"The Boxer" | ||||||||
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Single by Simon & Garfunkel | ||||||||
from the album Bridge over Troubled Water | ||||||||
B-side | "Baby Driver" | |||||||
Released | March 21, 1969 | |||||||
Format | 7" single | |||||||
Recorded | November 1968 | |||||||
Genre | Folk rock | |||||||
Length | 5:10 | |||||||
Label | Columbia | |||||||
Writer(s) | Paul Simon | |||||||
Producer(s) | Roy Halee, Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel | |||||||
Simon & Garfunkel singles chronology | ||||||||
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"The Boxer" is a song by the American music duo Simon & Garfunkel from their fifth studio album, Bridge over Troubled Water (1970). Produced by the duo and Roy Halee, it was released as the lead single from the album on March 21, 1969. The song, written by Paul Simon, is a folk rock ballad that variously takes the form of a first-person lament as well as a third-person sketch of a boxer. Simon's lyrics are largely autobiographical and partially inspired by the Bible, and were written during a time when he felt he was being unfairly criticized. The song's lyrics discuss poverty and loneliness. It is particularly known for its plaintive refrain, in which the singer sings 'lie-la-lie', accompanied by a heavily reverbed drum.
"The Boxer" was the follow-up to one of the duo's most successful singles, "Mrs. Robinson". It peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100. It performed well internationally, charting within the Top 10 in nine countries, peaking highest in the Netherlands, Austria, South Africa, and Canada. Rolling Stone ranked the song No. 106 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
The original recording of the song is one of the duo's most highly produced, and took over 100 hours to record. The recording was performed at multiple locations, including Nashville, St. Paul's Chapel in New York City, and Columbia studios in Nashville.