"The Boxer"
Single by Simon and Garfunkel
from the album Bridge over Troubled Water
Released	April, 1969
Format	7" single
Recorded	1969
Genre	Folk Rock
Length	5:10
Label	Columbia Records
Writer(s)	Paul Simon
Producer(s)	Roy Halee, Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel
Chart positions
#10 (UK) #7 (US)
Simon and Garfunkel singles chronology
"Mrs. Robinson" (1968)	"The Boxer" (1969)	"Bridge over Troubled Water" (1970)

For the 1997 film starring Daniel Day-Lewis, see The Boxer (film).

For the 2005 The Chemical Brothers song, see "The Boxer (Chemical Brothers song)".

"The Boxer"(One who boxes things) is a classic folk ballad written by Paul Simon in 1968 and first recorded by Simon & Garfunkel. It was released as the follow up single to their number one hit Mrs. Robinson and later appeared on their last studio album, Bridge over Troubled Water, along with its b-side "Baby Driver". It is particularly known for its plaintive refrain, in which the singer sings the tune as 'li-la-li', and the memorable finger-picking guitar played by guitarist Fred Carter, Jr. Image File history File links The_Boxer. ... A collection of various CD singles In music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. ... Simon and Garfunkel are an American popular music duo comprising Paul Simon and Arthur Art Garfunkel. ... Bridge Over Troubled Water is an album by Simon and Garfunkel released on January 26, 1970. ... In music, a single is a short (usually ten minutes or less) record, usually featuring one or two tracks as A-sides, often accompanied by several B-sides—usually remixes or other songs. ... A music genre is a category (or genre) of pieces of music that share a certain style or basic musical language (van der Merwe 1989, p. ... Bob Dylans folk-rock album, Blonde on Blonde Folk-rock is a musical genre, combining elements of folk music and rock music. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Columbia Records is the oldest brand name in recorded sound, dating back to 1888, and was the first record company to produce pre-recorded records as opposed to blank cylinders. ... A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. ... Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist, half of the folk-singing duo Simon and Garfunkel who continues a successful solo career. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the performers, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes . ... Roy Halee was a record producer and engineer best known for producing several albums with Simon and Garfunkel, including the Grammy-winning Bridge Over Troubled Water. ... Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist, half of the folk-singing duo Simon and Garfunkel who continues a successful solo career. ... Art Garfunkel in Bad Timing (1980) Arthur Ira Garfunkel (born November 5, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter and actor, best known as half of the folk duo Simon and Garfunkel. ... A record chart, also known as a music chart, is a method of ranking music according to popularity during a given period of time. ... Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from... Simon and Garfunkel are an American popular music duo comprising Paul Simon and Arthur Art Garfunkel. ... Mrs. ... Bridge over Troubled Water is the title song of Simon and Garfunkels final album together, Bridge over Troubled Water. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Daniel Michael Blake Day-Lewis (born 29 April 1957), is an Academy Award-winning English-born actor. ... The Boxer is a 1997 film by Irish director Jim Sheridan. ... The Chemical Brothers are an electronic music duo from England, comprising Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons (occasionally referred to as Chemical Ed and Chemical Tom). ... The Boxer is the third single from The Chemical Brothers 2005 album Push the Button, released in early July 2005 (see 2005 in music). ... Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist, half of the folk-singing duo Simon and Garfunkel who continues a successful solo career. ... 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... Bridge Over Troubled Water was Simon and Garfunkels last album; the title track was their only number one hit in the United Kingdom. ... Mrs. ... Bridge Over Troubled Water is an album by Simon and Garfunkel released on January 26, 1970. ... A refrain (from the Old French refraindre to repeat, likely from Vulgar Latin refringere) is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the chorus of a song. ... Fred Carter, Jr. ...

It is sometimes suggested that the song's lyrics represent a "sustained attack on Bob Dylan".^[1] Alternatively it has also been suggested that the lyrics are largely autobiographical, as Simon himself has said. Bob Dylan (born Robert Allen Zimmerman on May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter, author, musician and poet who has been a major figure in popular music for five decades. ...

