♫ Mrs. Robinson ♫

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, music, music history

Well, I don’t necessarily think that tonight’s tune, following on the heels of last night’s Scarborough Fair, means this is Simon & Garfunkel Week, but … neither do I rule out the possibility!  It certainly wasn’t planned, but when this song was mentioned in comments yesterday, and I realized it was one of my favourite S&G songs and one that I hadn’t played yet here on Filosofa’s Word, naturally I had to play it!

The background for this one is interesting.  According to Wikipedia …

Simon & Garfunkel reached national fame in the United States in 1965–66, touring colleges and releasing a string of hit singles and albums. Meanwhile, director Mike Nichols, then filming The Graduate, became fascinated with two of the duo’s songs, listening to them nonstop before and after filming. After two weeks of this obsession, he met with Columbia Records chairman Clive Davis to ask for permission to license Simon & Garfunkel music for his film. Davis viewed it as a perfect fit and envisioned a best-selling soundtrack album. Simon was not as immediately receptive, viewing movies as akin to “selling out”, but he agreed to write at least one or two new songs for the film after being impressed by Nichols’ wit and the script. Leonard Hirshan, a powerful agent at William Morris, negotiated a deal that paid Simon $25,000 to submit three songs to Nichols and producer Lawrence Turman.

Several weeks later, Simon re-emerged with two new tracks, “Punky’s Dilemma” and “Overs”, neither of which Nichols was particularly taken with. Nichols asked if the duo had any more songs to offer, and after a break from the meeting, they returned with an early version of “Mrs. Robinson”. They had been working on a track titled “Mrs. Roosevelt” (Eleanor Roosevelt) and returned to perform it for Nichols. He was ecstatic about the song, later commenting, “They filled in with dee de dee dee de dee dee dee because there was no verse yet, but I liked even that.” Garfunkel later expanded upon the song’s placement in The Graduate:

Paul had been working on what is now ‘Mrs. Robinson’, but there was no name in it and we’d just fill in with any three-syllable name. And because of the character in the picture we just began using the name ‘Mrs. Robinson’ to fit […] and one day we were sitting around with Mike talking about ideas for another song. And I said ‘What about Mrs. Robinson.’ Mike shot to his feet. ‘You have a song called “Mrs. Robinson” and you haven’t even shown it to me?’ So we explained the working title and sang it for him. And then Mike froze it for the picture as ‘Mrs. Robinson’.

The final version of “Mrs. Robinson” was completed on February 2, 1968, at Columbia Studio A in New York City. The recording was released more than three months after the release of The Graduate, but through its numerous radio plays became an important cross-promotion of the film during its initial run in theaters. A louder and punchier bass drum is present on the promo mix, which was done to accommodate for the limited dynamic range produced by AM radio.

And another interesting tidbit from Songfacts:

Regarding the famous line, “Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio?”: DiMaggio was a star baseball player for the New York Yankees who was briefly married to Marilyn Monroe. Simon was using him to represent heroes of the past. DiMaggio was a little miffed when he heard this, since he was still very much alive even though he retired from baseball in 1951, but he realized that he had become a new icon now with the baby boomer generation due to this song’s success.

Simon, who is a huge fan of The Yankees, explained in a 1990 interview with SongTalk magazine: “The Joe DiMaggio line was written right away in the beginning. And I don’t know why or where it came from. It seems so strange, like it didn’t belong in that song and then, I don’t know, it was so interesting to us that we just kept it. So it’s one of the most well-known lines that I’ve ever written.”

The song charted well — #1 in the U.S. and Canada, and #4 in the UK.

Mrs. Robinson

Simon & Garfunkel

And here’s to you, Mrs. Robinson
Jesus loves you more than you will know
Whoa, whoa, whoa
God bless you, please, Mrs. Robinson
Heaven holds a place for those who pray
Hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey

We’d like to know a little bit about you for our files
We’d like to help you learn to help yourself
Look around you, all you see are sympathetic eyes
Stroll around the grounds until you feel at home

And here’s to you, Mrs. Robinson
Jesus loves you more than you will know
Whoa, whoa, whoa
God bless you, please, Mrs. Robinson
Heaven holds a place for those who pray
Hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey

Hide it in a hiding place where no one ever goes
Put it in your pantry with your cupcakes
It’s a little secret, just the Robinson’s affair
Most of all, you’ve got to hide it from the kids

Coo, coo, ca-choo, Mrs. Robinson
Jesus loves you more than you will know
Whoa, whoa, whoa
God bless you, please, Mrs. Robinson
Heaven holds a place for those who pray
Hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey

Sitting on a sofa on a Sunday afternoon
Going to the candidates debate
Laugh about it, shout about it
When you’ve got to choose
Every way you look at this, you lose

Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio?
Our nation turns its lonely eyes to you
Woo, woo, woo
What’s that you say, Mrs. Robinson?
Joltin’ Joe has left and gone away
Hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Paul Simon

