HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

"Cecilia" is a song by American musical duo
Simon & Garfunkel Simon & Garfunkel were an American folk rock duo consisting of the singer-songwriter Paul Simon and the singer Art Garfunkel. They were one of the best-selling music groups of the 1960s, and their biggest hits—including the electric remix of ...
. It was released in April 1970 as the third single from the group's fifth studio album, '' Bridge over Troubled Water'' (1970). Written by Paul Simon, the song's origins lie in a late-night party, in which the duo and friends began banging on a piano bench. They recorded the sound with a
tape recorder An audio tape recorder, also known as a tape deck, tape player or tape machine or simply a tape recorder, is a sound recording and reproduction device that records and plays back sounds usually using magnetic tape for storage. In its present ...
, employing
reverb Reverberation (also known as reverb), in acoustics, is a persistence of sound, after a sound is produced. Reverberation is created when a sound or signal is reflected causing numerous reflections to build up and then decay as the sound is abs ...
and matching the rhythm created by the machine. Simon later wrote the song's guitar line and lyrics on the subject of an untrustworthy lover. The song was a
hit single A hit song, also known as a hit record, hit single or simply a hit, is a recorded song or instrumental that becomes broadly popular or well-known. Although ''hit song'' means any widely played or big-selling song, the specific term ''hit record' ...
in the United States, peaking at number four on the ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' Hot 100. On the ''Cash Box'' Top 100, it reached number one. "Cecilia" also did well in Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, and Spain, where it reached number two, and also in Switzerland and Belgium, where it peaked at number three, although it failed to chart in the United Kingdom, where it was released as a single about six months after the album. It has been the subject of numerous cover versions, most notably by the singer Suggs, whose version featured the
ragga Raggamuffin music, usually abbreviated as ragga, is a subgenre of dancehall and reggae music. The instrumentals primarily consist of electronic music. Similar to hip hop, sampling often serves a prominent role in raggamuffin music. Wayne Smi ...
duo,
Louchie Lou & Michie One Louchie Lou & Michie One were a British female ragga/soul duo from London, best known for the single " Shout (It Out)", plus their collaboration with Suggs on the single "Cecilia", both of which reached the top 10 of the UK Singles Chart. C ...
and reached number four in the United Kingdom in 1996.


Background and recording

The song's origins lie in a late-night party attended by the duo and friends. The song's rhythm was developed by Simon, Garfunkel, and Simon's younger brother, Eddie. They recorded it for fun utilizing a
Sony , commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...
tape recorder An audio tape recorder, also known as a tape deck, tape player or tape machine or simply a tape recorder, is a sound recording and reproduction device that records and plays back sounds usually using magnetic tape for storage. In its present ...
and employing
reverberation Reverberation (also known as reverb), in acoustics, is a persistence of sound, after a sound is produced. Reverberation is created when a sound or signal is reflected causing numerous reflections to build up and then decay as the sound is abs ...
. In doing so, they were able to synchronize their live rhythm with the reverberating sound on the recording. A friend grabbed a guitar, strumming and punctuating the rhythm with "aahs". Simon later found himself coming back to the tape and its infectious quality. While listening to the recording, he composed the song's guitar line. Simon found a section, the length of shortly over a minute, that he felt had a nice groove. He and producer Roy Halee made a
loop Loop or LOOP may refer to: Brands and enterprises * Loop (mobile), a Bulgarian virtual network operator and co-founder of Loop Live * Loop, clothing, a company founded by Carlos Vasquez in the 1990s and worn by Digable Planets * Loop Mobile, ...
of this section, which was not an easy task before the advent of
digital recording In digital recording, an audio or video signal is converted into a stream of discrete numbers representing the changes over time in air pressure for audio, or chroma and luminance values for video. This number stream is saved to a storage ...
. The duo later recorded additional elements of the song at Columbia Records' Gower Street location in
Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywoo ...
, typically used for string section recording. Simon & Garfunkel dropped drumsticks on the parquet floor, incorporating their sound into the track. In addition, Simon played random notes on a
xylophone The xylophone (; ) is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars struck by mallets. Like the glockenspiel (which uses metal bars), the xylophone essentially consists of a set of tuned wooden keys arranged in t ...
, as those elements would be compressed in the final version to where it would not be audible whether or not they were correctly played. Drums were played by veteran Wrecking Crew drummer
Hal Blaine Hal Blaine (born Harold Simon Belsky; February 5, 1929 – March 11, 2019) was an American drummer and session musician, thought to be among the most recorded studio drummers in the music industry, claiming over 35,000 sessions and 6,000 singles ...
.Hal Blaine, David Goggin, David M. Schwartz, ''Hal Blaine and The Wrecking Crew'', Hal Leonard Corporation, 2010, p. discography The lyric "making love in the afternoon" was among Simon's most explicit at the time. Simon states in the 2011 documentary ''The Harmony Game'' that, during the song's initial success, he came upon a recently returned
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
veteran. The man told Simon that soldiers heard the song and found it a sign of the country's changing mores. In 2008,
Stephen Colbert Stephen Tyrone Colbert ( ; born May 13, 1964) is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He is best known for hosting the satirical Comedy Central program '' The Colbert Report'' from 2005 t ...
facetiously asked Simon why the narrator of the song would need to get up and wash his face after making love. Simon replied, "Well, it's the '60s, so I can't remember."


