Soft Rock Music

Well, while there might be 50 ways to leave your lover, but only five are mentioned in the song. These are the following: slip out the back, Jack; make a new plan, Stan; you don’t need to be coy, Roy, just set yourself free; hop on the bus, Gus; and drop off the key, Lee. The other 45 ways are left to our imagination. Paul Simon wrote the song in 1975. The story is that he was teaching his son how to rhyme (although the song’s subject matter is a tad adult). Simon released it on his 1975 album Still Crazy After All These Years. Later in the year, Simon released it as a single, backed with “Some Folks’ Lives Roll Easy.”

The song was an international hit. By 1976, it went to #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, U.S. Easy Listening chart, and #1 in Canada. It also rose to #2 in France and #18 in New Zealand. It sold more than one million copies and earned RIAA gold certification.

On the track are Paul Simon (lead vocal, acoustic guitar) with Patti Autin, Valerie Simpson, and Phoebe Snow (backup vocals). On the instrumentation are  John Tropea and Joe Beck (electric guitar), Ken Asher (organ), Tony Levin (bass), and Steve Gadd (drums)

There have been numerous covers of the song — and parodies. These include versions by The Jacksons, The Muppets, Enimem (i.e., sampled in “Murder, Mueder”), Brad Mehidau, Sophie Milman, Sage Francis, Miley Cyrus, Julia Louis Dreyfus, Heather Small, and more.

Here are the lyrics to “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” by Paul Simon:

The problem is all inside your head, she said to me
The answer is easy if you take it logically
I’d like to help you in your struggle to be free
There must be fifty ways to leave your lover

She said it’s really not my habit to intrude
For the more I hope my meaning won’t be lost or misconstrued
But  I’ll repeat myself, at the risk of being cruel
There must be fifty ways to leave your lover, fifty ways to leave your lover

Just slip out the back, Jack, make a new plan, Stan
You don’t need to be coy, Roy, just get yourself free
Hop on the bus, Gus, you don’t need to discuss much
Just drop off the key, Lee, and get yourself free

Oo slip out the back, Jack, make a new plan, Stan
You on’t need to be coy, Roy, you just listen to me
Hop on the bus, Gus, you don’t need to discuss much
Just drop off the key, Lee, and get yourself free

She said it grieves me so to see you in such pain
I wish there was something I could do to make you smile again
I said, I appreciate that, and would you please explain about the fifty ways

She said, why don’t we both just sleep on it tonight
And I believe, in the morning you’ll begin to see the light
And then she kissed me and I realized she probably was right
There must be fifty ways to leave your lover, fifty ways to leave your lover

You just slip out the back, Jack, make a new plan, Stan
You don’t need to be coy, Roy, just get yourself free
Oh ya hop on the bus, Gus, you don’t need to discuss much
Just drop off the key, Lee, and get yourself free
Slip out the back, Jack, make a new plan, Stan
You don’t need to be coy, Roy, you just listen to me
Hop on the bus, Gus, you don’t need to discuss much
Just drop off the key, Lee, and get yourself free

For a song by Simon and Garfunkel: “Bridge Over Troubled Water.”

For More 70s Tunes

The System has daily featured music from all sorts of genres of 1970s music. You’re welcome to listen to any of the 40+ selections in The System. Thank you for stopping by. Hope you enjoyed “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” by Paul Simon.