gospel Singer praising God. Any recent interviews (last 10 yrs) he claimed he had no knowledge of how the song came to be. Shows how hard his heart had become. A Jewish boy from Queens writing some of the best music in the world, got inspiration from listening to Gospel songs about Jesus...imagine that

[@jeffthewhiff]

There is no question that he is a musical genius.

[@BrendanWhelan]

Looks like he would have been a lute player during Renaissance festivals.

[@joso8801]

Damn straight

[@pippipster6767]

Brendan Whelan Hey Nonny Nonny.

[@queenmagicni9736]

Lol funny 😂

[@gardensofthegods]

Yep I really have to say you described him exactly.... I think anyone could picture that for certain

[@julienz2024]

I laughed hard at this 😂😂

[@marahopey]

Absolutely magnificent, I can't express how much more entertaining this unscripted, nervous but natural interview is to the canned, anecdote filled, never longer than a second without a wisecrack style we have on all talk shows today.

[@davefiano4172]

Indeed. When Letterman left the air it was “The Day Late Night Died” ( I know I should reference a Simon song lol).

[@romandogbird]

i blame cocaine

[@timothysullysullivan2571]

no one's watching them... in essence.

[@melodymakermark]

Dave, actually it died a couple years before Dave left, but I guess Dave had a few things to say.

[@dackmont]

@@romandogbird Oh, there was *plenty* of that in the 70's....

[@niltomega2978]

You just don't see personalities like Paul Simons anymore. Very very gentle

[@Woodcut60]

At 06:49 Paul sings the famous chorale from J.S. Bach's Matthäus Passion (BWV 244) "O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden." Very interesting to hear that this piece was his inspiration for Bridge over Troubled Water. Brilliant songwriter.

[@QuicklyLiquid]

It's also the melody to "American Tune", which he would go onto release five years after this interview. My jaw went slack when he started singing it

[@crash2cute]

I now want a version of 'Bridge' with Simon just humming it like he does here. His vocal tone is beautiful!

[@ens0246]

The demo version is my favourite. Check it out on KZbin. It's a shame, I can't find it in any better quality than that. I wonder if it's out there.

[@chadbuarsons8551]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/pHSXh3t8nLeFjbc

[@am-us1ob]

@@ens0246 yooo, thanks for posting this comment. that demo is a real treasure find.

[@MajRatbag]

Fun fact Paul Simon went on to write "Stranded in a limousine" in 1977

[@sabbracadabra8367]

Hah awesome!! :) I wonder if this is what inspired it.

[@JacobMichaelC]

It's incredible how much Cavett shines in this interview while barely speaking. He was every bit the genius in his own field that Simon was in his.

[@hasselett]

Are you kidding me? He talked more than Simon in this clip. The interviewer outspoke the interviewee.

[@tuckerbugeater]

@@hasselett What else did you hope to receive from this?

[@hasselett]

@@tuckerbugeater Huh?

[@erikkibler3466]

Yeah that’s a bit of a stretch

[@blissfulbaboon]

😂I was just thinking how awful he was 😂I live DC but in this interview he interrupts Simon and his questions are terrible

[@dougpeters1625]

this entire segment is profoundly beautiful

[@GreasyBelcher]

If this interview was conducted today, Dick Cavett would have some producer in his earpiece screaming about “dead air” during the entire conversation. It’s great to see people speaking normally on what has become a historic interview.

[@ryand141]

LMFAO. Great!

[@FarhanAmin1994]

I agree. It is truly historic. What extraordinary men, the both of them!

[@NovaRack]

7:23 "Well, everywhere I went, led me where I didn't want to be. So I was stuck."

[@YodaXIII]

7:33

[@SThompsonRAMM_1203]

Marc Raccioppo , I’ve been listening to Paul Simon my entire life. I remember singing Bridge Over Troubled Water in grade school, in choir for parents night, when it was a hit on the radio. That line you quoted brought me to tears. Paul Simon is a musical genius of our time as much as Bach and Beethoven was in theirs.

[@moonharp]

"Workin on my rewrite, alright..."

[@louisbatsford8908]

That'll do it.

