Episode 2: "Hearts and Bones" by Paul Simon

In this episode, Keith talks about the Paul Simon song "Hearts and Bones" and the story behind the inspiration behind one Simon's classics. Sure, the people it's technically about makes it interesting, but the universality of how our relationships make us and change us forever is something that goes unnoticed to the casual listener.

Episode Transcript

(00:04):
Music and lyrics are intertwined in ourpopular culture. The songwriters bear their souls,
but sometimes there are words that havemeanings unique to us, the listeners.
Here we explore those meanings. I'mKeith Greeve and this is interpretations Episode

(00:31):
two Hearts and Bones by Paul Simon, And in this one, folks,
it's an important one for me andit's only Episode two. Hearts and Bones
by Paul Simon, released in nineteeneighty three, is one of those songs
that you've probably heard anywhere they playadult contemporary music, like the grocery store
or while you were waiting for thedoctor or dentist in the waiting room.

(00:55):
It's got a melody that doesn't reallygrab your attention, and that demure stature
probably fits Paul Simon to a t. Once you delve into the lyrics,
though, you come away heavy andwounded after listening to a story that more
of us can identify with than probablywe'll ever admit to. Literally, this

(01:15):
song is about his relation with hisonce wife, Carrie Fisher. Fisher struggles
with fame and starred him in thewake of her other worldly role of Princess
Leigh and the Star Wars franchise areno secret to anyone, and when one
thinks about the stories Fisher herself hastold, I get this image in my

(01:37):
head of an extremely poorly matched couplethat had no business ever getting together,
but it worked for a time.And this song is about those relationships that,
no matter the outcome, leave anindelible mark on our souls. Lyrically,
the song starts off with the lineone and one half wandering Jews,

(02:01):
a direct reference to himself and Fisher, respectively, and it moves on to
a story of these two people travelingtogether and at least one of them knows
it's over or at least going tobe soon. This is evident when Simon
sings on the last leg of ajourney they started a long time ago,
the arc of a love affair.He goes on to wax nostalgic about the

(02:25):
start of things, their wedding.But the genius of Simon is the picture
painted through his choice of words,looking back to the season before looking back
through the cracks in the door,the imagery of a weathered and broken door
being the filter he's looking back throughhis weighty He then describes it as the

(02:46):
act was outrageous the bride was contagious, simultaneously acknowledging it was crazy, but
what was he to do with abride like her? And then we get
to the precipice of the end.She's impetuous and wants to drive down to
Mexico on a whim, and hesays, I don't know nothing, nothing

(03:07):
about no Mexico, which prompts herto ask, why can't you love me
for who I am where I am? And he just drily replies, because
that's not how this works. Thisis me loving you, And in that
moment, it's apparent that this lifetogether is just not going to work out.

(03:32):
They separate and return to their naturalcoasts, as Simon puts it,
to lick their wounds. But they'llnever be the same. As Simon ramps
up the emotion to belt out,you take two bodies and you twirl them
into one, their hearts and theirbones, and they won't come undone,
understanding that going forward, regardless ofwhat happens, they will never be the

(03:57):
same going forward. And when Simonbelts that last lyric out and last chorus,
I swear you can feel the sadnessin his soul. This song always
gets me because of all the timesin my youth where things just inexplicably fall
apart, regardless of my wishes.Sometimes it just isn't meant to be.

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But you always take something with you. Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's bad,
but there's always something hearts and bonesand they won't come undone. Indeed,
this has been Interpretations Podcast. I'mKeith Greeve, your host. Send

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all comments and emails to Interpretationspod atgmail dot com. Follow us at interpret
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