50 Ways to Leave Your Lover - wikipedia 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover `` 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover '' Single by Paul Simon and Peter, Paul, and Mary from the album Still Crazy After All These Years B - side `` Some Folks ' Lives Roll Easy '' Released December 1975 Format 7 '' Genre Soft rock folk rock Length 3 : 35 Label Columbia Songwriter ( s ) Paul Simon Peter Yarrow Noel Paul Stookey Mary Travers Producer ( s ) Paul Simon Phil Ramone Paul Simon and Peter, Paul, and Mary singles chronology `` Gone at Last '' ( 1975 ) `` 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover '' ( 1975 ) `` Still Crazy After All These Years '' ( 1976 ) `` 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover '' is a song by the American singer - songwriter Paul Simon featuring Peter, Paul, and Mary. It was the second single from his fourth studio album, Still Crazy After All These Years ( 1975 ), released on Columbia Records. Backing vocals on the single were performed by Patti Austin, Valerie Simpson, and Phoebe Snow. The song features a recognizable repeated drum riff performed by drummer Steve Gadd. One of his most popular singles, `` 50 Ways '' was released in December 1975 and began to see chart success within the new year. It became Simon 's sole number - one hit as a solo artist on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, and was his highest position in France, where it peaked at number two. Elsewhere, the song was a top 20 hit in Canada and New Zealand. The single was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America ( RIAA ), denoting sales of over one million copies. Contents 1 Creation 2 Charts and certifications 2.1 Weekly charts 2.2 Year - end charts 2.3 Certifications 3 Personnel 4 Covers, parodies, and other notable versions 5 See also 6 References 7 External links Creation Written after Simon 's divorce from first wife Peggy Harper, the song is a mistress 's humorous advice to a husband on ways to end a relationship. The song was recorded in a small New York City studio on Broadway. Charts and certifications `` 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover '' was Paul Simon 's biggest solo hit and broke in the US in late 1975. It hit number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 on February 7, 1976 ( his only number one on that chart as a solo act ), soaring from number ten the previous week, and remained there for three weeks ; it topped the adult contemporary chart for two weeks. Overseas, on the UK Singles Chart, the song reached number 23 in January 1976. It was certified gold on March 11, 1976, and remained a best seller for nearly five months. Billboard ranked it as the No. 8 song of 1976. Weekly charts Chart ( 1975 -- 76 ) Peak position Australia ( Kent Music Report ) 35 Canada ( RPM ) Top Singles 7 Canada Pop Music Playlist ( RPM ) France ( SNEP ) Germany ( Official German Charts ) 42 New Zealand ( Recorded Music NZ ) 18 UK Singles ( Official Charts Company ) 23 US Easy Listening ( Billboard ) US Billboard Hot 100 Year - end charts Chart ( 1976 ) Rank Canada 100 ( RPM ) 91 US Billboard Hot 100 8 US Billboard Easy Listening Certifications Region Certification Certified units / Sales United States ( RIAA ) Gold 1,000,000 sales figures based on certification alone shipments figures based on certification alone Personnel Paul Simon -- vocals, acoustic guitar John Tropea, Hugh McCracken -- electric guitars Patti Austin -- background vocals Phoebe Snow -- background vocals Ralph MacDonald -- tambourine, shaker Steve Gadd -- drums Tony Levin -- bass Valerie Simpson -- background vocals Kenny Ascher -- Hammond organ Covers, parodies, and other notable versions Dinah Shore performed the song on an episode of The Carol Burnett Show in the 70s The Jacksons performed a parody of the song in their TV show, involving humorous sketches that showcased the fifty ways to leave one 's lover, announcing them in a similar way to Simon 's lyrics, rhyming an activity with a man 's name. The Muppets covered the song when Paul Simon appeared on that show. When appearing, Simon himself did a parody on the title when saying that there must be `` 50 ways to love your lever. '' Eminem used a sample of the first verse of `` 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover '' in his song `` Murder, Murder ''. Brad Mehldau covered the song on the album Day is Done ( 2005 ). Sophie Milman covered the song on her 2009 album Take Love Easy Sage Francis used modified lyrics of `` 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover '' combined with his song `` Rewrite '' to make `` Rewrite / 50 Ways '' on his album `` Road Tested. '' Michel Delpech covered the song in French with the title `` Trente manières de quitter une fille ''. Kid Cudi sampled the song on his 2008 mix tape `` A Kid Named Cudi '' for `` 50 Ways To Make A Record ''. Miley Cyrus covered the song in her `` Backyard Sessions '' for her charitable `` Happy Hippie Foundation ''. Julia Louis - Dreyfus as Vice-President Selina Meyer sang a parody of this song called 50 Ways to Win In Denver in the hit HBO comedy `` Veep ''. Flight of the Conchords used `` 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover '' as an inspiration for `` Carol Brown ''. WABC - AM DJ Dan Ingram produced an edited version of the song that shuffled the names around and disrupted the rhyming couplets : the lyric `` Slip out the back, Jack '' was edited to be `` Slip out the back, Stan '', and so on. de : Gebrüder Blattschuss covered the song in German in 1977. Heike Makatsch ( german actress ) covered the song in 1999 for the movie Die Häupter meiner Lieben. Heather Small ( lead singer of M People ) covered the song on her 2006 album, Close to a Miracle. 