[@mrartician5250]

IOW..."I had a brain freeze".

[@michaelmyersfan1001]

This is a free masterclass. To have moments like these captured from one of the greatest song writers publicly known, is beyond precious.

[@brookegoslin]

Brilliant songwriter I love how he grabbed his guitar and broke the song “ Bridge Over Troubled Waters “ down for us . Beautiful voice .

[@AsadAli-jc5tg]

You mean, sang the song and broke the guitar?

[@Nickbaldeagle02]

Water, not waters.

[@JeffRebornNow]

Paul Simon was so humble and self-effacing in this interview. You really like him.

[@timsharkey1993]

Interesting to hear that little piece of the Bach chorale that wound up in “American Tune”. Brilliant stuff.

[@spinningwheel5230]

The Bach piece actually appears repeatedly in both his St. John Passion and the St. Mathew Passion.. I wouldn’t have made the connection had he not mentioned it.

[@mathuff5]

Source: "American Tune" kzbin.info/www/bejne/d3aWnH6Ler5ojbc

[@JeffRebornNow]

I love 'American Tune.' Simon wrote (or in some cases lifted -- maybe incorporated is a better term) the most beautiful melodies. I think his last truly good song was 'The Obvious Child.' You don't get the gift of inspiration forever. The muse is yours for but a short time, and then she's off.

[@harryhassell4669]

JeffRebornNow Stranger to Stranger is a truly excellent album.

[@linlasj]

@@spinningwheel5230 Me neither and I have sung both...:-)

[@andersestes]

Back in the days when people had actual conversations on TV.

[@Elm98]

This is literally exactly the same lol. It’s all acting. Notice the awkward, weird vibe in the start, then the seemingly impromptu offer to show how he wrote the song, then the guitar is just there. It’s all setup, scripted, msm has always been owned by the same families. That doesn’t deflect from Paul simons absolute genius tho.

[@GuilainMusic]

Yeah! It feels good not to hear Cavette scream "OK WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK!!!" and the audience scream as well....

[@jameslarosa2396]

And the host not having to be the center of attention.

[@FPSBuzz]

@@Elm98 so true. People romanticize everything that isn't NOW.

[@MommeeMadre1]

He's just so young!!! So absolutely precious!

[@mr.yellowstrat3352]

Wow... This genius is so humble. Nowadays you got kids with a big SoundCloud following who's music literally SUCKS and they act like they're special or something. Imagine being this creative, and still so humble. He acts like a regular person

[@alonespirit_1Q84]

Mark of Wisdom...

[@runeshare3232]

From 7:10 even his humming is just stunning. Truly beautiful. Extremely talented artist

[@leondevos6404]

What a down to earth , genuinely, nice and humble guy Paul Simon is.

[@jvaish]

Hmm. Look up Paul Simon vs Los Lobos

[@stormbringercoming8105]

Ummm, I don’t think you really know Paul Simon too well.

[@anthonylarusso9676]

i grew up listening to Paul Simon His hair here is awesome Love it

[@ChrisJKing-se4dp]

What a gem a young Paul Simon softly spoken so natural showing his fantastic genius as a world class songwriter this kind of stuff makes youtube a must Watch

[@leokimvideo]

A lot of great artists came out of Queens NY. Must be something in the water there.

[@bibobeuba]

yes, the water is troubled. That's the reason.

[@vladislavno]

Yeah, fluoride and LSD.

[@chrismcgovern1647]

I'm from there too

[@josephkelley8641]

I stayed in Queens first summer in NYC - took about six years to get back there - and from Manhattan subway station/Broadway on West Side -line. The train could stay on the tracks half the night. Not move. No one even asks the conductor why. So used to the return trip (back to Queens) taking forever.

[@dang2443]

I'm guessing you mean Kiss and the Ramones?

[@oopsiedaisy2156]

Paul Simon is such a nerdy geeky musical genius. Love it.

