The boxer
I am just a poor boy, though my story’s seldom told
I have squandered my resistance for a pocketful of mumbles, such are promises
All lies and jest, still a man hears what he wants to hear
And disregards the rest
[05] When I left my home and my family, I was no more than a boy
In the company of strangers
In the quiet of the railway station, runnin’ scared, laying low,
Seeking out the poorer quarters, where the ragged people go
Looking for the places only they would know
[10] Lie la lie, lie la la la lie lie
Asking only workman’s wages, I come looking for a job
But I get no offers
Just a come-on from the whores on 7th Avenue
I do declare, there were times when I was so lonesome
[15] I took some comfort there
Now the years are rolling by me
They are rockin’ evenly
I am older than I once was
And younger than I’ll be; that’s not unusual
[20] Nor is it strange
After changes upon changes
We are more or less the same
After changes we are more or less the same
And I’m laying out my winter clothes and wishing I was gone
[25] Goin’ home
Where the New York City winters aren’t bleedin’ me
Leadin’ me
Goin’ home
In the clearing stands a boxer and a fighter by his trade
[30] And he carries the reminders
Of every glove that laid him down or cut him
‘Til he cried out in his anger and his shame
“I am leaving, I am leaving”, but the fighter still remains
PAUL SIMON and ART GARFUNKEL
Adaptado de genius.com.
An example of paradox can be found in the following statement:
The boxer
I am just a poor boy, though my story’s seldom told
I have squandered my resistance for a pocketful of mumbles, such are promises
All lies and jest, still a man hears what he wants to hear
And disregards the rest
[05] When I left my home and my family, I was no more than a boy
In the company of strangers
In the quiet of the railway station, runnin’ scared, laying low,
Seeking out the poorer quarters, where the ragged people go
Looking for the places only they would know
[10] Lie la lie, lie la la la lie lie
Asking only workman’s wages, I come looking for a job
But I get no offers
Just a come-on from the whores on 7th Avenue
I do declare, there were times when I was so lonesome
[15] I took some comfort there
Now the years are rolling by me
They are rockin’ evenly
I am older than I once was
And younger than I’ll be; that’s not unusual
[20] Nor is it strange
After changes upon changes
We are more or less the same
After changes we are more or less the same
And I’m laying out my winter clothes and wishing I was gone
[25] Goin’ home
Where the New York City winters aren’t bleedin’ me
Leadin’ me
Goin’ home
In the clearing stands a boxer and a fighter by his trade
[30] And he carries the reminders
Of every glove that laid him down or cut him
‘Til he cried out in his anger and his shame
“I am leaving, I am leaving”, but the fighter still remains
PAUL SIMON and ART GARFUNKEL
Adaptado de genius.com.
The lyrics to the songs The boxer and Morro velho mention characters who move to other cities.
A common feature concerning these characters’ lives is:
The boxer
I am just a poor boy, though my story’s seldom told
I have squandered my resistance for a pocketful of mumbles, such are promises
All lies and jest, still a man hears what he wants to hear
And disregards the rest
[05] When I left my home and my family, I was no more than a boy
In the company of strangers
In the quiet of the railway station, runnin’ scared, laying low,
Seeking out the poorer quarters, where the ragged people go
Looking for the places only they would know
[10] Lie la lie, lie la la la lie lie
Asking only workman’s wages, I come looking for a job
But I get no offers
Just a come-on from the whores on 7th Avenue
I do declare, there were times when I was so lonesome
[15] I took some comfort there
Now the years are rolling by me
They are rockin’ evenly
I am older than I once was
And younger than I’ll be; that’s not unusual
[20] Nor is it strange
After changes upon changes
We are more or less the same
After changes we are more or less the same
And I’m laying out my winter clothes and wishing I was gone
[25] Goin’ home
Where the New York City winters aren’t bleedin’ me
Leadin’ me
Goin’ home
In the clearing stands a boxer and a fighter by his trade
[30] And he carries the reminders
Of every glove that laid him down or cut him
‘Til he cried out in his anger and his shame
“I am leaving, I am leaving”, but the fighter still remains
PAUL SIMON and ART GARFUNKEL
Adaptado de genius.com.