50 Ways to Say Goodbye by Train was inspired by the song and was originally going to be titled `` 50 Ways to Kill Your Lover ''. 50 ways to love your liver by Oliver Koletzki feat. Jake the Rapper is another parody video playing with theme. See also Hot 100 number - one hits of 1976 References Jump up ^ Marc Eliot ( 2010 ), Paul Simon : A Life, John Wiley and Sons, p. 142, ISBN 978 - 0 - 470 - 43363 - 8 Jump up ^ Whitburn, Joel ( 2002 ). Top Adult Contemporary : 1961 - 2001. Record Research. p. 222. Jump up ^ Billboard Year - End Hot 100 singles of 1976 Jump up ^ Kent, David ( 1993 ). Australian Chart Book 1970 -- 1992. St Ives, NSW : Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0 - 646 - 11917 - 6. Jump up ^ `` RPM100 : Singles '' ( PDF ). RPM. Ottawa : Library and Archives Canada. 24 ( 21 ). February 21, 1976. Retrieved November 12, 2015. Jump up ^ `` The Programmers ' Pop Music Playlist '' ( PDF ). RPM. Ottawa : Library and Archives Canada. 24 ( 22 ). February 28, 1976. Retrieved November 12, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Lescharts.com -- Paul Simon -- 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover '' ( in French ). Les classement single. Retrieved November 12, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Musicline.de -- Paul Simon Single - Chartverfolgung '' ( in German ). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH. Retrieved November 12, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Charts.nz -- Paul Simon -- 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover ''. Top 40 Singles. Retrieved November 12, 2015. Jump up ^ Roberts, David ( 2006 ). British Hit Singles & Albums ( 19th ed. ). London : Guinness World Records Limited. p. 499. ISBN 1 - 904994 - 10 - 5. Jump up ^ `` Paul Simon - Chart history ''. Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved November 13, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Paul Simon Chart History ( Hot 100 ) ''. Billboard. Retrieved November 12, 2015. Jump up ^ `` RPM100 : Singles '' ( PDF ). RPM. Ottawa : Library and Archives Canada. 26 ( 14 -- 15 ). January 8, 1977. Retrieved November 12, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Pop Singles '' Billboard December 25, 1976 : Talent in Action - 6 Jump up ^ Top 50 Adult Contemporary Hits of 1976 Jump up ^ `` American single certifications -- Paul Simon -- 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover ''. Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved November 16, 2015. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH Jump up ^ http://aln2.albumlinernotes.com/Paul_Simon_Greatest_Hits.html Jump up ^ `` Train Frontman Reveals Original Gruesome Title of `` 50 Ways to Say Goodbye '' ``. September 27, 2012. Retrieved December 11, 2017. External links Paul Simon biography Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics Paul Simon songs Discography The Paul Simon Songbook `` I Am a Rock '' Paul Simon `` Mother and Child Reunion '' `` Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard '' `` Duncan '' There Goes Rhymin ' Simon `` Kodachrome '' `` Loves Me Like a Rock '' `` American Tune '' `` Take Me to the Mardi Gras '' Paul Simon in Concert : Live Rhymin ' `` The Sound of Silence '' Still Crazy After All These Years `` Gone at Last '' `` My Little Town '' `` 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover '' `` Still Crazy After All These Years '' Greatest Hits, Etc. `` Slip Slidin ' Away '' `` Stranded in a Limousine '' One - Trick Pony `` Late in the Evening '' `` One - Trick Pony '' `` Oh, Marion '' Hearts and Bones `` Allergies '' `` The Late Great Johnny Ace '' `` Think Too Much '' Graceland `` You Can Call Me Al '' `` Graceland '' `` The Boy in the Bubble '' `` Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes '' `` Under African Skies '' `` Homeless '' The Rhythm of the Saints `` The Obvious Child '' `` Proof '' `` Born at the Right Time '' You 're the One `` Old '' `` You 're the One '' Surprise `` Father and Daughter '' `` That 's Me '' `` Outrageous '' So Beautiful or So What `` Getting Ready for Christmas Day '' `` The Afterlife '' Stranger to Stranger `` Wristband '' `` Cool Papa Bell '' `` The Werewolf '' Featured singles `` Wonderful World '' `` The Blues '' `` The Boxer '' `` New York Is My Home '' Other songs `` Something So Right '' `` St. Judy 's Comet '' `` Rene and Georgette Magritte with Their Dog after the War '' `` Thelma '' Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=50_Ways_to_Leave_Your_Lover&oldid=856779516 '' Categories : 1975 singles Paul Simon songs Billboard Hot 100 number - one singles Billboard Adult Contemporary number - one singles List songs Songs written by Paul Simon Song recordings produced by Paul Simon Song recordings produced by Phil Ramone 1975 songs Columbia Records singles Hidden categories : Articles with hAudio microformats Singlechart usages for France Singlechart making named ref Singlechart usages for Germany Singlechart called without song Singlechart usages for New Zealand Singlechart usages for Billboardhot100 Certification Table Entry usages for United States Talk Contents About Wikipedia Français Italiano Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Norsk nynorsk Svenska Edit links This page was last edited on 27 August 2018, at 13 : 45 ( UTC ). 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Question: who wrote 50 ways to leave your lover
Answer: Paul Simon