[@sugardaddy4714]

Paul could've kept his secrets, given the usual cop out answer, "it came from the gods" and such... Instead he's giving us an honest and fascinating insight into the creative process. The song didn't just pop into his mind fully-formed. Even the greats get stuck, then find a way thanks to a solid musical foundation. Not every pop artist studies Bach harmonies, gospel changes... How he took these disparate influences as building blocks and combined them into a song that feels so effortless and inevitable.

[@TheSpookyDuke]

Possibly one of the most beautiful songs ever made.

[@alfieholloway]

Duc Jai possibly? Definitely.

[@kubyco]

I'm 70 and I decided it was for me the greatest pop recording ever made.

[@JaneSmith0709]

My favorite song of all time.

[@Paulco67]

It’s a truly wonderful song.

[@erichodge567]

A clever interviewer talking to a clever artist about the process of making sublime art...I'm having a hard time convincing myself that we've gotten smarter in the last fifty years.

[@invisiblefriendmrj]

What is so clever about Dick Cavett? I just pick up on his negative energy, using people so he can feel clever. That to me is a sign of an insecure person who needs to be the most clever person in the room but doesn't necessarily make him that. I sense he liked to set traps for his interview subjects. He says things all the time that I just think, 'how am I supposed to respond to this' pops into their heads. He boxes people in with his sarcasm. Awful in my opinion.

[@anthonymartensen3164]

@@invisiblefriendmrj negative Nancy nuch?

[@brianshaffneraclc]

It's okay. After the end of the recent Joker movie, talk show hosts will *all* be a lot more judicious, empathetic, and conscientious with their guests, from here on out..

[@lotuseater7247]

Yes, let's ignore the advances in science and social changes. We will judge humanity by mainstream light entertainment.

[@cian2168]

@@brianshaffneraclc ok you edgy fucking teenager

[@leavingitblank9363]

"Everywhere I went led me to where I didn't want to be." Story of my life.

[@RR-mp7hw]

He demonstrates perfectly why music plagiarism lawsuits of late are preposterous. Music provides inspiration and fosters creativity. It is never created in a vacuum.

[@FarhanAmin1994]

Thank you for putting it so succinctly.

[@musicsansnotes]

Our society has become hypersensitive and selfish.

[@Charles-db3kr]

Music is inspired by what went before. Just as science builds on past advances. It is so dispiriting to hear people complain about cultural appropriation. If you can use what is good from other cultures we all benefit. Just as Paul Simon integrated African and South American music into his later works. Built on it and comes up with beauty

[@dilanrajapaksha]

Not just preposterious but intentionally malicious since these record companies spend millions on stopping people from earning even a cent from their songs

[@Humblemumble7]

Well, I don't know man.. If someone clearly took something you wrote and made millions from it, I doubt you'd be so eager to chalk it up to "insensitivity of the times"

[@simonhodgetts6530]

I’ve watched a few Dick Cavett shows now and I have to say I think he was possibly he best chat show host ever........

[@ebbenielsen7]

I don't like his style. It's as if he's constantly just waiting to make an ironic or humorous comment. And the other excellent questions are just necessary pause for the next "fun" feature. That's pretty strenuous.

[@onetwo3411]

@@ebbenielsen7 you're just looking for something to hate. Pretty obvious since you copy and pasted this same text under other comment threads. He's not that bad. Pretty good actually.

[@ebbenielsen7]

@@onetwo3411 I try to come up with a different angle on him; because so many are so excited about him - and I really can't understand why.

[@classicartfoundation639]

Really? I find him annoying

[@ebbenielsen7]

@E.A. de Ruiter I can see that you have a different opinion than I have - and that you just experience the interview differently than I do. Fair enough. We are two different people. And that many people are enthusiastic about him and his style is, to put it mildly, not an argument for why I should think so too. I still find his interview style strenuous with his, to my taste, frequent failed and awkward attempts to pull questions and focus in a humorous direction. And yes, it is definitely a copy paste of my previous opinions.

[@oldsongsnew8797]

The good songwriters , hear things ,within things...so a phrase someone says, or a tune or a picture ,can become part of something new.

[@tombradleyjr.3990]

That's what it's all about! 😃

[@markpeirson7832]

Always love when a genius shows you how their art is formed

[@danielueblacker9118]

Paul didn't rat on Art in this interview I give him credit.

