On Rob Lowe’s “Literally” podcast with Malcolm Gladwell, Gladwell recounted this story about arguably his most famous and best song, and I’ve been thinking about it ever since I heard him tell it.

Simon explained to Gladwell that after he wrote that song he felt it was really special and he wanted it to be sung by somebody with a “pure” voice. So he gave it to his partner, Art Garfunkel, to perform. Soon after that, Simon and Garfunkel broke up, and, even though 50 years have passed since, Simon recalls with obvious pain, that along with his singing partner, in a sense, he’d lost maybe his greatest song “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” Which would, in his mind and in the mind of his listeners, always be Garfunkel’s song.

BTW, according to Simon, Art Garfunkel never has said “thank you” for this “gift.”