Leaves That Are Green – Simon & Garfunkel
There’s something quietly haunting about the way Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel capture the passage of time. In “Leaves That Are Green,” from their 1966 album Sounds of Silence, the duo turned something as simple as falling leaves into a reflection on growing older, love fading, and life’s unrelenting march forward.
The song opens with the gentle strum of an acoustic guitar, crisp and bright — almost deceivingly cheerful. But beneath that sunny melody lies a bittersweet truth: “And the leaves that are green turn to brown / And they wither with the wind / And they crumble in your hand.” It’s a reminder that beauty, love, and even youth are fleeting. Yet rather than sinking into despair, Simon & Garfunkel sing it with a tender acceptance, as if to say: this is the way of things.
For those of us who grew up with their harmonies echoing through simpler days — when music meant vinyl crackle, long drives, and quiet reflection — this song feels like opening an old photograph album. You hear it now and it doesn’t just sound like the 1960s; it feels like life itself, moving softly through seasons.
Simon wrote “Leaves That Are Green” when he was just in his early twenties, yet the lyrics carry the wisdom of someone decades older. Lines like “Time hurries on / And the leaves that are green turn to brown” hold a calm resignation we only begin to understand with age. It’s a song that speaks to anyone who has watched love fade, who’s noticed their reflection change, or who’s ever thought, “Where did the time go?”
At its heart, this track is both elegy and celebration — mourning what’s gone while cherishing what still blooms. It’s the kind of song that reminds you to look around while the leaves are still green, to hold onto the people and moments that make life feel alive.
Quick Facts:
- Released: 1966 on Sounds of Silence
- Written by: Paul Simon
- Notable themes: Time, impermanence, love, and aging
- Fun note: The song originally appeared on Simon’s 1965 solo album The Paul Simon Songbook before being re-recorded with Garfunkel’s harmonies for the duo’s release.
- Legacy: A quiet favorite among longtime fans — its melody still drifts through autumn playlists every year, reminding us that beauty is often brief, and that’s what makes it precious.
