I Am A Rock: “Loves Me Like A Rock” by Paul Simon

The second number two hit from There Goes Rhymin’ Simon, “Rock” trots along its agreeable pop-gospel course with substantial help from the Dixie Hummingbirds, who finally take the song over, and Paul Simon continues to remind me of Green Gartside with his seemingly offhand manner of saying nothing yet everything. Just as you amble down its by-the-Devil-I-was-tempted highway, however, he inverts the entire song in its final verse when he sings about being President and regarding Congress as Satan. An extremely subtle political song and, like most 1973-4 songs of note, it’s about Nixon, in one way or another.

Date Record Made Number Two: 6 October 1973

Number Of Weeks At Number Two: 1

Record At Number One: A song by Cher with a non-PC title (let us refer to it as “Mixed Race”)

UK Chart Position: 39

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