Simon & Garfunkel were recording their fifth and final studio album, Bridge Over Troubled Water, when inspiration for one of their most unforgettable heartbreak hits struck in an unlikely place.
The duo rented a home on Blue Jay Way in California, where they developed ideas for the LP. It was there, in the home’s living room, that Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel laid down the initial track for “Cecilia.”
According to That Eric Alper website, the song was created during a home recording session. The name was reportedly inspired by Saint Cecilia, the patron saint of music.
Simon told Rolling Stone in 1972, “‘Cecilia,’ for example, was made in a living room on a Sony. We were all pounding away and playing things. That was all it was.”
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He continued, “Tick a long tick a tick a tong tuck a tuck a toong tuck a… on a Sony, and I said, ‘That’s a great rhythm set, I love it.”’ Every day I’d come back from the studio, working on whatever we were working on, and I’d play this pounding thing. So then I said, ‘Let’s make a record out of that.’”
Simon added, “So we copied it over and extended it double the amount, so now we have three minutes of track, and the track is great. The lyrics were virtually the first lines I said: ‘You’re breakin’ my heart, I’m down on my knees.’ They’re not lines at all, but it was right for that song, and I like that. It was like a little piece of magical fluff, but it works.”
‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ was Simon & Garfunkel’s greatest success
After a career that spanned the years 1956 through 1970, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel dissolved their partnership. Their final album as a duo, Bridge Over Troubled Water, was hugely successful.
According to their official website, “The album hit #1 on the charts of ten countries and was the 1970s best-selling album. Bridge Over Troubled Water took home six GRAMMY Awards, including Album of the Year and Best Engineered Recording, while the title track won the GRAMMY for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Contemporary Song of the Year, and Instrumental Arrangement of the Year in 1971. The album has been certified 8x Platinum by the RIAA and has sold an estimated 25 million copies worldwide.”
Along with “Cecilia,” Bridge Over Troubled Water contains the tracks “El Condor Pasa (If I Could), “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” “Keep the Customer Satisfied,” “So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright,” “The Boxer,” “Baby Driver,” “The Only Living Boy in New York,” “Why Don’t You Write Me,” “Bye Bye Love,” and “Song For The Asking.”
Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel pursued solo careers throughout the 1970s, each exploring their own musical paths. They reunited in 1981 for their infamous Concert in Central Park and in 2003 for their Old Friends reunion tour. Their music continues to resonate, proving the timeless appeal of their harmonies and songwriting.
This story was originally reported by Parade on Oct 26, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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