CroftD1 April 16th, 2006 09:16AM  
Paul Simon often represented the 'poor working class' in his songs. If any one knowns the story of NYC where Paul Simon grew up, one can tell exactly the setting and background of the song. During the huge emigration movement from Europe(Ellis Island ring a bell?) There were boat loads of people daily entering New York City. Also there were a lot of people moving from the rural areas to the big cities. The problem was there weren't enough jobs to go around. Employers could pay what they wanted, you didn't have a choice and the work coditions were horrible. It is about a young man who left his home to move to the city, struggling to make a living and suffering from loneliness almost gives up on his dream. It is a common misconseption that the young man is the boxer but he isn't. He looks at the boxer and admires him for the his persistance and endurance and how he draws stength from his passed fights. He uses this to inspire himself to get back up and fight. Paul didn't not intentionally write this about himself but says during recording he came to the realization it truly was autobiographical.

Pamlico_140 July 9th, 2009 05:40PM  
The Boxer is a classic Rock song that portrays it's moral and meaning through two examples- A Poor boy entering New York City, and seeking work, he cannot get himself out of poverty but keeps trying. The second is A boxer, who has great presistance. These are symbols of the moral and message of The Boxer- which is to keep trying, not to give up. It also tells of how failure happens, even with effort, as the poor boy tried to find work but "got no offers". yet he kept trying.

belfiore August 28th, 2009 09:45AM  
I often wonder if the image of the "Boxer" is taken from a real life character. During the 60's an x-boxer, seemingly an alcoholic or "punch drunk" would hang out at the newsstand at the Roosevelt Ave. subway stop in Queens. Considering where Paul Simon lived he must have seen him late at night shadow boxing and talking to the newsstand operator.His face clearly showed the scars of boxing.

anonymous October 25th, 2009 10:46AM  
I know a chap who lived in Hornchurch in Essex (England) in the 60's the same time as Paul Simon, Kathy Chitty and a successful English boxer by the name of Billy Walker. They knew each other. He knows that Billy related to Paul how tough it was for him at a New York gym as part of his training, he was homesick, unloved (visiting prostitutes) how is it autobiographical PS is from New York?