Like a bridge over troubled water/
I will lay me down.

“Bridge Over Troubled Water” is Simon and Garfunkel’s Tour de Force sung by Garfunkel and played by Larry Knechtel. He’s a famous piano session man for bands like Bread, The Beach Boys, Joan Baez, The Byrds, The Mamas and the Papas, etc. If you are a fan of music, you’ve heard his work before.

This is a great Paul Simon song that Garfunkel gets to sing because Paul wrote it in a key too high for him to sing it himself. There are ways around that (musically he could have dropped it a step), but there is nothing wrong with having Garfunkel sing lead too. Supposedly, there were times when Simon regretted that decision.

The meaning of “Bridge over Troubled Water” is about sacrificing your own needs to benefit others. That is one type of love: philos. The song is so universal that  my Aunt even told me she heard this sung in a Catholic church.

The piano work is original and compliments the melody perfectly. It is difficult to play. Since Knechtel doesn’t sing at the same time, it becomes a lot easier. Notice how he varies the volume significantly throughout the song to approximate emotion. That is harder to do on a piano than a guitar. When the full band and strings come in one instrument that jumps out at me is the drums. Simon and Garfunkel use a similar effect that they used in The Boxer where they have sole large echoing smashes of the tom.

Garfunkel sounds in his element. He delivers the song beautifully and articulately and unashamedly. It turns out he and Simon make a pretty good team.

Bridge Over Troubled Water Lyrics

When you’re weary,
Feeling small.
When tears are in your eyes,
I will dry them all, all.

I’m on your side,
Oh, when times get rough.
And friends just can’t be found.

Like a bridge over troubled water,
I will lay me down.
Like a bridge over troubled water,
I will lay me down.

When you’re down and out,
When you’re on the street.
When evening falls so hard,
I will comfort you.

I’ll take your part,
Oh, when darkness comes.
And pain is all around.

Like a bridge over troubled water,
I will lay me down.
Like a bridge over troubled water,
I will lay me down.

Sail on silver girl,
Sail on by.
Your time has come to shine-
All your dreams are on their way.

See how they shine,
Oh, if you need a friend.
I’m sailing right behind.

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