50 Ways to Leave Your Lover

Infobox Single
Name = 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover


Cover size =
Caption =
Artist = Paul Simon
from Album = Still Crazy After All These Years
A-side =
B-side =
Released = 1975
Format =
Recorded =
Genre =
Length = 3:35
Label = Columbia Records
Writer = Paul Simon
Producer =
Certification =
Chart position = * #1 (US)
* #24 (UK)
Last single = "Gone at Last" / "Tenderness" (1975)
This single = "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" / "Some Folks' Lives Roll Easy" (1975)
Next single = "Still Crazy After All These Years" / "I Do It For Your Love" (1976)
Misc ="50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" is a 1975 hit song by Paul Simon, from his album "Still Crazy After All These Years". Backing vocals on the single were performed by Patti Austin, Valerie Simpson and Phoebe Snow.

Creation

It was written after Simon's divorce from first wife Peggy Harper and takes a humorous look at ways to end a relationship: "Just slip out the back, Jack / Make a new plan, Stan". Studio drummer Steve Gadd created the unique drum beat that became the hook and colour for the song consisting of an almost military beat. The song was recorded in a small New York City studio in the heart of Broadway.

Cover Versions

The song has been covered several times, including the translations "30 manieres de quitter une fille" by the French singer Michel Delpech and "50 Tips ihn zu verlassen" by the German singer and actress Ulla Meinecke. On July 12, 2006, the Montreal International Jazz Festival played a" Tribute to Paul Simon" and the song was covered by Jamie Cullum while the Platinum Pied Pipers made a Latin reworking of it. Hedy McDonald, Sandra Bernhard and the King's Singers also created their own versions as did British house music producer Trevor Jackson as Playgroup. The trance music group Plummet covered this song and released it in 2005.

It was included on Rosemary Clooney's 1977 album, "Nice to Be Around," released by United Artists Records.

The beat of this song was used in Eminem's "Murder, Murder" featuring Tupac Shakur. It appeared on the "Next Friday" soundtrack in 2000.

DJ Quik, interpolated elements from the song on his song "50 Ways" on the album "Under tha Influence".

Sage Francis, an independent rap artist, covered the song and renamed it "Rewrite". The original version is featured on the album "Sick of Waiting Tables". The Shannon McNally EP "Bolder Than Paradise" has a version called "50 ways".

Hip-Hop poet Eligh (Living Legends) sampled the song in his own song "Born to Pay for the Past" on his album "Poltergeist" (2002).

The Electric Mayhem of "The Muppet Show" did a cover where Rowlf the dog asked Sgt. Floyd Pepper if he was sure it wasn't "50 Ways to Love Your Leaver" on the "Jackson Variety" show in 1977.

The song was referenced in "I Can't Touch You Anymore" by The Magnetic Fields, in which the singer asserts "you wanna tell me 50 ways you've left your lovers".

This song, along with several others, is referenced in "Plus Ones" by Okkervil River: "The 51st way to leave your lover, admittedly, doesn't seem to be as gentle or as clean as all the others, leaving its scars."

It is also referenced in "The Bombmaker" by Matthew Good: "There are fifty ways to leave your lover, but there isn't one that will ever bring them back again".

There is also a popularFact|date=May 2007 mash-up version by DJ Topcat of the song entitled, "50 Ways To Kill Your Lover." The track, which features Simon's backing track and chorus, is mixed in with the Morcheeba and Slick Rick compilation, "Women Lose Weight."

Glam metal band Trixter made two separate versions of this song on their 1994 album "Undercovers".

Heather Small made a cover on her 2006 album "Close to a Miracle".

Filipino rock band Bamboo also made a cover of this song on their 2007 album "We Stand Alone Together".

In recent concerts, the song has been performed by Five for Fighting.

Kanye West chose to sample "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" when producing "Forever Begins" on the 2007 album "Finding Forever" by Common.

The song "Paper Aeroplane" by Angus and Julia Stone uses a similar drum beat, probably inspired by Paul Simon's original.

Will.i.am used sampled elements from this song in "S.O.S. (Mother Nature)".

Jazz pianist Brad Mehldau performed a cover of this song on his 2005 album "Day is Done".

Chart Positions

"50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" broke in the US in late December 1975 becoming number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 on February 7, 1976, and remaining there for three weeks. It was certified gold on March 11, 1976, and remained a best-seller for nearly five months. The song also topped the adult contemporary chart for two weeks. It remains Simon's biggest ever solo hit.

On the UK Singles Chart, the song reached position number 23 in January 1976.

ee also

* Hot 100 number-one hits of 1976 (United States)
* [http://www.themorningnews.org/archives/how_to/the_nonexpert_50_ways_to_leave_your_lover.php The 45 missing ways to leave your lover]
* [http://www.drummerworld.com/Drumclinic/stevegadd50ways.html Steve Gadd - video of him playing the drum part]