Escrita por Paul Simon, foi gravada em novembro de 1968 e lançada em 21 de março de 1969, no compacto que tinha Baby driver como Lado B. Sairia depois no disco Bridge over troubled water, em 26 de janeiro de 1970. Foi produzida pela dupla e por Roy Halee. É altamente autobiográfica e foi escrita em uma época em que Paul achava que estava sendo criticado injustamente. Chegou ao número 7 no Billboard Hot100. Chegou ao número 1 no Canadá, número 2 na Holanda e Áustria e número 3 na Africa do Sul. É a canção número 106 da lista da revista Rolling Stone 500 greatest songs of all time. Foi regravada por Bob Dylan, Neil Diamond e Emmylou Harris, entre outros artistas.
I
am just a poor boy
Though my story's seldom told
I have
squandered my resistance
For a pocket full of mumbles
Such are
promises
All
lies and jests
Still a man hears what he wants to hear
And
disregards the rest
When
I left my home and my family
I was no more than a boy
In the
company of strangers
In the quiet of the railway station
Running
scared
Laying
low, seeking out the poorer quarters
Where the ragged people
go
Looking for the places
Only they would know
Lie
la lie, lie la la la lie la lie, lie la lie
Lie la la la lie la
lie, la la la la lie
Asking
only workman's wages
I come looking for a job
But I get no
offers
Just a come-on from the whores
On Seventh Avenue
I
do declare
There were times when I was so lonesome
I took some
comfort there
La la la la la la la
Lie
la lie, lie la la la lie la lie, lie la lie
Lie la la la lie la
lie, la la la la lie
Then
I'm laying out my winter clothes
And wishing I was gone
Going
home
Where the New York City winters
Aren't bleeding me
Leading
me
Going home
In
the clearing stands a boxer
And a fighter by his trade
And he
carries the reminders
Of every glove that laid him down
Or cut
him 'til he cried out
In his anger and his shame
"I am
leaving, I am leaving"
But the fighter still remains
Lie
la lie, lie la la la lie la lie, lie la lie
Lie la la la lie la
lie, la la la la lie...
