In 1969 Simon and Garfunkel released their masterpiece Bridge Over Troubled Water, and included in the set was the brilliant and oft-covered or performed The Boxer, written by Paul Simon in 1968. The song was written as a retort against what Simon felt was unfair criticism and at a time when he was burdened by the pressure of fame. It is claimed the song is semi-autobiographical, as it includes lines that reflect Simon’s fractious state at the time – “I am leaving, I am leaving” is almost certainly a half-cry that he would give up music entirely. He uses the idea of a prize fighter as a metaphor for his own situation, a poor boy who laments his poverty and turns to boxing. The iconic lie-la-lie chorus, a feature of the song, is only there because Simon couldn’t think of any lyrics to fill in the time.
It is not an easy song to ‘mess up’ and there are many examples of excellent attempts at it, but one of the very best is this performance in 2007 by famed folk singer and americana darling, Shawn Colvin, bluegrass royalty and she-of-the-almost-perfect voice, Alison Krauss, with instrumental support from the world’s pre-eminent dobro and lap steel guitar player, Jerry Douglas. Paul Simon won the inaugural Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song in 2007, and the famed trio got together to perform the song at the event. Krauss and Colvin had not performed together before (or at least there is no history of it) but Krauss had covered Colvin’s wonderful I Don’t Know Why on her album Every Time You Say Goodbye in 1992. Douglas had become part of Krauss’ band Union Station in 1998, before getting billing as Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas in 2002.
Both Krauss and Douglas were effectively childhood prodigies, Krauss having led her own band at the age of 10 before releasing her first album before she was 16. Douglas played in his father’s bluegrass band at the age of 13, before joining the progressive bluegrass band, The Country Gentlemen at the age of 16. Both are multiple Grammy winners. Colvin on the other hand was a late bloomer, did not begin writing until her early thirties and released her first album at the age of 33. By the time this performance was given, they were all household names in their respective genres. Marvel at the harmonies, and at Douglas’ brilliant dobro playing. The house band in support includes one of the outstanding jazz and fusion drummers, Steve Gadd, sadly no longer with us. This version just goes to prove what a versatile song this was, able to cross over into any number of genres.
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