[@mrfester42]

For those of us who are intensely interested in the arts, and especially music, hearing Simon explain one type of creative process (there are many) this is fascinating. The old sayings, "There is nothing new under the sun" and "All art is derivative" is true. Great artists seem to take the things that already exist and recombine them in new ways to come up with something totally different and compelling and completely new. At least all the greats seem to do this.

[@peps1943]

Everything is a copy of a copy of a copy

[@jackcore6969]

Which is why most American law firms exist. Sifting through anything they can match up to create a case. Pathetic!

[@erikkibler3466]

I’ve been writing music over twenty years and although I don’t always do this,I def do it.not to mention how much I subconsciously do it😊

[@blissfulbaboon]

Great comment!❤ So very very TRUE!They were all thieves in a sense

[@diaspo]

I suspect Lord Farquaad was actually modeled on Paul Simon.

[@brendanmccabe8373]

Marietta Corsini fun fact he was actually modelled after the CEO of Disney

[@johanponin1360]

@@brendanmccabe8373 for behavior maybe not looks

[@BlackDogDenton]

@@johanponin1360 Looks wise I would say he was modelled on Richard III of England.

[@MajRatbag]

Farquaad was modeled on the voice actor, looks just like him

[@BlackDogDenton]

@@MajRatbag I imagine his face did but the design behind his outfit and hair must have come from Richard III. Especially with the bad reputation old Dick had before they found him buried in the car park!

[@thegingerpowerranger]

this guy was absolutely amazing in no country for Old men. 5 stars

[@ciankeane6485]

His voice is alot softer! that cashier wouldnt be as tense when he was forced to call it

[@fredgarvinMP]

Lol!!

[@nezkeys79]

😅

[@chimpobox]

Paul's so calm and kind here, seems to be such a nice person to hang out with!

[@timmckeown1313]

This was an amazing piece of songwriting history.

[@tonifelise6297]

He looks like an angel, cherub, and sounds like one when he sings , talent from above the gods look down fondly on this man

[@worldcupwonders]

The last part starting at 8:35 when Paul resolves the melody gets me every time. Just a beautifully constructed piece of art.

[@michaelmyersfan1001]

I’m sure if this channel checked their rewatch time statistics on the video they would see 97.5% of it is me having been replaying that exact part over and over again for the past I don’t know how many years I’ve been coming back to this video and always doing the same thing every time.

[@JewandGreek]

What does Art do? Seriously? He sings like an angel. That's what he does. How can anybody dismiss him as "the guy who sings Paul Simon's songs"? There's never been a better voice in the history of pop music.

[@senoritasteffy4324]

That's the first time I've heard anyone explain how they wrote a song. Most people give the impression that it's some complicated, unexplainable process. But he just sat there and demonstrated it, almost as if anyone could do it 😃 He's also so articulate, something you don't see so much these days. And I love his honesty and his humility. And his definition of being stuck was brilliant! 😁

[@paulsimon4381]

Hello senorita, how're you doing Comments like this are priceless, Thank you❤️ it's nice meeting you here.

[@johnsayles4316]

There is an old Tom Petty Documentary where Tom discusses how he would have one lick, and spend a week on it, trying to add to it.

[@jonathanbirenbaum3643]

Paul Simon is one of the greatest American song writers and singers of all time. I am touched by how shy and sensitive he was back in the day until he started to talk about how he composed what is one of the greatest American songs ever written and then he comes into his own and you can see his guitar playing is beautiful and he is such a talented musician that it simply blows your mind even now on July 2, 2023.

[@0HARE]

What a joy to see two such wonderful, intelligent, and charming men have a great conversation about creativity. Paul Simon is an American National Treasure.

[@linnaeamarieandelman4432]

Brilliant interview. Brilliant, beautiful guest.

[@scattygirl1]

Paul McCartney also said he'd often get stuck on a song, as would John Lennon, but then they'd get together and finish off each others songs. He also said they never once came away from a session together with an unfinished piece, but that they both had loads of solo creations that never got finished.

