bridge over troubled waters?

Question

Can anyone provide me with a lyrics analysis of the song "like a bridge over troubled waters" pls : ) ty

Answer 1

A reader's comment:

I give this recording 5 stars simply for the wonderful singing of Clay Aiken, which we all agree is amazing and beyond reproach. How did this guy remain anonymous so long until Idol discovered him? Well, even later rather than sooner, it was inevitable that talent this huge would "make it."

However, the reason for this review is to critique the arrangement of "Bridge," and I'm sorry to say that it comes up a little short.

I'll give the arranger some points: The arrangement is original and unique, and it's ambitious. It tries to be better than the original, and it almost gets there. But because of a few flaws it falls down and I'll label it "bombastic."

Problem #1: The build doesn't work. A typical pop arrangement starts off quiet and simple, and gradually builds to a hopefully shattering climax. The gradual build is key to triggering the "goosebump effect." You are enjoying the beautiful quiet verse and as the arranger steps it up just a notch, say by adding in a second vocal voice or introducing the strings in the second verse, your subconcious recognizes that build and thinks "Man, this is getting better than I expected. If it was great in verse one, and it's better in verse two, I can only imagine how good the final verse and chorous are going to be, and the finale is going to be incredible! And with that intangible and unproven expectation your imagination gets captured and everything comes together. However in this arrangement the arranger blows that and instead starts off from the first with an overly rambunctious loud choir and driving drums. He then continues to interrupt the build by turning the voltage up and down throughout the song. Loud intro, quiet first verse, loud chorous, drop it back down for the third verse, then turn it up again for the end. The end result is boring and a "just more of the same" effect.

Problem #2: The choir is too rowdy and obscures Clay's voice. That is just not allowed!!! Not with *my* Clay Aiken. Turn them down and don't turn them up again. I am paying money to hear the star, not a bunch of nobodies wearing purple robes.

Problem #3: Here is the crucial mistake: The arranger fires off his finale fireworks too early and is left with nothing with which to blow me away. In the chorous just before the third verse, Clay's soaring voice jumps off melody and hammers a few impossibly high notes several intervals higher than expected and we get the "money shot." Not only that, but the arranger drives the point home with hammering orchestra hits, even slowing down the tempo. It sounds just like a climactic ending. But as Clay finishes it up, the rhythm section continues playing, drops the voltage way back, and introduces the third verse. Your subconcious reacts: "There's more? That's not right. They're not going to be able to deliver more than what I just heard. Hmmm, I'm skeptical. It's either going to have to be something so great that it's never been heard before in pop music history, or it's going to be a letdown." Then the final climax is very similar to the one we just heard, slightly better, but not enough to deliver that "shattering" effect. Instead it delivers a "more of the same" effect, it's a letdown, and that ruins the entire thing. The original arrangement carefully built up to that climax and that was really the payoff of the whole song. This arrangement fails in this most critical place.

As I was listening to this song for the first time, towards the end of the second verse I recognized where the arrangement was heading. I paused it and remarked to my wife: "I see where this is going. The arranger has stepped the intensity of this song way up and he is trying to outdo the original. Well, the original depended on the climax, and if this arrangement is going to beat that, it will really have to deliver there. We'll see if he can pull it off." I then resumed the play. I was surprised to hear those early fireworks, and then the end just couldn't deliver.

Problem #4: After all of that, the final straw is the contrived finale. Clay sings the entire song. The lyric is done. The high notes have been hit. The orchestra has hammered the whole thing to a close, Clay's voice exits and the choir comes in to clean up the mess and close the whole show down. But the arranger throws in a few pivot chords and brings it back one more time so that Clay can blow us away. Clay comes back in, causing yet another mood swing and another increase in voltage, and hits a few notes even higher than before. Finally the song ends. It's just too contrived and obvious.

Now there's no reason that mood swings, voltage fluctuations, early fireworks, etc. can't work in the hands of a skilled arranger, but to throw all the usual rules of arranging away like this is going to require real skill and genius to make it work. Unfortunately it's not here.

To tell the truth, I never have liked this song. For one thing, the lyrics don't say much. They don't tell a complete story. What is "silver girl?" Is that a plane? Or is that a hypodermic needle delivering a drug as some have suggested? I did some research but couldn't find an analysis of the lyric, though I did find lots of people saying this is excellent song. I have always felt that the main value of this song is Art Garfunkel's high notes at the end.

Flawed, but pleasingly ambitious, arrangement aside, one thing is for sure, Clay Aiken's singing is a ten. And despite the finale not bringing about the intended effect, the final high notes are simply unbelievable. Whoever thought that this nobody could hit all those notes? I think he compares favorably to Art Garfunkel, or even beats him by a good margin. That's huge.
**

Good read

Answer 2

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