"Punky's Dilemma" is a song by American music duo Simon & Garfunkel from their fourth studio album, Bookends (1968).
| "Punky's Dilemma" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Simon & Garfunkel | |
| from the album Bookends | |
| Recorded | October 5, 1967 |
| Studio | Columbia Studio A (New York City) |
| Genre | Folk rock |
| Length | 2:10 |
| Label | Columbia |
| Songwriter(s) | Paul Simon |
| Producer(s) | Paul Simon , Art Garfunkel, John Simon (record producer) |
"Punky's Dilemma" was one of two songs (the other being "Overs") that Paul Simon offered to director Mike Nichols for his film The Graduate.[1] Nichols was not particularly taken with either, which led to Simon writing "Mrs. Robinson".[1]
The song was partially worked on by John Simon,[2] who was hired to "kick-start" the recording when Paul Simon had writer's block.[3] Morgan Ames, writer for High Fidelity magazine, attended a recording session during which "Punky's Dilemma" was being constructed, in October 1967.[2] The team spent over 50 studio hours recording "Punky's Dilemma," re-recording vocal parts, sometimes note by note, until they were satisfied.[4]
"Punky’s Dilemma" is breezy and minimal musically, with a soft jazz-style percussion and seemingly improvised guitar lines dominated by seventh chords.[5] As rock critic Robert Christgau wrote, the song "seems the essence of lightheartedness on casual hearing but is really a poignant and ironic presentation of a young man's military alternatives: resisting or playing along with the draft."[6]
Simon & Garfunkel | |
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| Studio albums | |
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| Box sets |
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| Discographies |
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| Other |
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Simon & Garfunkel singles | |
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| Sounds of Silence |
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| Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme |
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| Bookends |
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| Bridge over Troubled Water |
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| Other singles |
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| Other songs | |
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| Authority control |
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