"Bridge over Troubled Water" is a song by the American folk rock duo Simon & Garfunkel, released in January 1970 as the second single from their fifth and final studio album, Bridge over Troubled Water (1970). It was written by Paul Simon and produced by Simon, Art Garfunkel and Roy Halee.
"Bridge over Troubled Water" features lead vocals by Art Garfunkel and a piano accompaniment influenced by gospel music, with a "Wall of Sound"-style production. It was the last song recorded for the album, but the first completed. The instrumentation, provided by the Wrecking Crew, was recorded in California, while Simon and Garfunkel's vocals were recorded in New York. Simon felt Garfunkel should sing solo, an invitation Garfunkel initially declined. Session musician Larry Knechtel performs piano, with Joe Osborn playing bass guitar and Hal Blaine on drums.
The song won five awards at the 13th Annual Grammy Awards in 1971, including Grammy Award for Record of the Year and Song of the Year. It is Simon & Garfunkel's most successful single, topping the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for six consecutive weeks, and was the No. 1 song on the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1970. It also hit number one in the United Kingdom, Canada, France and New Zealand. It reached the top five in eight other countries, eventually selling over six million copies worldwide. It became one of the most performed songs of the 20th century, covered by over 50 artists, including Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin and Johnny Cash. It is ranked number 66 on Rolling Stones 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. American politician George McGovern used it as the theme song for his 1972 presidential campaign.
Background
"Bridge over Troubled Water" was written by Paul Simon in early 1969; the song came to him very quickly, so much so that he asked himself: "Where did that come from? It doesn't seem like me." The title concept was inspired by Claude Jeter's line "I'll be your bridge over deep water if you trust in my name", which Jeter sang with his group, the Swan Silvertones, in the 1959 song "Mary Don't You Weep". According to gospel producer and historian Anthony Heilbut, Simon acknowledged his debt to Jeter in person, and handed Jeter a check. Simon named Johann Sebastian Bach's "O Sacred Head, Now Wounded" as inspiration for parts of the melody. Simon wrote the song initially on guitar but used the piano to reflect the gospel influence and suit Garfunkel's voice.
Simon told his partner, Art Garfunkel, that Garfunkel should sing it alone, the "white choirboy way", though Simon adds harmony on the final verse. Garfunkel felt it was not right for him; he liked Simon's falsetto on the demo and suggested that Simon sing. At the suggestion of Garfunkel and producer Roy Halee, Simon wrote an extra verse and a "bigger" ending, though he felt it was less cohesive with the earlier verses. The final verse was written about Simon's then-wife Peggy Harper, who had noticed her first gray hairs ("Sail on, silvergirl"). It does not refer to a drug abuser's hypodermic needle, as is sometimes claimed. The verse was Garfunkel's idea, but Simon reportedly did not like it.
"Bridge over Troubled Water" was the final track recorded for the album but the first completed, with an additional two weeks of post-production. Simon initially wrote the song in G major, but arranger and composer Jimmie Haskell transposed the song to E-flat major to suit Garfunkel's voice. The song's instrumental parts were recorded in August 1969 in California, to make it easier for Garfunkel to go to Mexico to film Catch-22.
Simon and Garfunkel returned to New York in November 1969 to record the vocals. Simon said it sounded like the Beatles' "Let It Be", stating in a Rolling Stone interview: "They are very similar songs, certainly in instrumentation."
As their relations frayed preceding their 1970 breakup, Simon began to experience regret for allowing Garfunkel to sing it solo:
Personnel
- Art Garfunkel – lead vocals
- Paul Simon – backing vocals
- Larry Knechtel – piano
- Joe Osborn – bass guitar
- Hal Blaine – drums and percussion
- Jimmie Haskell, Ernie Freeman – string arrangements
Critical reception
Billboard called it a "beautiful, almost religious-oriented ballad" whose "performance and arrangement are perfect". Cash Box said that "set in parable, this love ballad carries a two-level interpretation" and praised "Garfunkel's magnificent vocal performance and the material." Record World predicted that the song would "equal [the duo's] 'Boxer' success".