[@HumbleTrader001]

THE URANIUM CAFE Or not :)

[@cninh4574]

Feels like an utter tragedy; all those songs never released

[@MarkSeibold]

We might just finally see some of these incompleted numbers in the soon to be released Beatles Get Back movie, with director-producer Peter Jackson editing over 56 hours of never before released tapes and film reels. Have you seen the new preview that Jackson just released about a week ago? The film quality looks like brand new digital as if it were made yesterday. It actually looks better than digital because it's on actual acetate classic movie film from 1968-1969.

[@buddyneher9359]

@@MarkSeibold Can. Not. WAIT for "Get Back"!!!!!

[@buddyneher9359]

@@MarkSeibold Can. Not. WAIT for "Get Back"!!!!!

[@funksoulbrother3620]

A fascinating insight into the songwriting process. PS also seems like such a nice mild mannered guy

[@martinwise2235]

He is just like that in person. A wonderful polite and soft spoken gentleman. I met him, and was so impressed I became an instant fan and bought every one of his albums.

[@jenniferrothschild4329]

@@martinwise2235 He absolutely is🙏

[@errolmichaelphillips7763]

Into HIS songwriting process.

[@bonobobananas7702]

Dick Cavett’s interviews with Paul Simon are just wonderful. What a brilliant interviewer

[@Artycloughiii]

"Everywhere I went led to where I didn't want to be, so I was stuck". What a great way to describe being stuck.

[@demite5267]

8:30 Paul has such a beautiful falsetto around this time in his career!

[@fretbuzz59]

Notice how polite and civilized the audience is. They sit quietly and listen. Even when Paul finishes his demonstration they don't erupt in applause and whooting and whistling. Manners: what a concept.

[@Wise__guy]

Ok boomer

[@lynneceegee8726]

Wise Guy admit it, you’ve been dying to say that haven’t you! I’ve come to notice everyone who uses that expression is usually thick totally ignores the entire comment. No idea when you dragged your sorry ass into the world, but it hasn’t improved matters.

[@blahdelablah]

I've went to a filming of the David Letterman show. Before the show there was an "audience bootcamp" where they hyped up the people who would be in the crowd and encouraged them to clap/laugh. I would suggest to you that this is the reason modern talkshows have this kind of atmosphere, this is what the producers want.

[@fretbuzz59]

@@blahdelablah Yes, it is what the producers want. However, this behavior isn't unique to primed TV audiences. Been to or seen a concert in recent years? I saw Letterman when he was NBC, and though there was pumping up of the audience, the level was nowhere near the frenzy in the later years of the Late Show, which was unbearable. Even though it may be what the producers want, are people chimps? They don't HAVE to behave the way they're being encouraged to.

[@fretbuzz59]

@@Wise__guy Okay loser.

[@BrianHuntley]

At the 4 minute mark, Dick Cavett asks Paul if it would be hard to write "a song about a limousine." In 1978, "Stranded in a Limousine" was released, though it was likely recorded much earlier. I have to wonder if this interview is what inspired it.

[@devondunbar4179]

Such a nice change of pace to see these old interviews where the audience respectfully just listens to what the artist is saying or doing without obnoxiously cheering and clapping every 5 seconds. You know in a modern day talk show there would have been a lot of hooting and hollering and applause as soon as he picked up the guitar and after every little pause he made.

[@whithaw]

I can't tell you how good that this makes me feel.

[@martinwise2235]

Indeed!

[@paulbadoo9326]

"Everywhere I went led me where I didn't wanna be...so I was stuck" (with the melody). Paul Simon describing great songwriting in a single phrase...Most songwriters just follow one of the paths, just to get out. Paul Simon would not take the easy way out.

[@blondthought5175]

He's like a little boy--until he picks up that guitar. Then he becomes some sort of seraphic genius. The Prince Valiant haircut is a mere bonus.

[@allenf.5907]

Cavett gets a scoop - on one of the finest ballads written in the pop-rock era. I didn't know the background - Bach meets (at the time) modern gospel, "I'll be a bridge over deep water, if you trust in my name."

