Now the music of I Am a Rock is fineits more on the Beatles-esque side of Simon and Garfunkels work, and is emotionally quite effective. It is no accident, Peter and Pierre say, that our social conditions and heart-habits make us ever-more like the unbelievably isolated individuals of the state of nature. Our Peter Lawler, and Pierre Manent even more so, have suggested that the most vital root of this spreading psycho-sociological condition is found in modern political philosophy, in the word-weaponary of Hobbes and Locke most of all. It is less of a psychological condition than a sociological one: Individualism is of democratic origin, and it threatens to spread as conditions become equal. ![]() ![]() But the withdrawing individualism that Tocqueville describes is far more rationally calculated, and far more focused upon convenience than upon fear. Arguably, he is presented as a sort of a polar opposite to the healthy vulnerable sensitive type, the type open to the ministrations of therapeutic psychology and the charms of gentle singer-songwriters. The song closes with the individualist narrator plaintively saying, And a rock feels no pain, and an island never cries, and earlier, he obsessively spoke of Hiding in my room, safe within my womb, I touch no-one and no-one touches me. The withdrawing individualism criticized by I Am a Rock seems generated primarily by fear of being exposed or hurt, and it approaches pathological dimensions. It tends to ultimately encourage egoism (aka selfishness) which Tocqueville says is a vice as old as the world, but it is not the same thing. It is thus most like the withdrawing type of individualism mentioned above, albeit not hostile to friendship as such and not necessarily driven by a self-centered or egoistic motive. Tocqueville precisely defines individualism as the tendency to confine ones affections and concerns to a narrow circle of immediate family and friends. So the possibilities for confusion are many. The term is also used to describe ones stance towards issues of political economy, whether in a negative sense by progressives, or in a positive one by libertarians. They might apply the label individualism to any or several of these. For example, while most modern persons speak disapprovingly of self-centered individualism, including the withdrawing type witnessed in the film About a Boy or described in the Simon and Garfunkel song I Am a Rock, they talk up the idea of creative individuality, and the dogma of everyones right to individual liberty. Tocquevilles concept of individualism is one of his most helpful, but often gets misunderstood due to our pre-existing usages of the term. And a rock can feel no pain, and an island never cries.Before beginning, Ill note that Joe Carter is soliciting donations to the FT website please consider giving to what I obviously think is a fine internet crossroads of content. I have my books, and my poetry to protect me, I am shielded in my armor, hiding in my room, safe within my womb, I touch no one and no one touches me. ![]() I won't disturb the slumber of feelings that have died, if I never loved, I never would have cried. I have no need for friendship, friendship causes pain, it's laughter and it's loving I disdain.ĭon't talk of love, well I've heard the word before It's sleeping in my memory. I built walls, a fortress steep and mighty, that none may penetrate. An "I Am a Rock" extended play also exists, featuring "Flowers Never Bend with the Rainfall", " The Sound of Silence", and " Blessed".Īn alternate recording of the song was featured as a bonus track on its original album as part of the box set Paul Simon: Collected Works in 1981.Ī winter's day, in a deep and dark December, I am alone, gazing from my window, to the streets below, on a freshly fallen silent shroud of snow. Simon & Garfunkel recorded the song together for their album Sounds of Silence when they got back together in 1965, and this version was released as a single in 1966, backed with " Flowers Never Bend with the Rainfall", reaching #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was released as the only single from that album, backed with " Leaves That Are Green". ![]() " I Am a Rock" is a song by Simon & Garfunkel which was originally written and recorded by Paul Simon for his solo début The Paul Simon Songbook.
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