Mrs. Robinson (1968) – Simon & Garfunkel

One of Simon & Garfunkel’s most popular tunes comes to us today: Mrs. Robinson. It’s known in pop culture largely for its use in The Graduate, which featured a monumental Simon & Garfunkel soundtrack, including other great songs like The Sound of Silence, Scarborough Fair and April Come She Will. Unlike those restrained, pensive, harmony-soaked tracks, Mrs. Robinson is a curious, unorthodox, upbeat, and rollicking number.

The following was abridged from the Wikipedia article below:

The song was released on the duo’s fourth studio album bookends. It was only meanwhile Mike Nichols was shooting The Graduate that he became fascinated with two of the duo’s songs. He met with Columbia records to ask permission to use Simon & Garfunkel music for his film. They agreed and envisioned it being a best-selling soundtrack album.

Simon was initially not so keen, viewing movies as akin to “selling out”, but he agreed to write at least one or two new songs for the film after being impressed by Nichols’ wit and the script. Eventually a deal was negotiated that paid Simon $25,000 to submit three songs to Nichols. Simon reemerged with  Punky’s Dilemma and Overs, neither of which Nichols was particularly taken with.

So later they returned with a early draft of Mrs. Robinson only singing dee de dee dee de dee dee dee because there was no verse yet, but Nichols liked even that. Before that they had it as a working title of “Mrs. Roosevelt” (Eleanor Roosevelt). And because of the character in the picture they just began using the name ‘Mrs. Robinson’ to fit. 

The recording was released more than three months after the release of The Graduate, but through its numerous radio plays became an important cross-promotion of the film during its initial run in theaters. Mrs. Robinson became the duo’s second chart-topper (after The Sound of Silence in 1966), reaching No. 1 on the Billboard, as well as peaking within the top 10 of the United Kingdom.

For trivia buffs out there:
Simon was a big Mickey Mantle fan and when asked by Dick Cavette why he chose Joe DiMaggio in the last verse, he said – “It’s about syllables, Dick. It’s about how many beats there are“.

Simon met up with Joe Di Maggio in a New York City restaurant in 1970 and Joe asked him – “What I don’t understand, is why you ask where I’ve gone?“…Simon replied “that I didn’t mean the lines literally, that I thought of him as an American hero and that genuine heroes were in short supply. He accepted the explanation and thanked me. We shook hands and said good night“.

Following DiMaggio’s death in 1999, numerous media outlets ran headlines stating: “Joltin’ Joe has left and gone away.”
Simon subsequently performed “Mrs. Robinson” at Yankee Stadium in DiMaggio’s honor (leaving out the second verse).

[Intro]
Dee dee dee dee dee dee dee dee dee dee dee dee dee
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Dee dee dee dee dee dee dee dee dee dee dee dee dee

[Chorus]
And here’s to you, Mrs. Robinson
Jesus loves you more than you will know
Woah, woah, woah
God bless you please, Mrs. Robinson
Heaven holds a place for those who pray
Hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey

[Verse 1]
We’d like to know a little bit about you for our files
We’d like to help you learn to help yourself
Look around you, all you see are sympathetic eyes
Stroll around the grounds until you feel at home

[Chorus]

[Verse 2]
Hide it in a hiding place where no one ever goes
Put it in your pantry with your cupcakes
It’s a little secret, just the Robinsons’ affair
Most of all, you’ve got to hide it from the kids

[Chorus]

[Verse 3]
Sitting on a sofa on a Sunday afternoon
Going to the candidates debate
Laugh about it, shout about it
When you’ve got to choose
Every way you look at it, you lose

[Chorus]
Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio?
A nation turns its lonely eyes to you
Woo, woo, woo
What’s that you say, Mrs. Robinson?
Joltin’ Joe has left and gone away
Hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey

References:
1. Mrs. Robinson – Wikipedia