[@MegaUtube99]

I’m a 21 year old, and I found this whole video so captivating and mind blowing. For several reasons

[@lotuseater7247]

Wow you are 21. That's great. I mean, really. Amazing. Twenty one!!! 21!!!!! Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@DanielBoonelight]

@@lotuseater7247 TF is the point of mocking that statement. it's contextually appro, and you just sound like a dick, and not cavett.

[@khappy1286]

It was a great great great time to be alive. Not kidding.

[@nickquenville]

Interviewers like this are so rare these days... unfortunately, musicians like this are even more rare

[@TedlinksChannel]

Perfectly said.

[@ebbenielsen7]

I don't like his style. It's as if he's constantly just waiting to make an ironic or humorous comment. And the other OK questions are just necessary pause for the next "fun" feature. That's pretty strenuous.

[@timhughes7653]

Yeah Dick Cavett is pretty annoying actually

[@moonharp]

True, both.

[@moonharp]

I love how it's a bit stiff and unfocused at first, and then they both get to a point where they're really engaged with one another, as though the audience had just faded from their - and our - awareness.

[@jamesmcdade8624]

Paul Simon has always come across as a sensitive and caring man. A brilliant song writer.

[@dantheguitarist5823]

Paul is just so soft spoken! Absolute genius.

[@montysloungetv]

Arguably the greatest living songwriter demystifies where other songwriters get cosmic onnthe process

[@HayesChad]

Brian Wilson

[@bossHogOG]

Respected Public Intellectual Yagne Goosh give me a fucking break. Dylan has nowhere near Simon’s talent for original melody and instrumentation.

[@bossHogOG]

Chad Hayes Wilson’s got like 10 good songs. Simon’s got albums full of them.

[@edgilmore7161]

Bob Dylan,Kris Kristofferson, Paul Simon, Merle Haggard all are greats.

[@Ahzdiosh]

McCartney is on another level.

[@sallysigler727]

A very moving and inspirational interview; Paul is so cute you want to squeeze him, and the song is so beautiful, you want to die listening to it! Toss up between Garfunkel singing it so precisely and Paul humming it so precisely. Either way, it comes from and goes right to the heart! 😍

[@isaacglasman725]

When I saw Simon and Garfunkel in concert in the 90s all I could think after Bridge Over Troubled Water was that I was one of the lucky humans who had been privileged to witness them sing this. Art Garfunkel sang it like an angel.

[@rebeccamouse9294]

I love that song so, so much.

[@BandrewScott]

“That’s where I’ve been leading you. And he’s in the wings with a subpoena.”

[@ericjtomsky]

I really love Paul Simon; what an incredibly genuine, articulate, soft spoken, intelligent and playful individual. Not only a musician of renown, but a remarkable person as well :)

[@ivocanevo]

I did not expect to enjoy this so damn much. What a brilliant and rare piece of history.

[@zanahorias07]

This is soo wonderful to see how Paul Simon wrote one of the most beautiful songs ever. I keep this song in my playlist as it will never get old.

[@worldcupwonders]

-How did you write BOTW? -It’ll take me a minute or so do you need to break? So humble !

[@RabelFibal1]

Paul Simon is a phenomenal guitarist and singer, what a genius and gentle soul.

[@shanoinoz]

I was lucky enough to see S&G in concert about 10yrs ago. Absolutely brilliant.

[@johnzaccardi526]

One of the greatest American songwriters of all time.

[@emirozdemir2037]

could listen paul humming for hours

[@johnnyd63]

Songwriting lesson from the great Paul Simon.I love how he becomes more comfortable and confident with a guitar on.Brilliant.

[@tommyhill34]

I am wowed by the humility and honesty that Paul Simon brought to the conversation about the creative process and grateful that Dick Cavett was graciously allowing it to happen. But then again, I believe that this is a hallmark of Cavett's interviewing style, along with his dry humor - which I have come to appreciate as I get older.

[@TeeNineJulius]

That was really nice to watch. Paul Simon starts off very nervous on the chair. But once he gets the guitar in his hand, his whole demeanour changes. He becomes more confident and provides a very honest account of how a timeless tune was formed. Thank you for sharing.