Composition

Simon has suggested that the "Cecilia" of the title refers to
St. Cecilia Saint Cecilia ( la, Sancta Caecilia), also spelled Cecelia, was a Roman virgin martyr and is venerated in Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, and some Lutheran churches, such as the Church of Sweden. She became the patroness of music and musicians, i ...
, patron saint of
music Music is generally defined as the The arts, art of arranging sound to create some combination of Musical form, form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise Musical expression, expressive content. Exact definition of music, definitions of mu ...
in the
Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...
tradition, and thus the song might refer to the frustration of fleeting inspiration in songwriting, the vagaries of musical fame or in a wider sense the absurdity of pop culture. The song is generally interpreted as a lament over a capricious lover who causes both anguish and jubilation to the singer. St. Cecilia is mentioned in another Paul Simon song, "The Coast" (from his 1990 album '' The Rhythm of the Saints''): "A family of musicians took shelter for the night in the little harbor church of St. Cecilia."


Release and charts

Simon & Garfunkel initially imagined "Cecilia" to be the first real single from '' Bridge over Troubled Water'', following an early release of "
The Boxer "The Boxer" is a song written by Paul Simon and recorded by the American music duo Simon & Garfunkel from their fifth studio album, '' Bridge over Troubled Water'' (1970). Produced by the duo and Roy Halee, it was released as a standalone sin ...
" in April 1969. Columbia Records chairman
Clive Davis Clive Jay Davis (born April 4, 1932) is an American record producer, A&R executive, record executive, and lawyer. He has won five Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a non-performer, in 2000. From 1967 to 19 ...
instead pressed the duo to instead issue the
title track A title track is a song that has the same name as the album or film in which it appears. In the Korean music industry, the term is used to describe a promoted song on an album, akin to a single, regardless of the song's title. Title track may a ...
as the lead single. '' Cash Box'' described "Cecilia" as a "mixture of rhythm-chant vigor and Caribbean-rock excitement." The song reached topped the ''Cash Box'' Top 100 in May 1970. The song peaked at number 4 on the ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' Hot 100, spending 13 weeks on the chart. It also hit number 32 on the magazine's
Easy Listening Easy listening (including mood music) is a popular music genre and radio format that was most popular during the 1950s to 1970s. It is related to middle-of-the-road (MOR) music and encompasses instrumental recordings of standards, hit songs, ...
chart. The single did not chart in the UK, despite being released as the follow-up to Simon and Garfunkel's number 1 hit " Bridge over Troubled Water", and most copies of the UK single misspelled the title as ''"Cecelia"'' on the label.


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications


Suggs version

In 1994, English singer Suggs went to work on his first solo project with producers
Sly and Robbie Sly and Robbie were a prolific Jamaican rhythm section and production duo, associated primarily with the reggae and dub genres. Drummer Sly Dunbar and bassist Robbie Shakespeare teamed up in the mid-1970s after establishing themselves separat ...
, who suggested "Cecilia" as one of the songs to work on. Sly and Robbie had previously worked with the English
ragga Raggamuffin music, usually abbreviated as ragga, is a subgenre of dancehall and reggae music. The instrumentals primarily consist of electronic music. Similar to hip hop, sampling often serves a prominent role in raggamuffin music. Wayne Smi ...
duo
Louchie Lou & Michie One Louchie Lou & Michie One were a British female ragga/soul duo from London, best known for the single " Shout (It Out)", plus their collaboration with Suggs on the single "Cecilia", both of which reached the top 10 of the UK Singles Chart. C ...
on " Shout", and they brought the duo in on the recording. "Cecilia" appears on Suggs' debut solo album, ''
The Lone Ranger The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked former Texas Ranger who fought outlaws in the American Old West with his Native American friend Tonto. The character has been called an enduring icon of American culture. He first appeared in 1933 in ...
'' released in 1995, and the song was released in April 1996 as the fourth single from the album. The song became the most successful single for both Suggs and Louchie Lou & Michie One, reaching number four on the
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
.


