"Bookends", also known as "Bookends Theme", is a song by American music duo

Simon & Garfunkel Simon & Garfunkel were an American folk rock duo consisting of the singer-songwriter Paul Simon and the singer Art Garfunkel. They were one of the best-selling music groups of the 1960s, and their biggest hits—including the electric remix of " ...

from their fourth

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

, '' Bookends'' (1968). It appears twice on the track listing, as the first (shortened version) and last (known as the Reprise) songs on side one of the original

vinyl LP The LP (from "long playing" or "long play") is an analog sound storage medium, a phonograph record format characterized by: a speed of rpm; a 12- or 10-inch (30- or 25-cm) diameter; use of the "microgroove" groove specification; and a ...

. " Old Friends" and “Bookends” were placed on the

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...

of the "

Mrs. Robinson "Mrs. Robinson" is a song by American music duo Simon & Garfunkel from their fourth studio album, '' Bookends'' (1968). Written specifically for the 1967 film ''The Graduate'', the song was released as a single on April 5, 1968, by Columbia Re ...

" single, issued on April 5, 1968 by Columbia Records. A "clean" version of "Bookends" (without the segued string from " Old Friends") was featured on

Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits ''Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits'' is the first compilation album from Simon & Garfunkel, which was released on June 14, 1972, two years after Simon & Garfunkel had parted ways. The album is currently available on CD under Legacy's Playl ...

Background

The "Bookends Theme" that opens and closes side one is played on the

acoustic guitar An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...

, with no additional instruments. The song is a brief acoustic piece (once compared to English rock band the

Moody Blues Moody may refer to: Places * Moody, Alabama, U.S. * Moody, Indiana, U.S. * Moody, Missouri, U.S. * Moody, Texas, U.S. * Moody County, South Dakota, U.S. * Port Moody, British Columbia, Canada * Hundred of Moody, a cadastral division in South A ...

) that evokes "a time of innocence." The “Bookends Theme ( Reprise)” is preceded by " Old Friends", which segues into the song with a single high, sustained note on the

strings String or strings may refer to: *String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...

. The “Bookends Theme ( Reprise)” contains vocal accompaniment from the duo. "The text refers to the passage of time, and to memories of a loved one, and thus fittingly concludes the series of intervening songs, which address interpersonal relationships at times of life that progress from song to song," wrote James Bennighof, author of ''The Words and Music of Paul Simon''. The piece closes the entire suite with the "resigned admonition" to "Preserve your memories / They're all that's left you."

In popular culture

The song was used in the 2009 film ''

(500) Days of Summer ''500 Days of Summer'' (stylized as ''(500) Days of Summer'') is a 2009 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Marc Webb from a screenplay written by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, and produced by Mark Waters. The film stars ...

''.

Notes

References

Sources

* * * {{authority control 1968 songs Simon & Garfunkel songs Song recordings produced by Art Garfunkel Song recordings produced by Paul Simon Song recordings produced by Roy Halee Songs about nostalgia Songs written by Paul Simon