HODA?
>> ALL RIGHT, AL.
>>> NOW, TO A MUSIC LEGEND.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PAUL SIMON.
>> HE'S WRITTEN COUNTLESS HITS
IN A CAREER THAT'S SPANNED A
QUARTER CENTURY.
I TALKED TO MR. SIMON AS HE
PREPARES FOR HIS APPEARANCE ON
"SNL" ON THE WEEKEND.
WE TALKED ABOUT HIS FAME, HIS
FAVORITE SONGS AND HIS FUTURE.
IF YOU GREW UP SOME TIME IN THE
LAST FIVE DECADES, CHANCES ARE,
PAUL SIMON'S SONGS ARE SOMEWHERE
IN THE BACKGROUND.
YOUTHFULLY TENDER TUNES LIKE
"THE BOXER."
♪ WHEN I LEFT MY HOME AND MY
FAMILY
♪
>> Re
>> Reporter: WORDS SUNG WITH HIS
PARTNER, ART GARFUNKEL.
AND AS A SOLO ARTIST, EARNED
SIMON AN INDUCTION INTO THE ROCK
AND ROLL HALL OF FAME.
WHAT'S ON YOUR PLAYLIST?
>> WILLIE'S ROAD HOUSE.
CLASSIC COUNTRY.
>> Reporter: YOU'RE A COUNTRY
GUY?
>> OH, YEAH.
>> Reporter: ON THE HEELS OF A
FAREWELL TOUR, THE 77-YEAR-OLD
IS LOOKING AT THE FUTURE WITH A
NOD TO THE PAST.
A NEW ALBUM OF RERECORDED AND
REMASTERED PERSONAL FAVORITES,
CALLED "IN THE BLUE LIGHT."
THE FLUSHING M ING MEADOWS CONC
YOU SEEMED TO BE HOLDING BACK
TEARS.
>> THAT'S A 20-MINUTE BIKE RIDE
FROM WHERE I GREW UP.
YOU USUALLY DON'T BELIEVE IN
THINGS COMING FULL CIRCLE.
BUT THAT'S SUCH A BIG
COINCIDENCE, IT WAS TOUCHING.
>> Reporter: YOU LOVE MUSIC AS
MUCH AS YOU DID WHEN YOU GOT
INTO THIS THING DECADES AGO.
WHAT'S THIS CRAZY TALK ABOUT
RETIREMENT?
>> I SAID, I'M GOING TO STOP
TOURING.
I'M JUST AWAY FROM MY WIFE AND
MY KIDS.
IT'S JUST TOO LONG.
ON A LARGER SCALE, YOU GET TO
THE POINT WHERE YOU HAVE A
MASTERY OF WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
THEN, YOU SAY, WHAT IS IT THAT
I'M SUPPOSED TO DO WITH THE TIME
THAT I HAVE LEFT TO DO IT?
AND I FIND THAT IDEAL A LITTLE
BIT SCARY.
>> Reporter: YOU SEEM SO
CONTEMPLATIVE RIGHT NOW.
>> I'VE ALWAYS WITHIN THIS WAY
BUT I AM MORE LATELY BECAUSE THE
SITUATION OF OUR COUNTRY.
>> Reporter: DO YOU CONSIDER
YOUR MUSIC POLITICAL?
>> NO, I DON'T.
I DON'T WRITE A SONG ABOUT
POLITICAL ISSUES.
BUT THERE'S QUITE A BIT OF HOW I
FEEL.
>> Reporter: HOW DO YOU THINK
YOUR MUSIC HAS HELPED OVER THE
DECADES?
>> IT SEEMS TO HAVE BROUGHT A
LOT OF JOY TO PEOPLE.
I DIDN'T KNOW THAT WHEN I WAS
WRITING THE SONGS.
AND I CERTAINLY WASN'T THINKING
OF THE LONG ARC OF WHAT MY
CAREER WOULD BE.
I MEAN, WE'LL TAKE "THE SOUND OF
SILENCE."
♪ PEOPLE TALKING WITHOUT
SPEAKING ♪
>> Reporter: I WROTE THAT WHEN I
WAS 22 YEARS OLD.
HOW DID I EVEN DO THAT?
AND IT OCCURRED WITH "BRIDGE
OVER TROUBLED WATERS" AS WELL,
WHERE YOU'RE A CONDUIT.
I SAID, HMM, THAT'S BETTER THAN
I USUALLY DO.
>> Reporter: 19 STUDIO ALBUMS,
16 GRAMMYS, SONG WRITERS HALL OF
FAME.
WHAT ARE YOU PROUDEST OF
PROFESSIONALLY?
>> NOT THE AWARDS.
I'LL SAY THAT NOW I'VE REACHED
THIS ADVANCED AGE.
THE MORE YOU GET YOUR EGO OUT OF
IT, THE CLEARER YOU THINK.
>> Reporter: IS THERE A TIME
WHEN YOUR EGO WAS IN IT MORE
THAN IT IS NOW?
>> YEAH.
YOU CAN'T HELP IT WHEN YOU'RE IN
A BUSINESS THAT REWARDS PEOPLE
WITH FAME.
FAME IS A TOXIC THING BECAUSE
IT'S ELUSIVE.
BUT IF YOU SAY, LIKE, IF I WAS
UP FOR A GRAMMY AND I'M SITTING
IN THE AUDIENCE, DO I REALLY
WANT TO WIN?
YEAH, I REALLY WANT TO WIN.
I REALLY WANT TO WIN.
♪ KODACHROME, GIVE US THOSE NICE
BRIGHT COLORS ♪
>> SO MANY GREAT SONGS.
WE DID TALK ABOUT THAT
RELATIONSHIP OR LACK THEREOF
WITH MR. GARFUNKEL.
HE SAID THEY HAVE NOT SPOKEN IN
SEVEN YEARS.
HE HEARD HE IS DOING JUST FINE.
GARFUNKEL IS TOURING FROM TIME
TO TIME.
IT WAS A FASCINATING
CONVERSATION.
I NEVER SPENT TIME WITH PAUL
SIMON.
YOU TALK TO HIM AND YOU'RE LIKE,
YOU'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE
SOUNDTRACK.
>> THAT'S ONE OF THE GREATEST
ROCK ALBUM EVER.
>> YOU KNOW WHAT THE NAME WAS
BEFORE SIMON AND GARFUNKEL?
>> TOM AND JERRY.
>> THAT WAS IMPRESSIVE.
WHEN ROKER MEETS MUSIC.
>> LOVE YOU.