Paul Simon Always Felt He Came in ‘Second’ to This ’60s Folk Hero originally appeared on Parade.
The music industry of the 1960s was constantly evolving, and Paul Simon was keenly aware of its shifting tides. As he found his footing as a singer and songwriter alongside musical partner Art Garfunkel, Simon fought an internal battle over coming in “second” to this 1960s folk hero, whose music helped shape the decade.
In a 2011 interview with Rolling Stone, Simon opened up about his insecurities regarding his legacy as a ’60s folk music figure. He admitted striving to emulate the decade’s defining icon, Bob Dylan, but said he could never escape the constant comparisons.
“One of my deficiencies is my voice sounds sincere,” Simon admitted. “I’ve tried to sound ironic. I don’t. I can’t.”
He continued, “Dylan, everything he sings has two meanings. He’s telling you the truth and making fun of you at the same time.”
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“I sound sincere every time. Rock and roll has a lot to do with image. If that’s not your strength, people find fault with the work.”
He added that the constant comparisons between he and Dylan were frustrating. “I usually come in second. I don’t like coming in second.”
“In the very, very beginning, when we were first signed to Columbia, I really admired Dylan’s work. ‘The Sound of Silence’ wouldn’t have been written if it weren’t for Dylan.” But I left that feeling around The Graduate and ‘Mrs. Robinson.’ They weren’t folky anymore.”
Simon also discussed his feelings regarding the comparisons to Dylan in his book, Homeward Bound: The Life of Paul Simon. Per an excerpt published by American Songwriter, the entertainer revealed that despite what appears to be many similarities between them, as songwriters, they are entirely different.
“Our philosophies are different,” Simon wrote. “He is always dumping [on] people more than I do. It’s really easy to put somebody down. The biggest thing Dylan has going for him is his mystique.”
Paul Simon and Bob Dylan would perform together on a co-headlining tour in the summer of 1999. The tour featured 38 shows where the two music icons alternated opening and headlining.
Paul Simon Always Felt He Came in ‘Second’ to This ’60s Folk Hero first appeared on Parade on Aug 6, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Aug 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
