Few songwriters have contributed more to the contemporary music scenethan Paul Simon, whose meticulously crafted pop songs have comprised asoundtrack to American life for more than 40 years. An artist known forhis impeccable musicianship and eclectic taste, Simon is famous forcreating bold, imaginative albums that fuse a wide diversity of stylesand genres. But nowhere does his genius shine more brilliantly than inhis lyrics —whip-smart tone poems, alternately wry and rueful,infectious and urbane, ironic and introspective.

Spanning an impressive career marked by experimentation and innovation,here for the first time in book form are the collected lyrics of PaulSimon —from the folk-rock anthems of the 1960s ("The Sounds ofSilence," "America," "Bridge Over Troubled Water") to the melancholymusings of middle age ("Still Crazy After All These Years," "You're theOne," "Father and Daughter"). While it may be difficult for hardcorefans to divorce the words from their hook-laden melodies, thisone-of-a-kind volume leaves little doubt about the poetry and precisionof Simon's gorgeous language.