We spend so much time enjoying songs of these brilliant musicians we often forget that like us, they’re human too, and are subject to age through the years.
Be grateful then that in spite of age and its adverse effects, some artists still choose to record and perform live.
They may not be as vibrant as they once was but to get up on stage for the love of their fans is something to be grateful for.
Posted by Official Art Garfunkel Page onThursday, April 23, 2015
Art Garfunkel is one such artist.
Arthur is an American singer, poet, and actor.
He is one half of the folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel where he partners with Paul Simon.
This duo took hold of the sixties, cementing their status as one of the best in the folk rock genre.
Posted by Official Art Garfunkel Page onSaturday, June 20, 2020
Sixties. That would make Art 80 this year.
In this video dated Jun 20, 2015, Mr. Garfunkel takes the stage with the song “The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy)“.
To be fair to the man, he looks great for someone who’s around 75.
The song is from their 1966 album Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme.
Songfacts gives a little background,
“The 59th Street bridge (officially the Queensboro Bridge), goes over the East River in New York City, connecting Queens to Manhattan. Simon & Garfunkel are from New York, which has a very hectic pace. In this song they remind us to slow down and appreciate the simple pleasures in life, like cobblestones and flowers.”
The best part about this live version is that Art’s son, Arthur Jr., comes out to join him. He’s just a miniature version of his dad! He’s the cutest little thing!
His wife Kim eventually follows her boys and together, they complete the song to the crowd’s approval. What a beautiful family!
And true to the song’s vibe, the Garfunkel’s bring such a positive, radiant feel to the song and the stage it’s hard to believe this classic is 55 years old. You read that right!
Paul Simon had this to say as to how this song came about,
“I spent most of the year 1965 living in England, and at the end of that year in December, I came back to the United States, ‘The Sound Of Silence’ had become a big hit, and I had to make this adjustment from being relatively unknown in England to being semi-famous here, and I didn’t really swing with it. It was a very difficult scene to make, and I was writing very depressed-type songs until around June of last year.”
Simon continued,
“I started to swing out of it, I was getting into a good mood, and I remember coming home in the morning about 6 o’clock over the 59th Street Bridge in New York, and it was such a groovy day really, a good one, and it was one of those times when you know you won’t be tired for about an hour, a sort of a good hanging time, so I started to write a song that later became the 59th Street Bridge Song or Feelin’ Groovy.”
See, beautiful works of art like to reveal themselves after the rain. There will be hardships and moments of madness, but ride with it and you’ll see a stunning rainbow at the end.
Art dedicated his life to music, giving fans so much of himself and how did that reward him?
With a beautiful wife and an adorable son. Bet you won’t hear this song the same way ever again.
This is one live jam you don’t want to miss! Watch it below!
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