The Boxer by Simon & Garfunkel, penned by Paul Simon in 1968, is a song that reflects feelings of alienation and insecurity experienced by Simon after the duos rise to fame. The lie-la-lie chorus serves as a wordless refrain, signifying the characters inability to articulate his true feelings. It was recorded across various sessions in different studios, including a string session in Nashville that was ultimately omitted from the final version.
I am just a poor boy, though my story's seldom told I have squandered my resistance For a pocketful of mumbles such are promises All lies and jest still a man hears what he wants to hear And disregards the rest When I left my home and family I was no more than a boy In the company of strangers In the quiet of a railway station running scared Laying low seeking out the poorer quarters where the ragged people go Looking for the places only they would know
Lie-la-lie Lie-la-la-la-la lie-la-lie Lie la lie Lie-la la la la la lie la la la la lie
Asking only workmans wages I come looking for a job But I get no offers Just a come-on from the whores on Seventh Avenue I do declare there were times when I was so lonesome I took some comfort there La-la-la-la-la-la-la
(2/4) (2/4) ************************************************************************************* Now the years are rolling by me, they are rocking evenly And I am older than I once was And younger than I'll be, that's not unusual No, it isn't strange, after changes upon changes we are more or less the same After changes we are more or less the same **************************************************************************************
Lie-la-lie Lie-la-la-la-la lie-la-lie Lie la lie Lie-la la la la la lie la la la la lie
Then I'm laying out my winter clothes and wishing I was gone Going home where the New York City winters aren't bleeding me Leading me-e Going home In the clearing stands a boxer and a fighter by his trade And he carries the reminders Of ev'ry glove that laid him down or cut him till he cried out In his anger and his shame "I am leaving, I am leaving." but the fighter still remains Hm, hm, hm
Lie-la-lie Lie-la-la-la-la lie-la-lie Lie la lie Lie-la la la la la lie la la la la lie Lie-la-la-la-la lie-la-lie Lie la lie Lie-la la la la la lie la la la la lie Lie-la-la-la-la lie-la-lie Lie la lie Lie-la la la la la lie la la la la lie Lie-la-la-la-la lie-la-lie Lie la lie Lie-la la la la la lie la la la la lie Lie-la-la-la-la lie-la-lie Lie la lie Lie-la la la la la lie la la la la lie Lie-la-la-la-la lie-la-lie Lie la lie Lie-la la la la la lie la la la la lie Lie-la-la-la-la lie-la-lie Lie la lie Lie-la la la la la lie la la la la lie Lie-la-la-la-la lie-la-lie Lie la lie Lie-la la la la la lie la la la la lie