Let’s put it this way… you won’t go to a Paul Simon concert and hear him sing “The Happy Song”… ever.  He’s a very sad, serious man – but a genius nonetheless.  Just review some of the lyrics he’s written:  “When you’re weary – feeling small”, “Cecelia, you’re breakin’ my heart – shaking my confidence daily”, “I wish there were something I could do to make you smile again”,  ” Now I sit at my window and I watch the cars – fear I might do some damage one fine day”, “I never worry, why should I – it’s all gonna fade”.  These are not the thoughts of a guy who gets out of bed each morning with a spring in his step and a smile on his face.

And then there’s this song – “Slip Slidin’ Away”.  It boasts a cast of characters who are very unhappy with their lives:  a man who worries mightily about losing his wife, a woman desperate to shed a boring marriage, a divorced father trying unsuccessfully  to communicate with his little boy… well, you get the picture.  Classic Paul Simon….

This one isn’t for every singer or every venue.  If you choose to perform it as a solo act, try to concentrate on the unique rhythm track and the almost choir-like chorus.  Pretend it’s a happy song, even though the lyrics scream “lonely and dejected”.  It’s on the Pop/Rock list without the lead line.

The last verse is especially compelling:  “God only knows – God makes his plan – the information’s unavailable to the mortal man”.  And then, finally, “We work our jobs – collect our pay – Believe we’re gliding down the highway – when in fact we’re slip sliding away”.  Sobering thought, that.