1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:08,559 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of iHeartRadio, 2 00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:13,360 Speaker 1: Hello and Welcome to This Day in History Class, a 3 00:00:13,440 --> 00:00:17,320 Speaker 1: show that belts out the greatest hits of history every 4 00:00:17,440 --> 00:00:20,759 Speaker 1: day of the week. I'm Gay Blues Yeay, And in 5 00:00:20,800 --> 00:00:24,200 Speaker 1: this episode, we're looking at the story behind fifty Ways 6 00:00:24,280 --> 00:00:27,880 Speaker 1: to Leave Your Lover, Paul Simon's tongue in cheek meditation 7 00:00:28,240 --> 00:00:37,440 Speaker 1: on the not so fine art of ghosting. The day 8 00:00:37,840 --> 00:00:43,479 Speaker 1: was February seventh, nineteen seventy six. Paul simons Fifty Ways 9 00:00:43,520 --> 00:00:46,400 Speaker 1: to Leave Your Lover claimed the top spot on the 10 00:00:46,520 --> 00:00:50,479 Speaker 1: US Singles Chart. It remained there for the next three weeks, 11 00:00:50,760 --> 00:00:55,320 Speaker 1: propelled by its bouncy drumbeat, catchy chorus, and empowering approach 12 00:00:55,480 --> 00:00:59,360 Speaker 1: to breakups. The song was the second single off Paul 13 00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:03,800 Speaker 1: Simon's fourth solo album, Still Crazy. After all these years, 14 00:01:04,520 --> 00:01:08,039 Speaker 1: it was also the singer's first and only number one 15 00:01:08,160 --> 00:01:12,520 Speaker 1: hit after parting ways with his longtime collaborator Art Garfunkel 16 00:01:12,760 --> 00:01:16,880 Speaker 1: in nineteen seventy The duo had found commercial and critical 17 00:01:16,920 --> 00:01:20,880 Speaker 1: success with wistful folk rock tunes like I Am a Rock, 18 00:01:21,200 --> 00:01:25,319 Speaker 1: Missus Robinson and the Sound of Silence, but after their split, 19 00:01:25,680 --> 00:01:29,920 Speaker 1: Simon began experimenting with other more joyful styles of music, 20 00:01:30,120 --> 00:01:34,400 Speaker 1: such as reggae, gospel, and Peruvian dance. He would then 21 00:01:34,520 --> 00:01:38,959 Speaker 1: pair those cheery, uplifting sounds with the thoughtful, nostalgic kind 22 00:01:39,000 --> 00:01:42,120 Speaker 1: of lyrics he was known for. The result was a 23 00:01:42,160 --> 00:01:45,080 Speaker 1: songbook that still had a lot on its mind, but 24 00:01:45,120 --> 00:01:49,040 Speaker 1: that never seemed to take itself too seriously. That winning 25 00:01:49,120 --> 00:01:52,440 Speaker 1: combination kept Simon on the pop charts throughout the early 26 00:01:52,520 --> 00:01:56,680 Speaker 1: nineteen seventies with songs like Mother and Child Reunion, which 27 00:01:56,720 --> 00:01:59,920 Speaker 1: peaked at number four, as well as Codochrome and Love 28 00:02:00,200 --> 00:02:02,280 Speaker 1: Me Like a Rock, both of which made it to 29 00:02:02,360 --> 00:02:06,440 Speaker 1: number two. Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover kept things 30 00:02:06,640 --> 00:02:09,639 Speaker 1: just as playful when it reached number one, even though 31 00:02:09,639 --> 00:02:14,120 Speaker 1: it's centered on a traditionally painful subject breaking up. Paul 32 00:02:14,160 --> 00:02:18,120 Speaker 1: Simon later referred to fifty Ways as quote basically a 33 00:02:18,240 --> 00:02:22,360 Speaker 1: nonsense song, but it actually tells a pretty clear cut story. 34 00:02:22,960 --> 00:02:26,359 Speaker 1: It plays out as a dialogue between two people, almost 35 00:02:26,400 --> 00:02:28,840 Speaker 1: like a scene in a novel or a play. The 36 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:32,040 Speaker 1: narrator feels trapped in a relationship he wants out of, 37 00:02:32,280 --> 00:02:34,880 Speaker 1: but he isn't sure how to break it off. After 38 00:02:34,960 --> 00:02:39,120 Speaker 1: explaining his situation to another woman. She encourages him not 39 00:02:39,280 --> 00:02:42,760 Speaker 1: to overthink things and begins listing all the different ways 40 00:02:42,840 --> 00:02:46,880 Speaker 1: to cut ties. It's never stated explicitly that the two 41 00:02:46,960 --> 00:02:50,000 Speaker 1: are having an affair, but the context makes it clear 42 00:02:50,120 --> 00:02:54,400 Speaker 1: that's what's going on. The list of breakup strategies is 43 00:02:54,440 --> 00:02:58,440 Speaker 1: where the song's nonsense quality takes center stage, because while 44 00:02:58,480 --> 00:03:01,560 Speaker 1: the lyrics to the verses are wordy and pensive in 45 00:03:01,639 --> 00:03:05,480 Speaker 1: true Simon fashion, the chorus is about as simple and 46 00:03:05,600 --> 00:03:08,239 Speaker 1: silly as you can get. Take a listen. 