Simon and Garfunkel – Cecilia

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  General Comment:Loving the saint and dog theories. Not convinced though, especially about the dog. I doubt Simon would advertise the fact that he makes love to his dog. No, to me the literal interpretation is best though it does pose a few questions. Simon is making love to Cecilia in his bedroom and suddenly feels the need to wash his face. What sort of sexual activity is he idulging in for heaven's sake???
  
  Ablutions finished Simon heads back to bed and, oh no, Cecilia is getting jiggy with someone else!! Not only that, it is in HIS BED! Is nothing sacred? We then find that Simon is a very forgiving person as presumably once the interloper has finished and left, Cecilia loves him again. Jubilation! Not sure I'd be quite so understanding at the thought of Cecilia's sloppy seconds but hey, this was written in the hippy era, easy come, easy go as it were.
  
  Alternately he could just be making love to his dog :-)

  Flag proggieon October 30, 2012   Link

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  Song Meaning:Oops - forgot one other thing: Paul is said to have a black lab named Cecilia. When asked about the song and its meaning, Art Garfunkel stated that the song "is probably about the dog."

  Flag TheOmegalopeon November 14, 2010   Link

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  General Comment:I'm with Ratchet:
  
  The song starts off with the present plea - he is begging for his dog to come back home. But ... you normally go looking for a dog; why is he begging a dog to come home? Well, why did she leave?
  
  The explanation is, "Making love in the afternoon (with someone) with Cecilia up in my bedroom (the dog is elsewhere in the room). I get up to wash my face, when I come back again someone's taken my place (dog has jumped up into the bed and he runs her out)." He runs her out, swats her, whatever, so she runs off.
  
  "Jubilation! She loves me again - I fall on the floor and I'm laughing" The dog has come back and still loves him. Didn't stay gone, didn't leave forever.
  
  Also, if you listen to the song there is the typical double-whistle of someone calling a dog. Okay - its not as flashy as saints and pagan worship, but I think its closer to the mark.

  Flag TheOmegalopeon November 14, 2010   Link

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  My Opinion:Paul had a dog (a black lab, I believe) named Cecilia. The song isn't about the dog, it's just a random story about a girl who they named after his dog. ;)

  Flag DixieJon February 09, 2009   Link

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  General Comment:my mother used to sing this to me, but instead of "making love" she would sing "making lunch" that made the face washing thing more understandable...i always imagined pb&j

  Flag CecilaDarlingon November 19, 2008   Link

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  General Comment:I'll preface this comment by saying my limitted knowledge of this song only comes from wikipedia but I read that his dog's name is cecilia and in the original redcord there were high pitched noises on this track that were out of the range of human hearing. I think its definitely possible that this song could be about multiple 'cecilia's' A hooker, someone who cheated on him, the st of music, and even his dog.

  Flag austinwoodon November 04, 2008   Link

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  General Comment:I don't like this song musically as much as I used to, but I still wonder this: Why, in the middle of making love, would you excuse yourself, get out of bed, and go wash your face? Did he just finish going down on her? Is he OCD? Does he sweat too much? What is going on with that???

  Flag law4on April 03, 2008   Link

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  General Comment:Ok guys, this is a little different, but I heard from a reliable source that this song is about a dog named Cecilia. The beat of the song was just the band sitting around the coffee table in the living room banging there hands or whatever else...and they just started making up lyrics as the dog cecilia walked into the living room.
  
  So think about it. Cecilia, begging you to come home. Breaking their confidence because he cant train her. Making love in the afternoon WITH cecilia in my bedroom (the dog was chillin)...he gets up to wash his face and cecilia jumps in bed with the woman! (someones taken my place). The last verse the dog is obeying (she loves me again) and he falls on the floor laughing and playing with her.
  
  Scarily, it makes sense. what do you think?

  Flag ratchet24on January 12, 2008   Link

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  General Comment:I'm inclined to go for the St. Cecilia interpretation...it's the verse that clarifies it for me; I mean that kind of situation is completly unbelievable if it's taken literally...also the contrast between the two choruses kind of resembles how inspiration comes and goes...I really like this song, I don't know why they thought it was one of they're lesser works...

  Flag Jack1234on August 07, 2007   Link

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  General Comment:i also like that it's kind of a driven song... and the handclaps of course make it popular and also... sort of meaningful. sort of like jack and diane by mellencamp.

  Flag suckswhenon July 18, 2007   Link

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