“Bleecker Street”

The 60’s was a time of much unrest, at least for me in my late teens/early 20’s.  There were not only parts of the country that still displayed damage from WWII bombing, but there was also an imminent threat of a nuclear war as the USA and the USSR were poised over their respective missile firing buttons. There was also a growing awareness of inequality and poverty. This all culminated in a proliferation of songs generally categorized as “Protest” or “Social Conscience” songs.

Paul Simon was very good at protest and social conscience songs and around 1963/64, he wrote and recorded “Bleecker Street” I loved it as soon as I heard it, and still love it!

This is the more popular version with Art Garfunkel harmonies

“I saw a shadow touch a shadow’s hand” – a wonderful line. Enjoy

21 thoughts on ““Bleecker Street””

  1. Paul Handover's avatar

    I seem to recall that in North-West London there was a real push to have the worst of the bomb-sites ‘tidied’ up by the Queen’s Coronation in 1953. Certainly before then I can well recall playing in the bomb-sites in and around our home at Preston Road, Wembley.

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    • colinandray's avatar

      Yes, it was much the same in Coventry, Birmingham and the Midlands in general. I can recall a number of large unexploded bombs being discovered in London in the late 50’s/early 60’s

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  3. Reiko's Journey's avatar

    Ah, the 60s. Oh, I was there…fully immersed, long hair, peace, love and don’t trust anyone over 30. It’s just that…as they say, if you actually can remember the 60s you weren’t really there for the 60s. Groovy but “Dock of the Bay” was, to me, the most memorable of the 60s songs for a lot of reasons.

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  6. joyroses13's avatar

    They say that every day you should learn something new. On Saturdays I know I usually will. 🙂 This is a great song! Brad liked it a lot too. We enjoy Simon&Garfunkel’s music, but neither of us recalled hearing this song before.
    They are 2 artists that have earned the right to be called “musicians”, right! 🙂

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