I Am a Rock (Simon and Garfunkel)

8 JULY 1966


'I Am a Rock' by Simon and Garfunkel was another song that - much like 'The Sound of Silence' - enjoyed success after being rerecorded from its earlier acoustic incarnation. It had originally appeared on 1965's commercially-unsuccessful album 'Paul Simon Songbook', but received the electric treatment in the wake of the unexpected success of 'The Sound of Silence' in late 1965. Another similarity between the songs is the theme of alienation.

Something of a folk-rock classic, it climbed to #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in June (their third top 5 hit there so far in '66), and peaked at #17 in the UK during this week. The duo had come far since separating after failure during the previous year.

B-side: 'Flowers Never Bend With The Rainfall'
Released: May 1966 (first released on LP, 17 January 1966)
Recorded: 14 December 1965
Highest chart position: #17 (UK), #3 (US)
Length: 2:52
Label: Columbia
Writer: Paul Simon
Producer: Bob Johnston

I Am a Rock (Simon and Garfunkel)