Knowledge (XXG)

Richard Cory (song)

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The song tells the tale of Richard Cory from the perspective of a man who works in his factory. The worker is envious of Cory. The advantages and recreations available to Richard Cory are enumerated in the song and the worker openly envies not only these specific advantages but Cory's presumed
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Whereas the original poem concludes with this closing revelation and its implications, the repetition of the chorus in Simon's version (still pressing an insistent envy following Cory's suicide) discloses a second, darker revelation about what the worker wants.
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The inspiration for this song comes from the poem that was required reading in English class while Paul Simon and Arthur Garfunkel were students at Forest Hills High School in New York City.
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performed a version of the Paul Simon song in an early reggae style for his 1968 album
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A Simple Desultory Philippic (or How I Was Robert McNamara'd into Submission)
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happiness. The last verse of the song ends similarly to the Robinson poem:
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at the time of its release, interpreted this as "a little stage humour".
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Richard Cory went home last night and put a bullet through his head.
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Bill King, "Wings Live Album a Legend Even Before Its Release"
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Tales from New York: The Very Best of Simon & Garfunkel
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Simon & Garfunkel: The Complete Albums Collection
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In the version released on 1548:Songs about fictional male characters 1003:The Big Bright Green Pleasure Machine 959:" / "We've Got a Groovey Thing Goin'" 739:The Collection: Simon & Garfunkel 431:'s naming of the fictional character 211:Covers and popular culture references 7: 427:The song inspired comic book author 243:adding citations to reliable sources 700:The Essential Simon & Garfunkel 644:Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits 1040:For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her 665:The Definitive Simon and Garfunkel 651:The Simon and Garfunkel Collection 350:The song has also been covered by 14: 573:Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme 407:and produced by C. S. 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It was recorded in the 323:Wings Over The World tour 380:Cuby & the Blizzards 317:The song was covered by 254:"Richard Cory" song 153:Edwin Arlington Robinson 151:. The song was based on 416:Live At the Continental 390:also covered the song. 372:The Back Porch Majority 354:during his tenure with 321:during their 1975–1976 137:" is a song written by 1036:A Hazy Shade of Winter 936:List of songs recorded 837:Paul Simon solo albums 455:25 December 1976 p. 56 157:poem of the same title 1420:Baby, Please Don't Go 992:Leaves That Are Green 917:Simon & Garfunkel 806:Simon & Garfunkel 522:Simon & Garfunkel 1553:Songs based on poems 1431:Here Comes the Night 1374:The Angry Young Them 1232:Voices of Old People 1158:Wake Up Little Susie 957:The Sound of Silence 855:(Paul Desmond album) 453:Atlanta Constitution 345:Atlanta Constitution 239:improve this article 1518:Songs about suicide 1014:April Come She Will 679:Two Can Dream Alone 421:King Without a Clue 143:Simon and Garfunkel 32:Simon and Garfunkel 1533:Van Morrison songs 1413:One Two Brown Eyes 978:Rosemary and Thyme 636:Compilation albums 400:More of Ken Boothe 337:Wings Over America 328:Wings Over America 194:: joint lead vocal 1528:Them (band) songs 1495: 1494: 1261: 1260: 1099:" / "Baby Driver" 947:Sounds of Silence 883: 882: 756:Soundtrack albums 566:Sounds of Silence 315: 314: 307: 289: 148:Sounds of Silence 131: 130: 41:Sounds of Silence 1560: 1480:Related articles 1330:Raymond Sweetman 1288: 1281: 1274: 1265: 1250: 1249: 910: 903: 896: 887: 872: 871: 842:Paul Simon songs 658:20 Greatest Hits 515: 508: 501: 492: 469: 464:letters column, 462: 456: 449: 410:A live cover by 393:Jamaican singer 310: 303: 299: 296: 290: 288: 247: 223: 215: 122: 108: 98:Columbia Records 87: 86: 82: 51:January 17, 1966 19: 1568: 1567: 1563: 1562: 1561: 1559: 1558: 1557: 1498: 1497: 1496: 1491: 1475: 1457: 1400: 1389:Belfast Gypsies 1361: 1297: 1292: 1262: 1257: 1237: 1218:Punky's Dilemma 1163: 1131: 1086: 1078: 1019: 977: 969: 940: 922: 914: 884: 879: 859: 820: 794: 769: 751: 718:Collected Works 705: 693:Tom & Jerry 631: 592: 546: 524: 519: 487:on allmusic.com 478: 473: 472: 463: 459: 450: 446: 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(1966) 1440:" (1965) 1433:" (1965) 1426:" (1964) 1415:" (1964) 1252:Category 1183:Patterns 1073:Bookends 1026:Bookends 874:Category 710:Box sets 580:Bookends 424:(1997). 200:: guitar 155:'s 1897 56:Recorded 48:Released 1405:Singles 1144:America 1115:Cecilia 920:singles 279:scholar 206:: drums 1424:Gloria 1397:(1968) 1391:(1967) 1385:(1966) 1377:(1965) 774:Videos 281:  274:  267:  260:  252:  76:Length 1422:" / " 1211:Overs 1117:" / " 1106:" / " 1071:" / " 1067:" / " 1049:" / " 1038:" / " 1012:" / " 1001:" / " 990:" / " 825:Other 368:Angst 319:Wings 286:JSTOR 272:books 93:Label 65:Genre 1295:Them 386:and 356:Them 258:news 166:Plot 28:Song 331:). 241:by 30:by 1504:: 468:#6 435:. 382:, 378:, 374:, 370:, 366:, 362:, 358:. 159:. 85:57 1450:" 1443:" 1436:" 1429:" 1418:" 1287:e 1280:t 1273:v 1234:" 1230:" 1227:" 1223:" 1220:" 1216:" 1213:" 1209:" 1206:" 1202:" 1199:" 1195:" 1192:" 1188:" 1185:" 1181:" 1178:" 1174:" 1160:" 1156:" 1153:" 1149:" 1146:" 1142:" 1124:" 1121:" 1113:" 1110:" 1102:" 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Index

Song
Simon and Garfunkel
Sounds of Silence
Genre
Folk rock
Label
Columbia Records
Songwriter(s)
Paul Simon
Producer(s)
Bob Johnston
Paul Simon
Simon and Garfunkel
Sounds of Silence
Edwin Arlington Robinson
poem of the same title
Paul Simon
Art Garfunkel
Joe South
Hal Blaine

verification
improve this article
adding citations to reliable sources
"Richard Cory" song
news
newspapers
books
scholar
JSTOR

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