The Boxer – English Lyrics

• By: Simon & Garfunkel

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the poignant narrative of Simon & Garfunkel's "The Boxer," a timeless folk-rock ballad that delves into themes of struggle, resilience, and the challenges of urban life. Learn how the song's autobiographical elements and unique recording techniques contribute to its powerful message, making it a compelling piece for understanding both American music and the human condition.

[English]

I am just a poor boy

Though my story's seldom told

I have squandered my resistance

For a pocketful of mumbles

Such are promises

All lies and jest

Still a man hears what he wants to hear

And disregards the rest

...

When I left my home and my family

I was no more than a boy

In the company of strangers

In the quiet of the railway station

Running scared

Laying low, seeking out the poorer quarters

Where the ragged people go

Looking for the places only they would know

Lie-la-lie

Lie-la-lie-lie-lie-lie-lie

Lie-la-lie

Lie-la-lie-lie-lie-lie-lie, lie-lie-lie-lie-lie

...

Asking only workman's wages, I come looking for a job

But I get no offers

Just a come-on from the whores on 7th Avenue

I do declare, there were times when I was so lonesome

I took some comfort there, la-la-la-la-la-la-la

...

Lie-la-lie

Lie-la-lie-lie-lie-lie-lie

Lie-la-lie

Lie-la-lie-lie-lie-lie-lie, lie-lie-lie-lie-lie

...

Then I'm laying out my winter clothes

And wishing I was gone, going home

Where the New York City winters aren't bleeding me

Leading me, going home

...

In the clearing stands a boxer

And a fighter by his trade

And he carries the reminders

Of every glove that laid him down

Or cut him till he cried out

In his anger and his shame

"I am leaving, I am leaving"

But the fighter still remains

...

Lie-la-lie

Lie-la-lie-lie-lie-lie-lie

Lie-la-lie

Lie-la-lie-lie-lie-lie-lie, lie-lie-lie-lie-lie

Lie-la-lie-lie-lie-lie-lie

Lie-la-lie

Lie-la-lie-lie-lie-lie-lie, lie-lie-lie-lie-lie

Lie-la-lie-lie-lie-lie-lie

Lie-la-lie

Lie-la-lie-lie-lie-lie-lie, lie-lie-lie-lie-lie

...

Lie-la-lie-lie-lie-lie-lie

Lie-la-lie

Lie-la-lie-lie-lie-lie-lie, lie-lie-lie-lie-lie

Lie-la-lie-lie-lie-lie-lie

Lie-la-lie

Lie-la-lie-lie-lie-lie-lie, lie-lie-lie-lie-lie

Lie-la-lie-lie-lie-lie-lie

Lie-la-lie

Lie-la-lie-lie-lie-lie-lie, lie-lie-lie-lie-lie

Lie-la-lie-lie-lie-lie-lie

Lie-la-lie

Lie-la-lie-lie-lie-lie-lie, lie-lie-lie-lie-lie

Lie-la-lie-lie-lie-lie-lie

Lie-la-lie

Lie-la-lie-lie-lie-lie-lie, lie-lie-lie-lie-lie

...

I love you

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
boy /bɔɪ/ A1	noun - a male child or young man
story /ˈstɔːri/ A1	noun - an account of past events in someone's life
man /mæn/ A1	noun - an adult male human
home /həʊm/ A1	noun - the place where one lives adverb - to or at the place where one lives
family /ˈfæməli/ A1	noun - a group of people who are related to each other, such as a mother, a father, and their children
running /ˈrʌnɪŋ/ A1	verb - moving quickly on foot
scared /skɛːrd/ A1	adjective - feeling or showing fear
people /ˈpiːpl/ A1	noun - human beings in general or considered collectively
job /dʒɒb/ A1	noun - a task or piece of work, especially one that is paid
times /taɪmz/ A2	noun - a point or period in time
winter /ˈwɪntər/ A2	noun - the coldest season of the year
clothes /kləʊðz/ A2	noun - items worn to cover the body
boxer /ˈbɒksər/ B1	noun - a person who fights in a boxing match
fighter /ˈfaɪtər/ B1	noun - a person who fights
trade /treɪd/ B1	noun - a skilled job, typically one that involves manual work and is done for money
reminders /rɪˈmaɪndərz/ B2	noun - things that cause you to remember something
anger /ˈæŋɡər/ B2	noun - a strong feeling of annoyance, displeasure, or hostility.
shame /ʃeɪm/ B2	noun - the painful feeling of humiliation or distress caused by the consciousness of wrong or foolish behavior.

Key Grammar Structures

• I am just a poor boy

  ➔ Present Simple Tense

  ➔ The verb 'am' is in the present simple tense, used to describe a permanent or habitual state.

• I have squandered my resistance

  ➔ Present Perfect Tense

  ➔ The verb 'have squandered' is in the present perfect tense, indicating an action that occurred in the past with results relevant to the present.

• Such are promises

  ➔ Present Simple Tense with Subject-Verb Inversion

  ➔ The sentence uses subject-verb inversion for emphasis, placing 'are' before 'promises'.

• Still a man hears what he wants to hear

  ➔ Present Simple Tense with Adverb

  ➔ The adverb 'still' modifies the verb 'hears', emphasizing continuity.

• When I left my home and my family

  ➔ Past Simple Tense with Compound Subject

  ➔ The compound subject 'my home and my family' is linked by 'and', with the verb 'left' in the past simple tense.

• In the company of strangers

  ➔ Prepositional Phrase

  ➔ The prepositional phrase 'in the company of' describes the circumstance of the action.

• I do declare, there were times when I was so lonesome

  ➔ Emphatic Do + Past Simple Tense with Subordinate Clause

  ➔ The emphatic 'do' is used for emphasis, followed by the past simple tense and a subordinate clause introduced by 'when'.

• But the fighter still remains

  ➔ Present Simple Tense with Contrastive Conjunction

  ➔ The contrastive conjunction 'but' is used to show contrast, followed by the present simple tense 'remains'.