Song of the Night (#21) Simon and Garfunkel - I Am a Rock

I was wondering when I'd get around to Simon and Garfunkel. I've unconsciously heard their music since I was a child, but really only took notice of the duo when I was a teen. At one point, I knew about twenty songs of theirs by heart and habitually sung them around others, whether they liked it or not. Their lay in the simple, folk-like nature of their songs and Paul Simon's insightful lyrics.

 "I Am a Rock" is word for word, note for note my favorite song of theirs (and possibly, of all my music). Truth be told, the song is a Simon creation, much like the rest of their discography. However, the insertion of  percussion, guitars and Art Garfunkel's backing vocals make the classic it is today.

Perhaps the ultimate "down in the dumps" song, "I Am a Rock" is boldly ironic. Simon's lyrical angst and brooding (not for nothing does Simon consider the song his most neurotic) are paired with a cheerful melody! The singer speaks of becoming a rock; an island to be separate from those who could hurt him (in the context of the lyrics, this is because of a failed relationship). And yet that ringing guitar is so damn uplifting - a note of hope in an otherwise dour mass of self-pity.