Now that we have already discussed this year’s Super Bowl movies and a song for the New England Patriots, it is time to pick a song for the New York Giants. A New York team gives us several options of the many “New York” songs. After I discovered there was not a good video of John Coltraine playing “Giant Steps,” I was leaning toward one of my favorite Bruce Springsteen songs, but then I remembered the beautiful Simon & Garfunkel song, “The Only Living Boy in New York.” Considering that the Giants play their home games in New Jersey, the song also has a connection to that state, having been featured in the movie Garden State (2004), which is set in the “Garden State” of New Jersey.
Although the song may work for the listener in many contexts, such as in that movie, much of the perfection of the song comes from the fact that it had personal meaning for Paul Simon:
“Tom, get your plane right on time;
I know your part will go fine;
Fly down to Mexico.”
Simon and Garfunkel started out in 1957 performing under the name “Tom & Jerry,” so one may see from the opening line that the song is a message to Tom, i.e., Art Garfunkel. In an interview, Simon explained, “That was written about Artie’s going off to make Catch 22 in Mexico.” At the time, Garfunkel had left Simon in New York to act in the movie Catch 22 (1970). One hears Simon’s melancholy at being left behind by his friend and singing partner in the chords of the song.
The song appeared on Bridge Over Troubled Water (1970), the last studio album from the team, and one hears the dissolution of the collaboration and the sadness of a deteriorating friendship that had started in high school. In the original, one hears the sadness in both voices, and you still hear it in Simon’s voice looking back as an older man.
As for this weekend, New York Giant fans hope they will not have sadness in their voices after Sunday’s game.
Post-Super Bowl Update: After the Giants won the game, the song played in the stadium was “Empire State of Mind” by Alicia Keys and Jay-Z. Another good song choice.
What do you think of “The Only Living Boy in New York”? What “New York” song would you pick for this year’s Super Bowl? Leave your two cents in the comments.
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