The song has also been lauded as one of the greatest by Simon & Garfunkel. In 2017, The Guardian called the song one of the best by the duo, describing it as "heart-stirring". The Independent similarly lauded the song in 2020, calling it "a transcendent experience" and ranking it as the best song by the group.
Commercial performance
Despite the song's five-minute length, Columbia decided to release "Bridge over Troubled Water" for play on pop radio. AM radio had previously played Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone" in 1965, despite its running over the conventional three-minute playtime limit. This figured in Columbia's decision to release the five-minute version of "Bridge over Troubled Water" as a single. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on February 28, 1970, and stayed at the top of the chart for six weeks. "Bridge over Troubled Water" also topped the adult contemporary chart in the US for six weeks. Billboard ranked it as the No. 1 song for 1970.
The song was certified Gold for over one million copies in the US by the Recording Industry Association of America,
Awards
The single won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Contemporary Song, and Best Arrangement, Instrumental and Vocals in the Grammy Awards of 1971, with its album also winning Album of the Year.
Charts and certifications
Weekly charts
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+Weekly chart performance for "Bridge over Troubled Water"
! scope="col"| Chart (1970)
! scope="col"| Peak<br />position
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! scope="row"| Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)
| 8
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! scope="row"| Indonesia (Aktuil)
| 1
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! scope="row"| South Africa (Springbok Radio)
| 4
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Year-end charts
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+Year-end chart performance for "Bridge over Troubled Water"
! scope="col"| Chart (1970)
! scope="col"| Position
|-
! scope="row"| Australia
| 5
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! scope="row"| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)
| 29
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! scope="row"| Netherlands (Single Top 100)
| 30
|-
! scope="row"| UK Singles (OCC)
| 5
|-
! scope="row"| US Billboard Hot 100
| 1
|}
All-time charts
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+All-time chart performance for "Bridge over Troubled Water"
! scope="col"| Chart (1958–2018)
! scope="col"| Position
|-
! scope="row"| US Billboard Hot 100
| 229
|}
Certifications
US chart performance
"Bridge over Troubled Water" entered the Billboard Hot 100 top 40 at no.13 on February 9, 1970. It jumped to no.3 the following week before climbing to no.1.
During a six-week run at the top – the most for any single that year – Simon and Garfunkel held off strong competition from Creedence Clearwater Revival ("Travelin' Band") and The Jaggerz ("The Rapper"). Then, on April 11, the song fell to no.5 – replaced by The Beatles' "Let It Be". "Bridge over Troubled Water" concluded a 13-week run in the US top 40 on 9 May as their follow-up hit "Cecilia" began its rise to no.4.
UK chart performance
As in the US, "Bridge over Troubled Water" made its UK top 40 bow at no.13, on February 28, 1970. The song climbed steadily over the next four weeks before claiming no.1 on March 28. During a three-week stay at the top, it held off strong competition from Mary Hopkin with "Knock, Knock Who's There?" and "Can't Help Falling in Love" by Andy Williams.
Then, on April 18, the song fell to no.2 – replaced by "All Kinds of Everything" by Dana.
In total, "Bridge over Troubled Water" spent seventeen weeks in the UK top 40 (concluding on June 27).
Covers
"Bridge over Troubled Water" has been covered by over 50 artists, including Elvis Presley and Willie Nelson. Merry Clayton recorded a version in gospel style on her 1970 album Gimme Shelter. A cover was included on The Supremes' 1970 release New Ways But Love Stays with vocals by Jean Terrell, Mary Wilson, and Cindy Birdsong. Roberta Flack covered the song on her 1971 album Quiet Fire. A cover recorded by Johnny Cash and Fiona Apple for Cash's American IV: The Man Comes Around album was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals in 2003.