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| - For other uses of %22The Boxer%22 see Boxer (disambiguation)%22The Boxer%22 is a song by the American music duo Simon & Garfunkel from their fifth studio album, Bridge over Troubled Water (1970). Produced by the duo themselves and Roy Halee, it was released as the lead single from the album on March 21, 1969. The song, written by Paul Simon, is a folk rock ballad that variously takes the form of a first-person lament as well as a third-person sketch of a boxer. Simon's lyrics are largely autobiographical, partially inspired by the Bible, and were written during a time when he felt he was being unfairly criticized. The song's lyrics discuss poverty and loneliness. It is particularly known for its plaintive refrain, in which the singer sings 'lie-la-lie', accompanied by a heavily reverb-ed drum.%22The Boxer%22 was the follow-up to one of the duo's most successful singles, %22Mrs. Robinson%22. It peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100. It performed well internationally, charting within the top 10 in nine countries, peaking highest in the Netherlands, South Africa, and Sweden. Rolling Stone ranked the song #106 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
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