~Tom~

Second pick: All I Ever Wanted

My first pick is Chivas.

Nvm

Same here!

Yesssss. Never Again, Chivas, Sober and Irvine.

Yep it was indeed JC.

Little Mix. So happy they made top 3. I initially thought it would be a Samantha/Alexandra top 2 due to them having the least ranks and looks like I was right. Though people got me to be more concerned about Leona.

Kree. So glad she placed as high as she did. See You Again, Here Comes Goodbye, Evidence, Stronger and Up to the Mountain are all great. Now Archie needs to be next.

I guess I was right to be worried about Alex initially. Congrats to Leona on placing 4th! This is one of her lesser known ones that I love:

Unless you meant AM this weekend.

Never was the biggest Brooke fan either but at least that was somewhat of a guilty pleasure.

Yep. His messes of We Can Work It Out and With You were worse than any stinker delivered by those three. Maybe You’re the Voice too.

Welcome back Diana!

30. The Dangling Conversation Apparently Paul Simon thoought this was his worst song? I must strongly beg to differ, and it's probably because it did not chart as well as he and Garfunkel had hoped, but it probably went over people's heads. It feels like a poem or a description of a painting, even though the theme is failed communication between a pair of lovers. The lyrics plus the melody make this song one I always love listening to. 29. Further to Fly Another song from Rhythm of the Saints! As well as another one with African influence. That bass and percussion throughout makes the track as wel as these verses: A recent loss of memory A shadow in the family The baby waves bye-bye I'm trying, I'm flying There may come a time When I will lose you Lose you as I lose my light Days falling backward into velvet night The open palm of desire Wants everything It wants everything It wants soil as soft as summer And the strength to push like spring The song also has a great message of possibly losing a loved one and accepting that. 28. Fakin' It I have always loved this one so much growing up. It's melody is fairly simple and while it is fairly catchy there are better ones in that department. Is it a play on 'fake it till you make it'? I also always looked forward to the spoken word piece in the middle: Good morning, Mr. Leitch. Have you had a busy day? I now realize that this was a guest appearance by singer Beverley Martyn. 27. Cecilia Whenever I listend to Disc 1 of Paul Simon's Best Of compilation, this is one of the songs I would mst look forward to because it's so catchy. Celia, you're breaking my heart You're shaking my confidence daily Oh, Cecilia, I'm down on my knees What I like the most about these lyrics is that he calls her Celia in the first line and then Cecelia soon after that. I knew a Celia on this site that absolutely hated being called Cecelia so it makes me think of her as well. Is this song referring to a specific Cecilia? The "Cecilia" of the title is interpreted as being a capricious lover, causing both heartbreak and jubilation. However, another interpretation is that Cecilia might refer to St. Cecilia, patron saint of music in the Catholic tradition, and thus the song might refer to the frustration of fleeting inspiration in songwriting. St. Cecilia is mentioned in The Coast from earlier as well. 26. You Can Call Me Al You Can Call Me Al is one of Paul Simon's more well-known songs, I think. As well as one of his catchiest! The brass sections are also standouts. Apparently the names in the song came from an incident at a party that Paul Simon went to with his then-wife Peggy Harper, where Paul was mitakenly referred to as "Al" and to Peggy as "Betty", inspiring Simon to write this. Apparently Chevy Chase is the one with Paul in the video. Who cares? Not me. Just listen to the song. 25. Bye Bye Love Bye Bye Love is another one I always looked forward to when I was a kid listening to the Best pf Simon and Garfunkel CD, because it reminded me of the "Say hello to fun, say hello to Frankenmuth" commercials even though this song's content is pretty much the opposite. It was originally recorded by the Everly Brothers as a country song before Simon and Garfunkel recorded this version for their Bridge Over Troubled Water album. The crowd's clapping make me think of it as a happy song despite the lyrics. 24. Kodachrome I considered using another video with Central Park concert footage, but since I know Paul Simon's version the best and it's faster paced, I'll make an exception this time. Paul later recorded it for his There Goes Rhymin' Simon album, and I prefer his version. It starts of with this amazing lyric: When I think back on all the crap I learned in high school, it's a wonder I can think at all.... Can't we all relate? That lyric as well as the jazzy riffs and piano especially are the standouts from this song for me. 23. The Only Living Boy in New York Another song about New York! Andy will probably love this one too since it's about New York. This one was written by Paul to express his heartbreak about Garfunkel leaving to take up acting. I love the ethereal, mysterious feel (particularly at the end) and the melancholy vibe throughout. 22. The Obvious Child Yet another song from the Rhythm of the Saints with African influence, and we're not even done with it yet! In this case it might be more accurate to say the influence is South American since The Obvious Child opens with a Brazillian drum. Aside from the opening, I really love these reminiscing lyrics; it's another song of Paul's about the passage of time: Sonny sits by his window and thinks to himself How it's strange that some rooms are like cages Sonny's yearbook from high school Is down on the shelf And he idly thumbs through the pages Some have died Some have fled from themselves Or struggled from here to get there Sonny wanders beyond his interior walls Runs his hands through his thinning brown hair Hope people don't deny the obvious and love his song too. 21. A Hazy Shade of Winter A Hazy Shade of Winter is a song that I would often skip to as a kid when listening to them, because it's so incredibly catchy. That guitar work is amazing. It also led to the Bangles' great cover. I think it might be one of their more overlooked songs, but I loved from the first time I heard it and still do today. 30. The Dangling Conversation - 29. Further to Fly - 28. Fakin' It - 27. Cecilia - 26. You Can Call Me Al - 25. Bye Bye Love - 24. Kodachrome - 23. The Only Living Boy in New York - 22. The Obvious Child - 21. A Hazy Shade of Winter -

La Tortura and Ojos Asi.