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications


Other versions

*In 1970, a cover version was released in 1970 by UK group Harmony Grass, which did not chart. French-speaking American musician
Joe Dassin Joseph Ira Dassin (; 5 November 1938 – 20 August 1980) was an American–French singer-songwriter and actor. He was the son of film director Jules Dassin. Early life Dassin was born in New York City to American film director Jules Dassin (19 ...
sang a French version of this song, titled "Cécilia", in 1970, while in February 1971, a version was released in England by the New Wave Band (a group that comprised three members of the band that would soon become
10cc 10cc are an English rock band formed in Stockport in 1972. The group initially consisted of four musicians – Graham Gouldman, Eric Stewart, Kevin Godley and Lol Creme – who had written and recorded together since 1968. The group feat ...
) and
Herman's Hermits Herman's Hermits are an English beat, rock and pop group formed in 1964 in Manchester, originally called Herman and His Hermits and featuring lead singer Peter Noone. Produced by Mickie Most, the Hermits charted with number ones in the UK ...
guitarist Derek Leckenby. It did not chart. *In 1971, a cover version was recorded by the
Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hung ...
n and former Yugoslav acoustic music duo Vlada i Bajka. *In 1971, a cover version was released by
Motown Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''mot ...
's
Smokey Robinson William "Smokey" Robinson Jr. (born February 19, 1940) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and former record executive director. He was the founder and front man of the Motown vocal group the Miracles, for which he was also chi ...
and
The Miracles The Miracles (also known as Smokey Robinson and the Miracles from 1965 to 1972) were an American vocal group that was the first successful recording act for Berry Gordy's Motown Records, and one of the most important and most influential grou ...
on their album One Dozen Roses. * The Coolies cover it on their 1986 album ''dig..?'', along with eight other tongue-in-cheek covers of Simon & Garfunkel classics. *In 1984, German Singer Mike Mareen released a Euro Disco Cover of the Song on his Night N Day Label. *In 1988, a cover version by California-based dance duo
Times Two Times Two was an American male duo composed of vocalists/keyboardists Shanti Jones and Johnny Dollar, both from Point Reyes, California. They wrote most of their own material, and either produced or co-produced it, as well. History They debute ...
was released, peaking at number 79 on the Billboard Hot 100 in July 1988. *
Glass Eye An ocular prosthesis, artificial eye or glass eye is a type of craniofacial prosthesis that replaces an absent natural eye following an enucleation, evisceration, or orbital exenteration. The prosthesis fits over an orbital implant and under ...
covered the song in 1988 on their album ‘’Bent by Nature’’. *In 1991, the Spanish duo Dúo Dinámico released the Spanish version of Cecilia for their album ''Tal cual''. *In 1993, the British version of the
ABBA ABBA ( , , formerly named Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid or Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Frida) are a Swedish supergroup formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The grou ...
tribute performers
Björn Again Björn Again is a parody of the 1970s Swedish pop group ABBA. Created in 1988 in Australia,The show currently involves performers based in several countries. The Björn Again name is based in part on ABBA's Björn Ulvaeus with the obvious rev ...
recorded a cover for their album ''Flashback''. *In 1998, the euroreggae project Pandera from Germany did a cover version and released it as a single and later on their 3rd album ''Sun Splash Summerdance & Freestyle'' * In 2009, guitarist
Jesse Cook Jesse Arnaud Cook is a Canadian guitarist. He is a Juno Award winner, ''Acoustic Guitar'' Player's Choice Award silver winner in the Flamenco Category, and a three-time winner of the Canadian Smooth Jazz award for Guitarist of the Year. He has ...
did a cover version of the song on his album, ''The Rumba Foundation''. It featured Jeremy Fisher on vocals. * In 2009, Indie rock band
Local Natives Local Natives is an American indie rock band based in Silver Lake, Los Angeles. The band consists of Taylor Rice (vocals, guitar), Kelcey Ayer (vocals, keyboards, guitar), Ryan Hahn (guitar, backing vocals), Matt Frazier (drums) and Nik Ewing (ba ...
covered the song. * In 2010, the song was covered on
Gaelic Storm Gaelic Storm is a Celtic band founded in Santa Monica, California in 1996. Their musical output includes pieces from traditional Irish music, Scottish music, and original tunes in both the Celtic and Celtic rock genres. The band had its first ...
's album '' Cabbage'', which was released on August of that year. *In 2014, The Vamps' debut album, '' Meet The Vamps'', featured an adaptation of the song as " Oh Cecilia (Breaking My Heart)". *In 2015, the song was covered by the Country and Irish singer
Derek Ryan Derek Ryan may refer to: *Derek Ryan (ice hockey) (born 1986), American ice hockey player *Derek Ryan (squash player) (born 1969), Republic of Ireland squash player *Derek Ryan (singer) Derek Ryan (born 24 August 1983 in Garryhill, County Car ...
in his studio album ''One Good Night'' coupled with a music video of live performances by Ryan.Music video of "Cecilia" by Derek Ryan
/ref>


