Paul Simon Reflects on His Nearly Seven-Decade Career in New Doc Trailer
Paul Simon discusses his songwriting and legacy in the trailer for In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon, available exclusively at Rolling Stone.
“People used to say, ‘Oh, you have your finger on the pulse,'” the 82-year-old musician says in the clip. “No, I don’t have my finger on the pulse. I just have my finger out there …and the pulse is running under it.”
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The trailer shows Simon throughout his nearly seven-decade career, from his early songwriting days under his pseudonym Jerry Landis to his masterpiece Graceland and his most recent album Seven Psalms. He also addresses a certain duo he was a part of. “Artie, that was a good friendship,” he says of his Simon & Garfunkel era. “We thought we should express what our generation felt.”
Later, he adds: “What I’ve learned is that when you find a thing that produces a feeling of peace or joy, try and hold onto it. It’s like bliss. And that’s music for me.”
In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon will premiere on March 17 (part 1) and March 24 (Part 2) at 9 pm E.T. on MGM+. It’s directed by Alex Gibney, who previously helmed docs on Frank Sinatra, Hunter S. Thompson, James Brown, Ken Kesey, and many more, including Rolling Stone magazine.
Following the Restless Dreams premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival last September, Simon did a Q&A with Gibney, where he spoke about his recent hearing loss in his left ear. “Something happens to you when you have some sort of disability that changes your awareness or changes how you interact with life,” he told Gibney.
Simon previously confirmed his hearing loss in a Times interview back in May 2023. A month later, he sold a “substantial stake” of his Simon & Garfunkel royalties to BMG in a deal that reportedly closed in the eight figures. In 2021, he sold his publishing rights to Sony.
Simon wrapped his farewell tour in his hometown of Queens in September 2018. He’s performed sporadically since, including a headlining slot at Outside Lands Festival in 2019 and a surprise appearance at his own tribute set at the Newport Folk Festival in 2022.
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