Paul Simon is still going strong at 84 years of age, writing and performing new music for the masses. He recently came out with the critically acclaimed Seven Psalms. And although he has been having trouble with his hearing in his left ear, he has embarked on another tour of his latest music.
He recently sat down for an interview with late-night talk show host, Stephen Colbert, and they dove deep into some of the stories surrounding classic songs like “Call Me Al” and “The Sound Of Silence,” what Simon considers one of his best songs, a song that he thinks might still be around in 100 years. Knowing the depth and the reach of the song, that is pretty much a given.
In the interview, Colbert plied him with interesting questions, like what Simon’s favorite lines from his songs were, and highlighted Simon’s advice that the opening line to a song is sometimes the most important line of a creative venture.
He wasn’t just there for the interview, but played a live rendition of his song, "The Sacred Harp," which featured stunning vocal accompaniment by his wife, Edie Brickell.
The crowd at Stephen Colbert's talk-show show were eager to applaud Paul Simon
Simon, who has been a staple of modern American music since the 1960s, is now an elder statesman in the music world. He spoke in the interview about being nervous for his first gig in a long, long time, speaking about how he’s been playing professionally since he was sixteen years old.
He started out with his elementary school friend, Art Garfunkel, but unlike Garfunkel, he has been reinventing himself since then, with many songs inspired by African and world music. Each of his new offerings is a sort of revelation, from one of the best songwriters to ever do it.
The crowd at Colbert’s late show was on the edge of their seats and filled with ready applause for many of the responses that Simon gave to Colbert’s questions. It is a treat that a musician who has given so much to his listeners is still giving, even in his twilight years, and his latest album, Seven Psalms, I think, will be one of his most remembered albums.
He says that because of his hearing problems, he is slowing down considerably, writing new songs. But it’s not stopping him from playing live shows to crowds of adoring fans. Check out the interview and performance on Colbert, and try to get out to one of his latest shows, if you can.