Background
Simon & Garfunkel's opinion of the song varied over time. According to biographer Peter Ames Carlin, they both considered it their favorite song on the album at the time of its release. Marc Eliot, who wrote ''Paul Simon: A Life'', disputes this, arguing that Garfunkel always disliked the song and felt it was pretentious. When the single did not perform as well as they had hoped, Simon told Record Mirror's Norman Jopling that the song was "above the kids." In 1993, when asked about the song, he commented, "It's a college kid's song, a little precious."Reception
'' Cash Box'' said that it is a "gentle pop-folk ode which underscores some of life’s everyday hypocrisies" and expected it to "become a smash."Commercial performance
The song peaked at number 25 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and never made it onto the UK charts. Simon viewed "The Dangling Conversation" as an "absolutely amazing" disappointment to him at the time, as the previous three Simon & Garfunkel singles were reasonable "hits". He felt as though the song may have been "too heavy" for a mainstream audience.Charts
Notes
References
Sources
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Dangling Conversation Simon & Garfunkel songs Songs written by Paul Simon 1966 singles Song recordings produced by Bob Johnston Columbia Records singles 1966 songs