Mrs. Robinson lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group

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40 thoughts on “♫ Mrs. Robinson ♫”

  2. I love this one, too! I remember when “The Graduate” came out; it was supposed to be a “dirty” movie, and the steps talked about it in whispers. One of my stepsisters got the book in paperback; she left it laying around a lot even though she didn’t live at home. I’ve always been a speedy reader, so one day I took an hour and read it all. More than once, to make sure I didn’t miss anything. I never got anything dirty, but still was young, so it could have been over my head. Later in life I did see the movie, and did not find the “dirty,” either, though of course it’s not a kid’s movie. Meanwhile, the song has always been one of my favorites-it’s so easy to sing. Thanks, Jill!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Oh I’m so glad you liked it!!! And this is now officially Simon & Garfunkel Week, or S&G Week for short! Like you, I never found anything dirty about it, but then perhaps you and I have more open minds than some. I hope you enjoy the rest of S&G Week!

      Liked by 1 person

  4. One of your best ideas! Simon and Garfunkel week, You are BRILLIANT! 😁
    I’ll bet you can guess one of my favorites and everytime you bash on wealthy people “Richard Cory” all pops up in mine. 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    • WHOA!!! Did you just call me ‘brilliant’? I’m in shock!!! And yes, it is definitely S&G Week here on Filosofa’s Word!

      No, I wouldn’t have guessed “Richard Cory” to be your fave, for I had never heard the song until just a few minutes ago, and wasn’t aware of the poem. What a sad song … nay, not sad … tragic. Just proves that money cannot buy happiness, yes? Doesn’t make me more tolerant of the uber-wealthy, though, for nobody forces them to live in mansions and own private jets and yachts. Imagine how much happier they could be if they gave most of their money to such causes as feeding the hungry and providing homes for the homeless.

      Anyway … duly noted and I hope you’ll enjoy S&G Week!

      Liked by 1 person

      • Watch out for groomers. Less tolerance is the trend but if I were a person of brilliance I would be wary of walking it. Brilliance can be blinding. “The Boxer” is my fave. And if you if you ever isolate Paul “Kodachrome” brings me joy.

        Liked by 1 person

        • Good point, Richard. There is only so much compassion to go ’round, though, and mine lies with those struggling to survive rather than those who could do so much good, but selfishly refuse to.

          “The Boxer” is definitely on the list for this week. I don’t think I realized that Paul Simon had struck out on his own, or if I did I had forgotten. Haven’t heard “Kodachrome” but I’ll listen to it today!

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          • Simon put the poem to music, but Them recorded it almost immediately they heard it. They also covered Dylan’s It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue on the same album. But personally I prefer Eric Burdon’s version from the 1980s album from The Animals’ Before We Were So Rudely Interrupted.
            I still owe youna list of his songs that you might make into a Eric Burdon Special, but I got sidetracked from that project. I just need time, and energy.

            Liked by 1 person

  5. Jill, great piece. They liked the song so much, they used pieces of it as background throughout the movie. As for Joe DiMaggio, he was a very private man in a public world, very protective of his name. He was going to sue Simon, but stopped when his agent told him the song reference was a good thing. Yet, DiMaggio did have dignity, and when Marilyn Monroe was found dead in a swimming pool, years after their brief marriage, he took control of the situation and made sure her body and burial were treated with dignity and respect. The reporters, feds and police were tromping around everywhere.

    Keith

    Liked by 3 people

    • Thanks, Keith! Glad you enjoyed it. I did not know that DiMaggio was considering suing S&G at one point! And I don’t think I knew he was married to Marilyn Monroe … or if I did, I’ve long since forgotten. Thanks for adding to the background!!! Oh, and it’s now officially S&G Week!

      Liked by 1 person

      • It is a story of found and lost. He sent flowers to her grave three times a week for 20 years. The marriage had lasted 9 months. Humans have a bad habit of not learning the value of things until they are gone.

        Liked by 1 person

        • Wow!!!! Makes you wonder if he had some feelings of guilt over their marriage or its ending. 20 years … that’s a long time! And yes, you’re right … far too often we don’t appreciate something or someone until they’re gone. Been there, done that.

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  10. Mom loves this song but mis-hears some of the words and has her own version she would sing to me, a habit that I picked up and have done throughout my life. She does know the Joe DiMaggio line and always sings it right. Hugs

    Liked by 3 people

  11. I got into the cinema to see the film with my girlfriend, though I was tecnically underage. I always looked older because I habitually wore a suit and tie in my teens. Thanks for playing my favourite S&G song, Jill.

    Best wishes, Pete.

    Liked by 3 people

  12. Another favourite from back then. The full version on Bookends is longer than the two clips on the movie soundtrack, and is all the better for it. I was 15 when The Graduate came out, too young to be allowed to see it – you had to be 18! I got to see it later when it was first shown on tv – a very enjoyable film.

    Liked by 4 people

  13. Pingback: ♫ Mrs. Robinson ♫ | Ned Hamson's Second Line View of the News

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