Paul Simon Awaits Library of Congress Distinction, Says 'I Was Meant to Be a Songwriter'
Paul Simon has performed many great songs, but for him, writing one is an even better experience. Simon will be honored for that skill next week by the Library of Congress with its first annual Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.
He's been singing since he was a child, and said while there are different ways to define a great song, some stand out for a very simple reason.
"I would say the simplest one is a song that other people can sing easily. And when they walk around and hum and sing it to themselves, that's the great accomplishment of the song. Gives pleasure to the greatest number of people," he told ABC News.
And for him, the pleasure is in the songwriting.
"The power of that feeling … It's like an addiction — you want to write again. You want to get it again," Simon said. "That pleasure and addiction is what keeps me writing into my 60s."
The Library of Congress is honoring the depth, range and beauty of his music and his ability to bridge musical cultures, as Simon pairs contagious melodies with the layered lines of a poet....
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He's been singing since he was a child, and said while there are different ways to define a great song, some stand out for a very simple reason.
"I would say the simplest one is a song that other people can sing easily. And when they walk around and hum and sing it to themselves, that's the great accomplishment of the song. Gives pleasure to the greatest number of people," he told ABC News.
And for him, the pleasure is in the songwriting.
"The power of that feeling … It's like an addiction — you want to write again. You want to get it again," Simon said. "That pleasure and addiction is what keeps me writing into my 60s."
The Library of Congress is honoring the depth, range and beauty of his music and his ability to bridge musical cultures, as Simon pairs contagious melodies with the layered lines of a poet....