47 00:03:08,440 --> 00:03:12,960 Speaker 2: Furthermore, my meaning of the lost dome is construed, but 48 00:03:13,080 --> 00:03:17,600 Speaker 2: I'll repeat myself at the risk of being crude. There 49 00:03:17,680 --> 00:03:24,440 Speaker 2: must be fifty ways to leave your lover. Fifty ways 50 00:03:24,520 --> 00:03:28,320 Speaker 2: to leave your lover. You just slip out the bag, jack, 51 00:03:29,480 --> 00:03:33,000 Speaker 2: make new plans. Then you don't need to be car right, 52 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:38,480 Speaker 2: just keep yourself free, hop on the bus, Gus. You 53 00:03:38,560 --> 00:03:42,200 Speaker 2: don't need to discuss my just stop off the keys, 54 00:03:42,440 --> 00:03:46,560 Speaker 2: leave and get yourself free. And who slip out that. 55 00:03:47,480 --> 00:03:50,640 Speaker 1: The dichotomy between the verses and the chorus was also 56 00:03:50,760 --> 00:03:55,040 Speaker 1: reflected in the songwriting process, As Simon later explained, he 57 00:03:55,120 --> 00:03:58,200 Speaker 1: woke up one morning with an intriguing first line running 58 00:03:58,200 --> 00:04:01,680 Speaker 1: through his mind. The problem is all inside your head, 59 00:04:01,840 --> 00:04:05,040 Speaker 1: she said to me. With that as a starting point, 60 00:04:05,080 --> 00:04:08,120 Speaker 1: the musician sat down at a rhythm ace drum machine 61 00:04:08,360 --> 00:04:12,720 Speaker 1: and composed a mysterious, haunting melody, the perfect background for 62 00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:17,880 Speaker 1: a serious conversation about heartbreak and destiny. The song's chorus, 63 00:04:18,040 --> 00:04:21,440 Speaker 1: on the other hand, was essentially written as a children's game. 64 00:04:22,120 --> 00:04:25,160 Speaker 1: Earlier in nineteen seventy five, the thirty three year old 65 00:04:25,240 --> 00:04:28,720 Speaker 1: singer had split from his first wife, Peggy Harper, after 66 00:04:28,880 --> 00:04:32,560 Speaker 1: six years of marriage. The silver lining of the separation 67 00:04:32,960 --> 00:04:36,279 Speaker 1: was that Simon still got regular visitations with the couple's 68 00:04:36,320 --> 00:04:39,440 Speaker 1: three year old son, Harper, and it was during one 69 00:04:39,440 --> 00:04:42,600 Speaker 1: of those visits at his Central Park apartment that Simon 70 00:04:42,680 --> 00:04:45,520 Speaker 1: came up with the chorus for Fifty Ways while teaching 71 00:04:45,600 --> 00:04:48,840 Speaker 1: Harper how to make simple rhymes. You just slip out 72 00:04:48,880 --> 00:04:52,240 Speaker 1: the back jack, make a new plan, stand, and so on. 73 00:04:53,080 --> 00:04:56,839 Speaker 1: The artist was famously cagey about the song's true subject, 74 00:04:57,160 --> 00:05:01,880 Speaker 1: only insisting that it definitely wasn't about his wife. Of course, 75 00:05:02,120 --> 00:05:05,479 Speaker 1: since he wrote it just a few months after their divorce, 76 00:05:05,800 --> 00:05:09,760 Speaker 1: not everyone believes him. Regardless of what inspired it, though, 77 00:05:10,040 --> 00:05:14,480 Speaker 1: the song was somewhat groundbreaking for its optimistic view of breakups. 78 00:05:14,960 --> 00:05:18,159 Speaker 1: Instead of wallowing in self pity or regret like other 79 00:05:18,279 --> 00:05:21,719 Speaker 1: songs in the genre, fifty Ways celebrated the act of 80 00:05:21,839 --> 00:05:26,000 Speaker 1: taking charge, bowing out, and moving forward. That was an 81 00:05:26,120 --> 00:05:29,760 Speaker 1: especially timely message in the mid nineteen seventies, when the 82 00:05:29,800 --> 00:05:34,360 Speaker 1: American divorce rate was surging and many baby boomers Simon included, 83 00:05:34,640 --> 00:05:39,000 Speaker 1: were starting to contemplate life after marriage, though hopefully they 84 00:05:39,120 --> 00:05:42,840 Speaker 1: found more tactful ways to end things than merely hopping 85 00:05:42,880 --> 00:05:46,760 Speaker 1: on a bus. Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover rode 86 00:05:46,800 --> 00:05:49,400 Speaker 1: the rising divorce rate all the way to number one 87 00:05:49,640 --> 00:05:53,600 Speaker 1: on February seventh, nineteen seventy five, and it stayed there 88 00:05:53,640 --> 00:05:56,520 Speaker 1: for the rest of the month. And while Paul Simon 89 00:05:56,640 --> 00:05:59,520 Speaker 1: never topped the charts again, he still did pretty well 90 00:05:59,520 --> 00:06:03,080 Speaker 1: for himself. In fact, on the same day that fifty 91 00:06:03,120 --> 00:06:06,880 Speaker 1: Ways fell from the top spot, Simon, still crazy after 92 00:06:06,920 --> 00:06:10,200 Speaker 1: all these years, won the Grammy for Album of the Year. 93 00:06:10,960 --> 00:06:14,840 Speaker 1: He also found love again two times, in fact, first 94 00:06:14,880 --> 00:06:17,359 Speaker 1: in his marriage to Carrie Fisher and then in his 95 00:06:17,480 --> 00:06:21,520 Speaker 1: third marriage to Edie Brikel. As for the legacy of 96 00:06:21,560 --> 00:06:25,039 Speaker 1: Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover, it's been covered numerous 97 00:06:25,080 --> 00:06:30,080 Speaker 1: times by an eclectic group of artists, including Bob Dylan, Train, Weird, 98 00:06:30,120 --> 00:06:33,800 Speaker 1: Al Yankovic, and of course, the Muppets. The song has 99 00:06:33,880 --> 00:06:38,440 Speaker 1: also inspired its share of spin offs, parodies, and companion pieces. 100 00:06:38,880 --> 00:06:42,240 Speaker 1: My personal favorite is two thousand and nine's Carol Brown 101 00:06:42,480 --> 00:06:45,480 Speaker 1: by the Flight of the Concords. It's a comedic, yet 102 00:06:45,600 --> 00:06:50,080 Speaker 1: surprisingly poignant spin on the original that recasts the singer 103 00:06:50,320 --> 00:06:53,880 Speaker 1: as the lover who's been left. Here's a clip, may 104 00:06:54,080 --> 00:06:59,320 Speaker 1: may well see me Brettaney, Brettane, Hedmaid. 105 00:07:01,640 --> 00:07:05,359 Speaker 2: Sea and Stefani must be fifty Ways and lovers have 106 00:07:05,600 --> 00:07:08,840 Speaker 2: left made Carol Brown just took the bus out of 107 00:07:08,839 --> 00:07:09,320 Speaker 2: the time. 108 00:07:12,360 --> 00:07:15,280 Speaker 1: Carol Brown works well as a modern follow up to 109 00:07:15,400 --> 00:07:18,280 Speaker 1: fifty Ways, but it's worth noting that the door is 110 00:07:18,360 --> 00:07:22,800 Speaker 1: still wide open for a true sequel, because despite suggesting 111 00:07:22,880 --> 00:07:25,840 Speaker 1: there are fifty ways to leave your lover, the song 112 00:07:25,920 --> 00:07:29,520 Speaker 1: lists only five, and all of them basically amount to 113 00:07:29,600 --> 00:07:33,480 Speaker 1: just leaving. So for all you aspiring singles out there, 114 00:07:33,720 --> 00:07:37,560 Speaker 1: bust out your rhyming dictionaries and get to work. After all, 115 00:07:37,920 --> 00:07:44,560 Speaker 1: Valentine's Day is just around the corner. I'm Gabe Lucier, 116 00:07:44,920 --> 00:07:48,160 Speaker 1: and hopefully you now know a little more about history 117 00:07:48,240 --> 00:07:51,920 Speaker 1: today than you did yesterday. You can learn even more 118 00:07:51,960 --> 00:07:55,800 Speaker 1: about history by following us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram 119 00:07:55,840 --> 00:07:59,920 Speaker 1: at TDI HC Show, and if you have any comment 120 00:08:00,160 --> 00:08:03,360 Speaker 1: or suggestions, you can always pass them along by writing 121 00:08:03,400 --> 00:08:08,000 Speaker 1: to This Day at iHeartMedia dot com. Thanks to Chandler 122 00:08:08,000 --> 00:08:10,560 Speaker 1: Mays for producing the show, and thank you for listening. 123 00:08:10,880 --> 00:08:13,760 Speaker 1: I'll see you back here again tomorrow for another day 124 00:08:14,120 --> 00:08:15,200 Speaker 1: in History class.