Song for the Asking
by Paul Simon, Bridge Over Troubled Water
Approaching Literary Genres p. 54
Millennium
Song for the Asking
Here is my song for the asking,
Ask me and I will play
So sweetly, I'll make you smile
This is my tune for the taking,
Take it, don't turn away.
I've been waiting all my life.
Thinking it over, I’ve been sad.
Thinking it over, I’d be more than glad
To change my ways for the asking.
Ask me and I will play
All the love that I hold inside
FOCUS ON THE
1.
MEANING
Highlight in pink two words that could
stand for love. Notice that “love” is
mentioned only in the last line.
•The words “asking” (ll.1,9) and “taking” (l.4)
stand for love, since they are two basic
components of love (asking to be accepted
and taking the love the other person gives
you).
2.
Highlight in blue two expressions that
indicate the lover is shy.
• The lover needs to be encouraged (“ask
me”, l.2) to express his love, but then he will
express it “sweetly” (l. 3) so as to make the
loved one smile. He is afraid that his love may
not be accepted. “Take it, don’t turn away” (l.
5)
Song for the Asking
Here is my song for the asking,
Ask me and I will play
So sweetly, I'll make you smile
This is my tune for the taking,
Take it, don't turn away.
I've been waiting all my life.
Thinking it over, I’ve been sad.
Thinking it over, I’d be more than glad
To change my ways for the asking.
Ask me and I will play
All the love that I hold inside
FOCUS ON THE
3.
MEANING
Highlight in yellow one more
expressions that indicates the lover is lonely.
“I've been waiting all my life”. (l.6);
“Thinking it over, I’ve been sad”. (l.7)
FOCUS ON THE
GENRE
4. Describe the rhyme scheme of the poem.
• abc, abc, dda, be.
5. Are any of the rhyming words relevant to the
general meaning of the poem .
• The two key rhyming words are “asking”
and “taking”.
6.
Highlight in red more words or
expressions that refer to music.
• The words referring to music are “song”
(l.1), “I will play” (ll.2,10); “tune” l. 4).
Song for the Asking
Here is my song for the asking,
Ask me and I will play
So sweetly, I'll make you smile
This is my tune for the taking,
Take it, don't turn away.
I've been waiting all my life.
Thinking it over, I’ve been sad.
Thinking it over, I’d be more than glad
To change my ways for the asking.
Ask me and I will play
All the love that I hold inside
FOCUS ON THE
GENRE
7. Underline other repetitions and parallel
structures in the song.
Here is my song for the asking …. This is my
tune for the taking (ll. 1, 4); Ask me and I will
play (ll. 2,10); Thinking it over I’ve been sad /
thinking it over, I’d be more than glad (ll. 7-8).
8. What effect do you think they have on the
listener / reader ? Give reasons for your
choice/s:
 Monotonous
 They stress the lover’s feelings
 Didactic
• They stress the lover’s feelings making the
reader (or listener) perceive how intense his
love is and how he feels the necessity of
expressing it again and again in different ways.