Comments: 11

• Glenn from Minneapolis, Mn"I said to Paul this summer while we were living in California, why don't you write a song about Frank Lloyd Wright, simply because in my past I was studying to be an architect and I was always very fond of Frank Lloyd Wright. And to my surprise, he wrote the following song." Art Garfunkel at the Simon $ Garfunkel concert at Miami University, Oxford, Ohio -- November 11, 1969.
  
  At the same concert, Paul Simon said: "We haven't been around in about a year. Perhaps you've missed us. During that period, Arthur became a movie star. He will shortly appear in Mike Nichol's follow-up picture to the graduate, 'Catch 22.' I wasn't in that picture, (audience laughter) because nobody much cares about the little songwriter of the group anymore. I'm just left to write my songs about sex and drugs (laughter) whatever."
  
  This song is definitely NOT about Frank Lloyd Wright! So long Artie!
  
• Peter from Zoetermeer, NetherlandsI remember that - (very) many years ago, I read a Paul Simon interview in Playboy Magazine. In this interview there are remarks about the meaning of "The only living boy In New York" (about Art's going filming in Mexico), as well as "So long, Frank Lloyd Wright". If I remember correctly, this song was meant to be about Art Garfunkel, and that the lines "Architects may come and architect may go, and never change your point of view" were meant to refer to the fact that Art had particular ideas about songwriting / song-performing, and was quite headstrong (hence "... never change your point of view").
  
  Please note that it has been a few decades ago that I read the aforementioned interview, so please don't hold it against me if my statements turn out to be (partially) incorrect.
  
  Peter H. Kort, Netherlands
  
• Kevin from Reading , PaThis song is in the tradition of other great songs where the singer is saying goodbye -- at least temporarily -- to a partner or music collaborator while they are still together. Other examples are Springtseen's "Bobby Jean" (farewell to Miami Steve, who was embarking on his solo career, such as it was); Buffalo Springfield's "One the Way Home," Neil's kiss off to his band mates) The Beatles' "Golden Slumbers/Carry that Weight/The End" medley by McCartney to his fellow bandmates.
• Frank from Nottingham, England I always believed that Art did study architecture and because of this Frank Lloyd Wright was Paul's nickname for Art. It was then used as a cryptic way of saying goodbye to Art after BOTW. Frank G. Nottingham England
• Alan from Mesa, AzMiksi, the FLLW Foundation (Wright used a double middle initial) site (franklloydwright.org) says: "Frank Lloyd Wright was born in Richland Center, Wisconsin, on June 8, 1867, and died in Phoenix, Arizona, on April 9, 1959, at the age of 91."
  
  Alyssa: Garfunkel's official site (artgarfunkel.com) says: "Art took art history at Columbia College, where he also mastered the fine art of architecture for a graduate degree."
• Miksi from Salem, OrIn what year did FLW die?
• Alyssa from Greenwich, CtThis is completely wrong, neiter Paul Simon nor Art Garfunkle studied to be an architect. I am doing a portfolio promect on Frank Lloyd wright and im writing an anlysis on this song. I checked many biographies on both Simon and Garfunkle and neither one were going to be a architect.
• Daan from Tegelen, NetherlandsI agree that the song is a farewell to Art Garfunkel. I misheard the lyrics as 'Arthur keeps me coming, Arthur keeps me going' and found the link rather obvious.
  Subliminality?
• Michelle from Boston, MaIn response to Steve, Simon often states in concerts, etc. that "The Only Living Boy in New York" was written when Garfunkel went to Mexico to film Catch 22, and (so he says) he misses him. It could be a dig at Art for leaving him to write the music all alone, but either way it wasn't about their split.
• Steve from Fenton, MoI agree with the interpretation that it's a farewell to Garfunkel by Simon. I didn't know Garfunkel had studied to be an architect...that even makes more sense. It's a goodbye, and not a very diplomatic one at that. The line in the song The Only Living Boy in New York of "I know that you're ready to fly now" is another clue of the split.
• David from Brookfield, WiInteresting to read these comments. I'd always thought the song's subject was an experience common to many younger people who discover some heroic figure -- writer, musician, architect, whatever -- then find that this figure happened to die shortly before that discovery. Simon, I imagined, became a great FLW fan just a little too late for any chance to look him up, then wrote this song about that disappointment. Probably nothing to my old impression, but it might reflect some of the composition's resonance. -- David, Brookfield, WI

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