The Only Living Boy in New York - wikipedia The Only Living Boy in New York For the film of the same name, see The Only Living Boy in New York ( film ). `` The Only Living Boy in New York '' Song by Simon and Garfunkel from the album Bridge over Troubled Water Released January 26, 1970 Recorded November 1969 Genre Folk rock Length 3 : 59 Label Columbia Records Songwriter ( s ) Paul Simon Producer ( s ) Paul Simon Art Garfunkel Roy Halee `` The Only Living Boy in New York '' is a song written by Paul Simon and performed by Simon & Garfunkel. It is the eighth track from the American pop duo 's fifth and final studio album, Bridge over Troubled Water. The song was also issued as the B - side to the duo 's `` Cecilia '' single. Contents 1 Background 2 Personnel 3 Covers 4 Use in film 5 Use in other media 6 References Background Simon wrote this as a thinly veiled message to Art Garfunkel, referencing a specific incident where Garfunkel went to Mexico to act in the film Catch - 22. Simon was left alone in New York writing songs for Bridge over Troubled Water, hence the lonely feelings of `` The Only Living Boy in New York. '' Simon refers to Garfunkel in the song as `` Tom '', alluding to their early days when they were called Tom and Jerry, and encourages him to `` let your honesty shine... like it shines on me ''. The background vocals feature both Garfunkel and Simon recorded together in an echo chamber, multi-tracked around eight times. Personnel Paul Simon -- lead vocals, background vocals, acoustic guitar Art Garfunkel -- backup and harmony vocals Joe Osborn -- bass guitar Larry Knechtel -- Hammond organ Fred Carter, Jr. -- acoustic guitar Hal Blaine -- drums, triangle Covers The reggae hit `` Weather Report '', by The Tennors, was adapted from this song. A cover of the song was played by Everything but the Girl on their album Home Movies ; video directed by Hal Hartley. Everything but the Girl 's version was a Top 50 single in the UK in 1993. This song was covered by The Coolies on their 1986 album dig... ?, along with eight other tongue - in - cheek covers of Simon & Garfunkel classics. The 1990s British indie band Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine parodied the title of the song for their biggest - selling single, `` The Only Living Boy in New Cross ''. ( New Cross is an area of south - east London ). Black 47 frontman Larry Kirwan covered the song on his 2001 solo project Kilroy Was Here. Marc Cohn released a cover version as part of his 2010 album of tribute songs, Listening Booth : 1970. Passenger, The Once and Stu Larsen covered the song as part of their American Tour series. Kishi Bashi covered the song as one of two singles released July 12, 2017 exclusively on Spotify, both songs having been recorded in the company 's NYC studios in early April of the same year Use in film Everything but the Girl 's cover was featured in the 2002 film Tadpole The original recording is featured as part of the soundtrack for the 2004 film Garden State Used as part of the soundtrack of the 2009 film New York, I Love You. Honda has used sections of this song for their television commercials of the 2011 Accord. The original recording is featured during the final scenes of the second season finale of Alphas. The original recording is used in the credits of the film Koch The original recording was used in the first season finale of BBC3 's comedy Uncle. Used in the final scene of the HBO film version of Larry Kramer 's The Normal Heart ( 2014 ). Used in the film witte the same name : The only living boy in New York ( 2017 ). Use in other media David Gallaher and Steve Ellis used the song as inspiration for their 2009 `` The Only Living Boy '' webcomic series. Saturday Night Live, May 13, 2017 in comedy sketch with Melissa McCarthy as Sean Spicer and Alec Baldwin as Donald Trump. References Jump up ^ `` The Words and Music of Paul Simon '', James Bennighof, p. 48, Greenwood Publishing Group, 2007, ISBN 0 - 275 - 99163 - 6 Jump up ^ Swenson, John. Simon and Garfunkel - A Musical Biography. ( 1984 ) Jump up ^ Charlesworth, C. ( 1997 ). The Complete Guide to the Music of Paul Simon and Simon & Garfunkel. Omnibus Press. p. 52. ISBN 0 - 7119 - 5597 - 2. Simon & Garfunkel Paul Simon Art Garfunkel Studio albums Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. Sounds of Silence Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme Bookends Bridge over Troubled Water Live albums The Concert in Central Park Live from New York City, 1967 Old Friends : Live on Stage Live 1969 Compilation albums Simon and Garfunkel 's Greatest Hits Collected Works The Simon and Garfunkel Collection 20 Greatest Hits The Definitive Simon and Garfunkel Old Friends The Best of Simon and Garfunkel Two Can Dream Alone Tales from New York : The Very Best of Simon & Garfunkel The Columbia Studio Recordings ( 1964 -- 1970 ) Tom & Jerry The Essential Simon & Garfunkel The Collection : Simon & Garfunkel Simon & Garfunkel : The Complete Albums Collection Soundtrack albums The Graduate Videos The Concert in Central Park Old Friends : Live on Stage Discographies Simon & Garfunkel Art Garfunkel Paul Simon Other Songs recorded Paul Simon solo albums Paul Simon songs Art Garfunkel solo albums Bridge over Troubled Water ( Paul Desmond album ) Book Category Simon & Garfunkel singles Discography List of songs recorded Sounds of Silence `` The Sound of Silence '' / `` We 've Got A Groovey Thing Goin ' '' `` I Am a Rock '' / `` Flowers Never Bend With The Rainfall '' Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme `` Homeward Bound '' / `` Leaves That Are Green '' `` The Dangling Conversation '' / `` The Big Bright Green Pleasure Machine '' `` Scarborough Fair / Canticle '' / `` April Come She Will '' Bookends `` A Hazy Shade of Winter '' / `` For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her '' `` At the Zoo '' / `` The 59th Street Bridge Song ( Feelin ' Groovy ) '' `` Fakin ' It '' / `` You Do n't Know Where Your Interest Lies '' `` Mrs. Robinson '' / `` Old Friends '' / `` Bookends '' Bridge over Troubled Water `` The Boxer '' / `` Baby Driver '' `` Bridge over Troubled Water '' / `` Keep the Customer Satisfied '' `` Cecilia '' / `` The Only Living Boy in New York '' `` El Cóndor Pasa ( If I Could ) '' / `` Why Do n't You Write Me '' Other singles Hey Schoolgirl Our Song This is my Song Surrender, Please Surrender I 'm Lonesome `` America '' `` My Little Town '' `` Wake Up Little Susie '' Other songs `` Richard Cory '' `` Patterns '' `` A Simple Desultory Philippic ( or How I Was Robert McNamara 'd into Submission ) '' `` 7 O'Clock News / Silent Night '' `` Save the Life of My Child '' `` Overs '' `` Punky 's Dilemma '' `` So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright '' Category Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Only_Living_Boy_in_New_York&oldid=799907827 '' Categories : Simon & Garfunkel songs Songs about New York City Songs written by Paul Simon 1969 songs Song recordings produced by Roy Halee Song recordings produced by Paul Simon Song recordings produced by Art Garfunkel Hidden categories : Articles with hAudio microformats Talk Contents About Wikipedia Français Bahasa Indonesia 日本 語 Edit links This page was last edited on 10 September 2017, at 14 : 57. 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Question: who sang the only living boy in new york
Answer: Simon & Garfunkel