The Boxer (Simon & Garfunkel) - Lyrics Translation

A masterpiece that hardly needs translating now. Released as a single on March 21, 1969, when I was near the end of my second year of elementary school. It was also included as the first track on side B of their effectively final album, "Bridge over Troubled Water," released on January 26, 1970. The album was released in Japan on April 21 of that same year, titled "Bridge over Troubled Water." I was in the fourth grade of elementary school. That was a long time ago.

The Boxer - Lyrics Translation

"The Boxer" from Simon & Garfunkel's fifth & final studio album Bridge over Troubled Water - Lyrics Translation

Well then, with a bit of liberal translation.

The Boxer, written by Paul Simon, released on March 21, 1969, later included on Simon & Garfunkel's fifth & final studio album Bridge over Troubled Water released on January 26, 1970 🎶

Original English lyrics https://genius.com/Simon-and-garfunkel-the-boxer-lyrics

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,
And that's how it is,

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... (Lies, lies, lies)

Asking only workman's wages,
I come looking for a job, but I get no offers,
Just a come-on from the whores on Seventh 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... (Lies, lies, lies)

Now the years are rolling by me, they are rocking evenly,
I am older than I once was and younger than I'll be,
That's not my story,
I'm going home,
To the place where I was born.

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... (Lies, lies, lies)

…………………………………

Translation Notes (etc.):
*1 promises means "promises." Here, based on the context, it is translated as "empty promises" or "verbal promises."

*2, *4 Still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest .. This reminds me of that song. "People talking without speaking, people hearing without listening" .. "The Sound of Silence"

*3 This reminds me of this song. A song that the two sang together for only one track after Simon & Garfunkel broke up, and which was included on each of their respective albums.

Paul Simon included it on "Still Crazy After All These Years," released in 1975.

*4 Railway station .. speaking of which, "I'm sittin' in the railway station" 🎶

*5 Runnin' scared .. the meaning of "run scared" is to be nervous or fearful.

*6 I think it used to be translated as "lie-la-lie, lie-la-lie" in the past. I'm pretty sure that's how it was in the lyric sheet that came with the LP "Bridge Over Troubled Water" that was at our house in the countryside when I was a kid (my brother, who was three years older and became a professional musician, bought it later). (I can't say for sure since I don't have it on hand, but I'm fairly certain that was it; I have a very strong memory of just that "lie-la-lie, lie-la-lie" part). However, in reality, Paul Simon himself said, "That doesn't mean anything."

In other words, it's just for harmonizing in the chorus. But it sounds meaningful, and since it's a "nostalgic translation," I just inserted it in parentheses!

*7 There's also a song like this.

When I listen to this song, it reminds me of that one too.

*8 New York's "whores on Seventh Avenue" reminds me of the "whores of Saint-Denis" in Paris. Though I wasn't "plagued by loneliness" and "comforted by them" (laughs).

*9 I do declare, there were times when I was so lonesome, I took some comfort there, la la la la la la la.. "I must declare, when I was plagued by loneliness, I found comfort with them, la la la la la la la"

It reminds me of this song. "Just later on the very same night, when I crept to her tent with a flashlight, and my long years of innocence ended.. Well, she took me to the woods, saying here comes something and it feels so good, and "just like a dog, I was befriended, I was befriended." ("Oh, oh, what a night, oh what a garden of delight, even now that sweet memory lingers.. I was playing my guitar lying underneath the stars, just thanking the Lord for my fingers, for my fingers..")

*10 Where the New York City winters aren't bleeding me .. As a transitive verb, "bleed" means "to shed (blood)" or "to release (things or money)," and colloquially, "to fleece or extort (money, etc.) from someone."

*11 a fighter by his trade .. "by trade" means "as one's profession" or "by virtue of one's occupation."

Well then.

About the original English lyrics

If you are going to attempt and publish a Japanese translation of the lyrics of a foreign song (whether on note or another site), it is better to include the original lyrics if possible. It is clearly easier to understand that way. However, unfortunately, that (publishing the entire original lyrics) is impossible.

English lyrics, that is, the original lyrics of songs sung in English here. Regarding the circumstances surrounding the publication of those (in their entirety), please see the chapter "About the original English lyrics" two chapters after the "Introduction" in the following note.

Well, well 🎶

Including the "lost lyrics" ~ The Boxer Japanese lyric translation

Although it was omitted in the studio recording version (single, album),

Now the years are rolling by me
They are rockin' evenly
Now I'm older than I once was
And younger than I'll be, that's not unusual
Nor is it strange
After changes upon changes
We are more or less the same
After changes, we are more or less the same

Actually, this part has been sung in live performances for a long time.

Original English lyrics https://genius.com/Simon-and-garfunkel-the-boxer-live-lyrics

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, that's how it is

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
Yes, I was looking for a place only they would know

Lie-la-lie ..

I went looking for work, seeking a workman's wage, but no one would call me
The only ones who called out were the whores on 7th Avenue
I'll be honest, when I was overcome with loneliness
They comforted me, la-la-la-la-la-la

Now, the days are circling around me
Time sways in a regular rhythm
I am older than I was before
But younger than my future self, that's a common thing
There's nothing strange about it
Even after change upon change
We are mostly the same
Even if much seems to have changed, we are ultimately the same

Lie-la-lie ..

I spread out my winter clothes and wanted to disappear from here
I wanted to go back to the countryside
To a place where the cold like a New York winter wouldn't torment me
I feel like I'm being led
To go back to the countryside

A boxer standing in a vacant lot
His job is to fight
And he carries something that reminds him of things
In other words, the gloves that beat him down
The gloves cut him until he cries out in anger and shame
Saying, 'I'm leaving this place, I'm leaving'.. but he still remains to fight

Lie-la-lie ..

Appendix

All lies and jest, still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest .. Lie-la-lie, lie-la-lie-la, lie-la-lie

lie becomes Israeli, no, Israelie (LOL)

A lie is the beginning of a thief. A lie is the beginning of Israel. There are countless examples of this on the streets, but that is not the main topic for today.

The Palestine issue is an "Israel" issue.

Well then.

The theory of a "dig" at Bob Dylan

Regardless, Bob Dylan is an idiot. An i-di-ot.

Well now,

Speaking of the "Bible",

this is also one of the songs written by Paul Simon that relates to Christianity or the Bible.

Although it's after the appendix, I'm a bit dissatisfied with Paul Simon's "current state" (however, I am grateful for the way he has colored my life, which has already passed its 60th year, in various ways).

For details, see the second to last chapter below I'm a bit dissatisfied with Paul Simon's "current state" - however, I am grateful for the way he has colored my life, which has already passed its 60th year, in various ways.

Well then.

Included on the album "Bridge over Troubled Water"

Speaking of "Bridge over Troubled Water," I sang that title track with my wife 37 years ago!

Linking this forcibly.

That's forceful. Goin' my way, my own forceful way.

Paul Simon songs, lyrics translations and album reviews - 25 lyrics translations note link collection

A note that will continue to increase and update lyrics translations (posted on October 13, 2021, and updated periodically thereafter), today as of June 25, 2025, it is a collection of 25 lyrics translations.