Overs (song)
"Overs" is a song by American music duo Simon & Garfunkel from their fourth studio album, Bookends (1968).
| "Overs" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Simon & Garfunkel | |
| from the album Bookends | |
| Recorded | October 16, 1967 Columbia Studio A (New York City) |
| Genre | |
| Length | 2:14 |
| Label | Columbia |
| Songwriter(s) | |
| Producer(s) |
|
Background edit
"Overs" was one of many songs completed during the duo's sessions with John Simon, alongside "Fakin' It," "Save the Life of My Child" and "Punky's Dilemma".[1] The song concerns an old couple beginning to tire of one another.[2] In their 1968 appearance on Kraft Music Hall, Simon explained that "Overs" is a companion piece to their earlier composition, "For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her"; that song concerns the belief in true love, while "Overs" relates to the loss of that belief.[3]
It has been suggested that the song, which was originally written for but cut from The Graduate (1968), was inspired by the film’s depiction of two lovers (the Robinsons) in a loveless marriage.[2] The lyrics contain almost no rhyme.
Composition edit
"Overs" is a departure from Simon’s earlier work in that it reveals "increasing independence from standard diatonic, major/minor, and/or modal rock- and folk-based styles."[4] As a result, it "displays a logical consequence of both of these trends: a more jazz-oriented style," including a larger selection of chords and looser form.[4] The song contains multiple instances of wordplay related to the word over, including the final line, "I stop and think it over."[2]
The sound effects at the start of the song are of somebody striking a match to light up and inhale a cigarette.[5]
References edit
- ^ Fornatale 2007, p. 66−68.
- ^ a b c Fornatale 2007, p. 91.
- ^ "Three for Tonight". Kraft Music Hall. January 3, 1968. NBC.
- ^ a b Bennighof 2007, p. 36.
- ^ Bonca, Cornel (2014-10-10). Paul Simon: An American Tune. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9780810884823.
Bibliography edit
- Bennighof, James (2007). The Words and Music of Paul Simon. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-275-99163-0.
- Fornatale, Pete (2007). Simon and Garfunkel's Bookends. Rodale. ISBN 978-1-59486-427-8.