Leaves That Are Green

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"Leaves That Are Green"
Song by Simon and Garfunkel
from the album Sounds of Silence
A-side"Homeward Bound"
GenreFolk pop, folk rock[1]
Length2:20
LabelColumbia Records
Songwriter(s)Paul Simon

"Leaves That Are Green" is a song written and originally recorded by Paul Simon for his 1965 album The Paul Simon Songbook.[2][3] It was later re-recorded with Art Garfunkel for the 1966 album Sounds of Silence, adding an electric harpsichord, rhythm guitar, and bass.[4] It was also the B-side to the hit song "Homeward Bound".

Reception[edit]

Cash Box described the song as a "melodic ballad about the ever-constant aging process."[5] Allmusic critic Matthew Greenwald described the music as having a "sprightly folk-pop tempo and feel" with "inventive percussion and harpsichord," and described the lyrics as using "changing seasons to convey the feelings at the disintegration of a romance."[6] Simon biographer Laura Jackson described the song as "peaceful number" in which Simon uses the changing seasons to illustrate that time goes on, and all things come and go.[7] Simon biographer Cornel Bonca criticizes the "cliched nature imagery" but notes that the "delightful" harpsichord opening "belies the lyrics' winsome gloom."[8] On the other hand, music critic Paul Williams used a line from "Leaves That Are Green" to demonstrate Simon's skill as a phrasemaker with a gift for words: "She faded in the night like a poem I meant to write...and the leaves that are green turn to brown."[9]

Music journalist David Browne considered the theme of the song to be "premature nostalgia."[10] Music journalist Chris Charlesworth considers "Leaves That Are Green" to be Simon's first and possibly prettiest of many of Simon's songs that deal with the passage of time.[11] Charlesworth praised the "intricate guitar picking" but criticizes a "failure of the imagination" in the 3rd verse, where the lyrics just say hello and goodbye.[11]

Performances[edit]

Simon played "Leaves That Are Green" at a live concert at his alma mater Queens College in 1964, where he also played "The Sound of Silence."[3] Simon & Garfunkel performed the song live on their 2004 tour.[3]

Influence and covers[edit]

The opening lines were quoted by Billy Bragg's song "A New England".[12]

Dorris Henderson covered "Leaves That Are Green" as a single in 1965.[13] Ronnie Hawkins covered it in 1971 on his album The Hawk.[14] J.D. Crowe covered it on his 1973 album Bluegrass Evolution.[15]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Leaves That Are Green - Simon & Garfunkel | Song Info | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
  2. ^ "The Paul Simon Songbook - Paul Simon | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
  3. ^ a b c Thompson, Dave (2019). Paul Simon FAQ. Backbeat. pp. 42, 53, 257. ISBN 9781493050758.
  4. ^ "Sounds of Silence - Simon & Garfunkel | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
  5. ^ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. February 5, 1966. p. 12. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
  6. ^ Greenwald, Matthew. "Leaves That Are Green". Allmusic. Retrieved 2022-01-19.
  7. ^ Jackson, Laura (April 2004). Paul Simon: The Definitive Biography. Kensington. p. 73. ISBN 9780806525396.
  8. ^ Bonca, Cornel (2014). Paul Simon: An American Tune. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 29, 31. ISBN 9780810884823.
  9. ^ Williams, Paul (2002). The Crawdaddy! Book: Writings (and Images) from the Magazine of Rock. Hal Leonard. p. 12. ISBN 9780634029585.
  10. ^ Browne, David (2012). Fire and Rain: The Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, James Taylor, CSNY, and the Lost Story of 1970. Hachette. ISBN 9780306822131.
  11. ^ a b Charlesworth, Chris (1997). The Complete Guide to the Music of Paul Simon and Simon & Garfunkel. Omnibus Press. p. 19. ISBN 0711955972.
  12. ^ "Simon & Garfunkel: 18 best songs". The Daily Telegraph. July 5, 2017.
  13. ^ Unterberger, Richie (2003). Eight Miles High: Folk-rock's Flight from Haight-Ashbury to Woodstock. Backbeat. ISBN 9780879307431.
  14. ^ "Billboard Album Reviews". Billboard. March 6, 1971. p. 45. Retrieved 2022-01-19.
  15. ^ Hage, Erik. "Bluegrass Evolution". Allmusic. Retrieved 2022-01-19.
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