I was no more than a boy (l. 5)
The underlined expression may be substituted, without significant change in meaning, by the
The boxer
I am just a poor boy, though my story’s seldom told
I have squandered my resistance for a pocketful of mumbles, such are promises
All lies and jest, still a man hears what he wants to hear
And disregards the rest
[05] When I left my home and my family, I was no more than a boy
In the company of strangers
In the quiet of the railway station, runnin’ scared, laying low,
Seeking out the poorer quarters, where the ragged people go
Looking for the places only they would know
[10] Lie la lie, lie la la la lie lie
Asking only workman’s wages, I come looking for a job
But I get no offers
Just a come-on from the whores on 7th Avenue
I do declare, there were times when I was so lonesome
[15] I took some comfort there
Now the years are rolling by me
They are rockin’ evenly
I am older than I once was
And younger than I’ll be; that’s not unusual
[20] Nor is it strange
After changes upon changes
We are more or less the same
After changes we are more or less the same
And I’m laying out my winter clothes and wishing I was gone
[25] Goin’ home
Where the New York City winters aren’t bleedin’ me
Leadin’ me
Goin’ home
In the clearing stands a boxer and a fighter by his trade
[30] And he carries the reminders
Of every glove that laid him down or cut him
‘Til he cried out in his anger and his shame
“I am leaving, I am leaving”, but the fighter still remains
PAUL SIMON and ART GARFUNKEL
Adaptado de genius.com.
where the ragged people go (l. 8)
In the text, the underlined words refer to the following social group:
The boxer
I am just a poor boy, though my story’s seldom told
I have squandered my resistance for a pocketful of mumbles, such are promises
All lies and jest, still a man hears what he wants to hear
And disregards the rest
[05] When I left my home and my family, I was no more than a boy
In the company of strangers
In the quiet of the railway station, runnin’ scared, laying low,
Seeking out the poorer quarters, where the ragged people go
Looking for the places only they would know
[10] Lie la lie, lie la la la lie lie
Asking only workman’s wages, I come looking for a job
But I get no offers
Just a come-on from the whores on 7th Avenue
I do declare, there were times when I was so lonesome
[15] I took some comfort there
Now the years are rolling by me
They are rockin’ evenly
I am older than I once was
And younger than I’ll be; that’s not unusual
[20] Nor is it strange
After changes upon changes
We are more or less the same
After changes we are more or less the same
And I’m laying out my winter clothes and wishing I was gone
[25] Goin’ home
Where the New York City winters aren’t bleedin’ me
Leadin’ me
Goin’ home
In the clearing stands a boxer and a fighter by his trade
[30] And he carries the reminders
Of every glove that laid him down or cut him
‘Til he cried out in his anger and his shame
“I am leaving, I am leaving”, but the fighter still remains
PAUL SIMON and ART GARFUNKEL
Adaptado de genius.com.
In line 13, come-on is a verb transformed into a noun.
This noun has the following meaning:
The boxer
I am just a poor boy, though my story’s seldom told
I have squandered my resistance for a pocketful of mumbles, such are promises
All lies and jest, still a man hears what he wants to hear
And disregards the rest
[05] When I left my home and my family, I was no more than a boy
In the company of strangers
In the quiet of the railway station, runnin’ scared, laying low,
Seeking out the poorer quarters, where the ragged people go
Looking for the places only they would know
[10] Lie la lie, lie la la la lie lie
Asking only workman’s wages, I come looking for a job
But I get no offers
Just a come-on from the whores on 7th Avenue
I do declare, there were times when I was so lonesome
[15] I took some comfort there
Now the years are rolling by me
They are rockin’ evenly
I am older than I once was
And younger than I’ll be; that’s not unusual
[20] Nor is it strange
After changes upon changes
We are more or less the same
After changes we are more or less the same
And I’m laying out my winter clothes and wishing I was gone
[25] Goin’ home
Where the New York City winters aren’t bleedin’ me
Leadin’ me
Goin’ home
In the clearing stands a boxer and a fighter by his trade
[30] And he carries the reminders
Of every glove that laid him down or cut him
‘Til he cried out in his anger and his shame
“I am leaving, I am leaving”, but the fighter still remains
PAUL SIMON and ART GARFUNKEL
Adaptado de genius.com.
Nor is it strange (l. 20)
The inversion observed in the line above emphasizes what is being said.
Another way of expressing emphasis is exemplified in the fragment below: