The Boxer - Simon & Garfunkel
Soul Music
BBC
4.7 • 831 Ratings
🗓️ 11 December 2019
⏱️ 29 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
'The Boxer' is Paul Simon & Art Garfunkel's 1969 masterpiece.
People who have a deep personal connection with the song and its lyrics, discuss what it means to them.
Seamus McDonagh is a former boxer. He recalls his tumultuous time during and after his famous fight with Evander Holyfield in 1990. He also explains why he identifies closely with the song's lyrics.
Julie Nimoy is the daughter of Leonard Nimoy and co-producer of a film about the much-loved actor’s life story - 'Remembering Leonard Nimoy'. Best remembered as Star Trek’s Mr Spock, Leonard’s favourite song was ‘The Boxer’. Julie describes exactly what it meant to him both throughout his life, and in its closing moments.
Gary Edward Jones is a singer-songwriter who for years rejected comparisons made of him to Paul Simon. Eventually, he embraced the likeness and his life changed after developing a show called 'Something About Simon - The Paul Simon Story'.
Dave Mason is an amateur guitarist who has found deep meaning in The Boxer; meaning that has changed and grown as he has.
Series about pieces of music with a powerful emotional impact.
Producer: Karen Gregor
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 2019.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Before you listen to this BBC podcast, I'd like to quickly tell you about some others. |
| 0:05.2 | My name's Andy Martin and I'm the editor of a team of podcast producers at the BBC in Northern Ireland. |
| 0:11.3 | It's a job I really love because we get to tell the stories that really matter to people here, |
| 0:16.3 | but which also resonate and apply to listeners around the world. |
| 0:19.6 | And because the team is such a diverse |
| 0:21.2 | range of skills and strengths, we have trained journalists, people who love digging through |
| 0:26.0 | archives, we've got drama and even comedy experts. We really can do those stories justice. So if |
| 0:31.8 | you like this podcast, head to BBC Sounds where you'll find plenty more fascinating stories |
| 0:37.1 | from all around the UK. BBC Sounds where you'll find plenty more fascinating stories from all around the UK. |
| 0:40.3 | BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts. |
| 0:44.0 | In the clearing stands a boxer and a fighter by his trade, and he carries the reminders of every glove that laid him down or cut him till he cried out, |
| 0:54.8 | in his anger and his shame, I'm leaving, I'm leaving, but the fighter still remains. |
| 1:05.8 | I am just a poor boy, though my story seldom told, |
| 1:13.6 | I squanded my resistance For a pocket full of mumble, such our promises |
| 1:17.6 | All lies in chest |
| 1:20.6 | Still a man hears what he wants to hear |
| 1:23.6 | And disregards the rest |
| 1:25.6 | My name is Seamus McDonough. |
| 1:28.3 | I was a professional boxer and in the 90s I fought the number one heavy in the world of Vanderholyfield. |
| 1:35.3 | When I left my home and my family, I was no more that... |
| 1:40.3 | My dad started at a little boxing club in the town, Enfield County Meath, and his number one |
| 1:46.1 | students were my brother John and I, and I didn't like it at all. I didn't want to partake, |
... |
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