Eleven Ways to Say Good Bye Trivia Quiz

"Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind.
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind."

That monumental song was released as the second single from the album of the same name. While the instrumental part was recorded in California by the "Wrecking Crew" - a loose collective of excellent session musicians - Paul and Art sang in New York. And this was done very well.

For once - it was and always will be a wonderful and atmospheric song - the single won, in 1971, the Grammy Awards for Song of the Year, Best Contemporary Song, and Best Arrangement, Instrumental and Vocals. The song got platinum and gold, and was number one, or at least in the top five, of all kinds of charts worldwide.

It was covered among others by Aretha Franklin and was used as a charity song when the Grenfell Tower in London/UK burnt down in 2017.

"I'd rather be a sparrow than a snail
Yes, I would
If I could
I surely would"

This song was released as the fourth single.

The title is in Spanish, which means in plain English: the Condor passes. It was written by Peruvian composer Daniel Alomía Robles in 1913. Paul Simon heard the instrumental 1965 in Paris, the Andean band Los Incas performed it there. Simon gave the song an English text. For the album Los Inca's version was used as a base track.

Later it led to one of the most friendly copyright lawsuits ever being dealt with at court. Simon had been given a wrong information about the song, being told it was a copyright-free folksong. But there was a son of the composer, who brought the case to court and won.

Released as a single it was quite successful. Now it is played by nearly every Peruvian band appearing with ponchos and pan flutes in European shopping miles.

"Celia, you're breaking my heart
You're shaking my confidence daily
Oh Cecilia, I'm down on my knees
I'm begging you please to come home"

This was the third single from the album, which peaked at four in the Billboard charts in 1970.

This song started its life at a party, when a lot of people including Art and Paul were fooling around. Someone beat with a spoon on a piece of furniture, another one played a guitar lying around. And there was yet another guest who had a tape recorder ready. Paul Simon later worked with that tape. He said he used the name of St. Cecilia, who is the patron saint of music in the Catholic tradition. As the Cecilia in the lyrics behaves a bit naughty in the eyes of a strict Catholic, this is strange choice in my humble opinion.

"It's the same old story
Everywhere I go
I get slandered, libeled
I hear words I never heard in the Bible"

For the people, who still know singles: it was the B-Side of the title track. So if you bought that single, you just had to turn it around, to hear the other side. Which might satisfy you.

There is more than one interpretation of the lyrics. There is buying/selling drugs, to playing the right kind of music. As I never used drugs, that music is enough for me with this upbeat sound.

"Architects may come and
Architects may go and
Never change your point of view
When I run dry
I stop awhile and think of you"

Art had studied architecture in his younger years. He had asked Paul to write a song about the architect Frank Lloyd Wright. As Paul didn't know that much about him, he used the name as a title and the song is more or less about the requester of the song. Art didn't know this until years later. He was miffed about that secrecy, but stated in 2012 "one loves the giver of a beautiful gift." Seems that he liked that tune.

The needle has started to scratch, it has reached the end of side A. So it is time to turn it around.

"In the clearing stands a boxer
And a fighter by his trade
And he carries the reminders
Of every glove that laid him down"

So you removed the dust from the record, and brushed the collected fluff from the first side off the needle before setting the needle down again. After all: you want to hear that "Lie la lie" without crackles...

That song was released as a single before the album was made. It deals with loneliness, for which the boxer is just an example. It did well as a lonely single, peaking at seven in the Billboard charts, and a number one across the border in Canada. It was later covered by several artists, including Bob Dylan.

"My daddy got a big promotion
My mama got a raise in pay
There's no one home, we're all alone
Oh, come to my room and play, yes, we can play"

That song was already the B-Side to "The Boxer" and therefore released before (See track 6). It is about the child of wealthy parents who is looking for some fun. You can hear some car noises. There was a wonderful version with driving babies when Paul Simon appeared on the "Muppet Show".

"Tom, get your plane right on time
I know your part'll go fine
Fly down to Mexico
Doh-n-doh-de-doh-n-doh
And here I am
The only living boy in New York"

That song was a B-Side to "Cecilia". Another song written by Paul Simon, who was missing Art Garfunkel (Tom) who was acting in the movie "Catch 22", and was at that moment in Mexico. So Simon was working alone at the album this quiz is about. "Tom" bases on the pre Simon and Garfunkel time, when they two youngsters recorded under the name "Tom and Jerry". Guess who was Jerry?

Everything but the Girl made a cover version which got released in 1993. The title was also used as a title for a 2017 movie with Kate Beckinsale.

"Why don′t you write me?
I'm out in the jungle, I′m hungry to hear you
Send me a card
I am waiting so hard to be near you
(La, la, la)"

Paul Simon experimented with Reggae; the whole song, is despite the text, lively and easy to listen. It wasn't a single.

Olivia Newton-John made a cover with a country influence easy to detect. I half heard it once and don't remember it was even a hit. I guess only fans might like this version.

"There goes my baby with someone new
She sure looks happy, I sure am blue
She was my baby 'til he stepped in
Goodbye to romance that might've been"

"Bye Bye Love", then sung by the Everly Brothers in 1957, was their successful debut. Composers were Felice and Boudleaux Bryant. Simon and Garfunkel performed the song in 1970 live, liked the rhythmic handclapping of the audience and recorded a similar version for the album.

Don and Phil can be heard singing on Paul Simon's solo album "Graceland", in the background of the title track.

"Here is my song for the asking
Ask me and I will play
So sweetly, I'll make you smile"

Simon and Garfunkel were breaking up, this song sounds like a last plea. After all, they made a lot of harmonious songs together. It fades in at the end of "Bye Bye Love" and is a short and sweet song.

One word at the end: I am no music expert or can talk about composition facts and instruments. I hope that information I gave to you is good enough.