[@FreeSpirit47]

Paul Simon is so down to Earth. He doesn't need a script or glitz or pretense. Just a very smart, talented, every day guy.

[@scottlang7271]

What a pleasure to watch. Two men doing their best to simply have a conversation, and finding pleasure in each other's company. No ego, no showing off, and both of them showing courtesy. It's not that hard, but how rare to see it these days.

[@astral2151]

Such an honest & intelligent man. I admire Paul Simon's view on life & creativity. Very respectable.

[@peggydeffley2194]

“Everywhere I went led to somewhere I didn’t want to be”. All of us , Paul. All of us. And that’s why we love you.

[@JackTheRabbitMusic]

I write songs today because of guys like this. Peace. 🐰💙🇺🇸🎸🎶🤝✌️

[@htttppppp]

I enjoy a lot of these comments and agree with everything they say. What strikes me is this NY accent and the sound of their voices, the pitch actually is so beyond words.

[@aprose]

This is extraordinary. The same chorale influenced "American Tune" . One short melody by Bach inspires two of the greatest songs of the 20th Century.

[@dbadagna]

I don't hear the similarity between the first phrase of the Bach chorale melody Simon quotes in this video and the phrase in "Bridge Over Troubled Water" it supposedly inspired (E | F E D G | E). Oh, I just looked at the score and found it: the last six notes of the Bach chorale, which Paul Simon didn't demonstrate in this interview (transposed to the same key he was playing in in this video): E | F E D G | E, exactly the same notes as in "Bridge Over Troubled Water." The lyrics of that phrase are "ge - grü - ßet seist du mir."

[@danmozartino2864]

Very generous sharing this on the show

[@nvz357]

This song brings me back to a summer nite in Forest Hills Stadium in 1965 or 66 at a S & G concert. Garfunkel sang this song and when he was done there was absolute silence for what seemed like an eternity. I was as though no one wanted to brake the spell, then an elevated subway train passed nearby and the audience exploded...I’ll never forget that moment.

[@jurgostuff]

They sang a song from 1970 four to five years earlier??

[@christianpatton1852]

Love hearing about the background and creation of great classic songs!

[@paulsimon4381]

Hello Christian, how're you doing, Your comments caught my attention and that is why I am reaching out to you.

[@jeddyhi]

Once upon a time great musicians roamed the earth and shared their music with all that would hear it. We revered them then and still do today as legends.

[@lynnemiller3633]

What a gift this video is. Thanks, Paul - for your honesty, sincerity and apparent obliviousness as to how absolutely gifted a musician and song writer/composer you are. ONE OF A KIND. Magically so.

[@RolandoPoison]

I keep coming back to listen to his humming.

[@dannycrockett9878]

In a 1996 Rolling Stone poll of British and American songwriters, they overwhelmingly picked Bridge Over Troubled Water as the song they wished they'd written. But it really was an amazing interview to have him explain, try to explain, how the mind of a genius works. Simon is absolutely, no doubt, a musical genius. Hearing his musings on how the "song came together" is akin to listening to Einstein explain how he came around to his theories on relativity. It makes some sense to you, a little maybe, but mostly it's a wonder.

[@Sele1908]

True substance. Such a super rare quality these days.

[@larydixon4824]

Watching this clip has opened the floodgates of treasured memories from this time ! The air was so full of excitement then and music was the driving force behind everything that we did and said, and thought.. I remember watching this show when it first aired and it has since disappeared for all these years.. The Beatles had just broken up, after seven years as the spokesmen of the emerging power of our cultural shift in the world.. Bridge Over Troubled Water is one of the most beautiful songs ever written, and Simon and Garfunkel were helping to cement our presence, as serious artists, upon the world stage.. Lary

[@tinaballinger2903]

No Simon you are phenomenal. One of the best songs ever. Beautifully written and sung

[@avedic]

Dick Cavett is the best thing that the 70s ever produced. What a gem of a host....and human being. He's smart, genuinely interested in his guests/topics, is a great listener, and is funny to boot.