Live cover performances

*The song was performed on April 6, 2011 on ''
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon ''Late Night with Jimmy Fallon'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by comedian Jimmy Fallon. About pag ...
'' by Simon accompanied by Fallon and the cast of '' Stomp''.


Charts (Times Two version)


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


References in other songs

*
Faith No More Faith No More is an American Rock music, rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1979. Before settling on the current name in July 1983, the band performed under the names Sharp Young Men and later Faith No Man. Bassist Billy Gould, k ...
's song "
Midlife Crisis A midlife crisis is a transition of identity and self-confidence that can occur in middle-aged individuals, typically 40 to 60 years old. The phenomenon is described as a psychological crisis brought about by events that highlight a person's growi ...
", from their 1992 album ''
Angel Dust Angel dust may refer to: Common uses * A common name for the drug phencyclidine (PCP) * Angel dusting, a misleading marketing practice Comics and videos * Angel Dust (comics), a fictional mutant * ''Angel Dust'', a manga by Kouta Hirano * '' ...
'', features a sample of the first measure of "Cecilia" repeated throughout the song as part of the percussion track. * In 1998, Swedish pop band Ace of Base released a
Europop Europop (also spelled Euro pop) is a style of pop music that originated in Europe during the mid-to-late 1960s and developed to today's form throughout the late 1970s. Europop topped the charts throughout the 1980s and 1990s, with revivals and ...
track titled "
Cecilia Cecilia is a personal name originating in the name of Saint Cecilia, the patron saint of music. The name has been popularly used in Europe (particularly the United Kingdom and Italy, where in 2018 it was the 43rd most popular name for girls born ...
" from their album ''
Flowers A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...
'', which continues the story of Paul Simon's character. Jenny Berggren, lead vocalist for the band, sings, "This is a song about a well-known girl", then tells of Cecilia's continuous bouncing back and forth between lovers. *The 2012 single " Some Nights" by
indie pop Indie pop (also typeset as indie-pop or indiepop) is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and su ...
group fun. was noted for its similarities to "Cecilia". * British band The Vamps sampled the song's chorus in their own song entitled " Oh Cecilia (Breaking My Heart)". It can be found on their debut album '' Meet the Vamps'', released on April 14, 2014. It also served as their fifth single featuring additional vocals by Canadian singer
Shawn Mendes Shawn Peter Raul Mendes (; born August 8, 1998) is a Canadian pop singer. He gained a following in 2013, when he posted song covers on the video sharing platform Vine. The following year, he caught the attention of artist manager Andrew Gert ...
.


References


Bibliography

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cecilia (Song) 1969 songs 1970 singles 1988 singles 1996 singles Columbia Records singles Joe Dassin songs Cashbox number-one singles Number-one singles in New Zealand Simon & Garfunkel songs Song recordings produced by Art Garfunkel Song recordings produced by Paul Simon Song recordings produced by Roy Halee Song recordings produced by Sly & Robbie Songs written by Paul Simon Suggs (singer) songs Warner Music Group singles