It was originally written with a verse that is not present in the Bridge Over Troubled Water version: Bridge Over Troubled Water is an album by Simon and Garfunkel released on January 26, 1970. ...

Now the years are rolling by me
They are rocking evenly
I am older than I once was
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

In the version released on single by the duo, it is replaced by an instrumental melody written by Art Garfunkel and played in unison on pedal steel guitar and piccolo trumpet. This "missing verse" was performed by Simon & Garfunkel when they went on tour in November 1969, and Paul Simon when he performed it solo after the group's breakup. Simon & Garfunkel also performed the "missing verse" when they reunited for The Concert in Central Park in 1981. In Old Friends: Live on Stage keyboardist Rob Schwimmer plays the Garfunkel tune on a Theremin. Art Garfunkel in Bad Timing (1980) Arthur Ira Garfunkel (born November 5, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter and actor, best known as half of the folk duo Simon and Garfunkel. ... Pedal steel guitar with two 10-string necks The pedal steel guitar is a type of electric steel guitar incorporating a stand and pedals. ... Trumpeter performing with the United States Air Forces in Europe Band The trumpet is a brass instrument. ... On 19 September 1981 the folk-rock duo Simon and Garfunkel gave a concert in New Yorks Central Park attended by more than 500,000 people. ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Léon Theremin playing an early theremin The theremin or thereminvox (originally pronounced but often anglicized as [1]) is one of the earliest fully electronic musical instruments. ...

Bob Dylan and Emmylou Harris have made cover versions of the song, with Harris' version reaching the top ten on the US country charts in June 1980. Joan Baez has also made the song a staple of her live concert performances, from the late 1970s to the present. (Baez' usually includes the above-mentioned missing verse in her version.) Bob Dylan (born Robert Allen Zimmerman on May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter, author, musician and poet who has been a major figure in popular music for five decades. ... Emmylou Harris, ca. ... 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... Joan Chandos Báez (born January 9, 1941) is an American folk singer and songwriter known for her highly individual vocal style. ...

Paul Simon sang the song to open Saturday Night Live on September 29, 2001, the first live SNL show following the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York City. Coincidentally, the song was also performed by Simon & Garfunkel (with the "missing verse") on the second episode of Saturday Night Live in October 1975. Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist, half of the folk-singing duo Simon and Garfunkel who continues a successful solo career. ... Saturday Night Live (SNL) is a weekly late night 90-minute American comedy-variety show based in New York City which has been broadcast by NBC on Saturday nights since October 11, 1975. ... September 29 is the 272nd day of the year (273rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year 2001. ... This article is about the date September 11 in general. ... This article is about the year 2001. ... Nickname: Big Apple, Gotham Location in the state of New York Coordinates: Country United States State New York Boroughs The Bronx Brooklyn Manhattan Queens Staten Island Settled 1613 Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Area    - City 1,214. ... Saturday Night Live (SNL) is a weekly late night 90-minute American comedy-variety show based in New York City which has been broadcast by NBC on Saturday nights since October 11, 1975. ...

Rolling Stone ranked the song #105 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Rolling Stone is an American magazine devoted to music, politics, and popular culture that is published bi-weekly. ... The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time was the cover story of a special issue of Rolling Stone magazine published in November 2004. ...

Quotes

"The Boxer was a really nice record. I like to listen to that record. I think I was reading the Bible around that time. That's where I think phrases such as 'workman's wages' came from, and 'seeking out the poorer quarters'. That was biblical. I think the song was about me: everybody's beating me up, and I'm telling you now I'm going to go away if you don't stop." – Paul Simon[1]

"I didn't have any words! Then people said it was 'lie' but I didn't really mean that. That it was a lie. But, it's not a failure of songwriting, because people like that and they put enough meaning into it, and the rest of the song has enough power and emotion, I guess, to make it go, so it's all right. But for me, every time I sing that part... [softly], I'm a little embarrassed." – Paul Simon [2]

International Covers

The song was effectively translated into Greek by Billy Kazoulis as Ο Πυγμάχος (O Pygmaxos / The Boxer).

References

1. ^ Baker, G.A. Sleeve of "Simon and Garfunkel: 20 Greatest Hits"