Well I'm accustomed to the smooth ride
Or maybe I'm a dog who's lost its bite
I don't expect to be treated like a fool no more
I don't expect to sleep through the night
Some people say a lie's a lie's a lie
But I say, "why
Why deny the obvious child?
Why deny the obvious child?"

And in remembering a road sign
I'm remembering a girl when I was young
And we said, "these songs are true
These days are ours
These tears are free"
And hey
The cross is in the ballpark
The cross is in the ballpark

We had a lot of fun
Had a lot of money
We had a little son and we thought we'd call him Sonny
Sonny gets married and moves away
Sonny has a baby and bills to pay
Sonny gets sunnier
Day by day by day by day

Well, I've been waking up at sunrise
I've been following the light across my room
I watch the night receive the room of my day
Some people say the sky is just the sky
But I say
"Why deny the obvious child?
Why deny the obvious child?"

Sonny sits by his window and thinks to himself
How it's strange that some rooms are like cages
Sonny's yearbook from high school
Is down on the shelf
And he idly thumbs through the pages
Some have died
Some have fled from themselves
Or struggled from here to get there
Sonny wanders beyond his interior walls
Runs his hands through his thinning brown hair

Well, I'm accustomed to a smoother ride
Or maybe I'm a dog who's lost its bite
I don't expect to be treated like a fool no more
I don't expect to sleep the night
Some people say a lie is just a lie
But I say
"The cross is in the ballpark
Why deny the obvious child?"

Edit Lyrics

Lyrics submitted by adupont, edited by nyetnyetnyet

The Obvious Child Lyrics as written by Paul Simon

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

The Obvious Child song meanings

Add Your Thoughts

52 Comments

0
General Comment
I will throw my interpretation in the ring.

It seems that "The Obvious Child" chronicles a man who wishes to ponder all the possibilities of the meaning of life. However, from a young age, Christianity is all his parents teach him, and in fact, they discourage exploration into other spiritual thoughts and beliefs. Hence the phrase "Why deny the obvious child?"

The phase continues even into his later life as he finds all those beliefs his parents instilled still control his mental/spiritual exploration. In later life, the phrase "why deny the obvious child?" is more of a pondering as to why any person would deny themself that internal spiritual exploration, something so obviously basic (in the beginning of the song, the question seems to be posed more to the parents).

In the very end of the song, there is the line "Sonny wanders beyond his interior walls, runs his hands through his thinning brown hair". These are my favorite lines (in part because I have thinning brown hair). It could be interpretted that Sonny is having a spiritual breakthrough and allowing himself to wander beyond his interior walls. However, I personally think it's more likely that the intent is just that he allows himself to wander for a little while, something which regularly happens, but he never truly escapes the nagging discomfort of fully open soul searching.

The discussion of the parents, Sonny's child, the bills, etc, all could be viewed as distractors from the interpretation I have given. However, I feel these are powerful parts of the song which show that he is living the normal American life. The cross in the ballpark is a perfect example of what I mean. What could be more American? The reason the normal American life is important is that it seems to show that this is a completely internal struggle for Sonny. He doesn't even let anyone ever know he has this urge to explore.

The dicussion of the parents at the beginning is sort of underplayed. This could be intentional so as to show that they are not ill-intentioned in spiritually raising there son. In fact, they are doing it the only way they know how. It could probably be guessed that Sonny has raised his child the same way.

The cross in the ballpark has a myriad of possible meanings, and in fact, it's likely that even Paul Simon didn't fully know where he was going with that phrase. I have so many possible meanings in my head, and I don't really want to enumerate them. In fact, many of them are compatible, so I like to just believe they are all good. Once, I did read an interview where Paul Simon joked that saying "the cross is in the ballpark" twice in a row was too much.

I would love to read any other interpretations or comments on mine. Half of me wishes I could sit down and pick Paul Simon's brain on this one. The other half of me is worried that the true meaning might mean significantly less to me that mine does.

I will throw my interpretation in the ring. It seems that "The Obvious Child" chronicles a man who wishes to ponder all the possibilities of the meaning of life. However, from a young age, Christianity is all his parents teach him, and in fact, they discourage exploration into other spiritual thoughts and beliefs. Hence the phrase "Why deny the obvious child?" The phase continues even into his later life as he finds all those beliefs his parents instilled still control his mental/spiritual exploration. In later life, the phrase "why deny the obvious child?" is more of a pondering as to why any person would deny themself that internal spiritual exploration, something so obviously basic (in the beginning of the song, the question seems to be posed more to the parents). In the very end of the song, there is the line "Sonny wanders beyond his interior walls, runs his hands through his thinning brown hair". These are my favorite lines (in part because I have thinning brown hair). It could be interpretted that Sonny is having a spiritual breakthrough and allowing himself to wander beyond his interior walls. However, I personally think it's more likely that the intent is just that he allows himself to wander for a little while, something which regularly happens, but he never truly escapes the nagging discomfort of fully open soul searching. The discussion of the parents, Sonny's child, the bills, etc, all could be viewed as distractors from the interpretation I have given. However, I feel these are powerful parts of the song which show that he is living the normal American life. The cross in the ballpark is a perfect example of what I mean. What could be more American? The reason the normal American life is important is that it seems to show that this is a completely internal struggle for Sonny. He doesn't even let anyone ever know he has this urge to explore. The dicussion of the parents at the beginning is sort of underplayed. This could be intentional so as to show that they are not ill-intentioned in spiritually raising there son. In fact, they are doing it the only way they know how. It could probably be guessed that Sonny has raised his child the same way. The cross in the ballpark has a myriad of possible meanings, and in fact, it's likely that even Paul Simon didn't fully know where he was going with that phrase. I have so many possible meanings in my head, and I don't really want to enumerate them. In fact, many of them are compatible, so I like to just believe they are all good. Once, I did read an interview where Paul Simon joked that saying "the cross is in the ballpark" twice in a row was too much. I would love to read any other interpretations or comments on mine. Half of me wishes I could sit down and pick Paul Simon's brain on this one. The other half of me is worried that the true meaning might mean significantly less to me that mine does.

Reason:

twollamaloveon August 23, 2006 Link
- 2 Replies Log in to reply
There was an error.

@twollamalove

I have interpreted it quite different and find it needs this key to be fully understood: Matthew 19:14 Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." He's accustomed to a smooth ride, or maybe he's a dog who's lost it's bite. He is approaching the reality of adulthood like all do with the transition of having more ability/privilage but also more responsiblity/throuble. He doesn't expect to be treated like a fool no more, He doesn't expect to sleep through the night. (a repeating of the last line's similar meaning) He wan't respect in the world for now being an adult, but also expects his troubles to keep him up and night (or his night life to keep him up at night) Some people say a lie is a lie is a lie, but he says why. Why deny the OBVIOUS child? Why deny the obvious CHILD? The general ignorance that childhood affords us is often seen as being only something that should be overcome and avoided. So childishness in any sense is seen as negative. Yet, the simplicity of life, and the clarity of reasoning that childhood affords us can be greater than the "adult" way of thinking in some cases. With stark contrasts of right and wrong being clear as day instead of being muddled and complicated. The "Why deny the obvious child" is said twice to convey two separate meanings. the first is said to someone labeled for namesake "child" (think Jamaican) and thus just asking "Why deny the obvious?" The second time is inquiring to the motive of denying, (ore in the sense of rejection) someone who is obviously a child (in the sense described above). And in remembering a road sign,- a particular moment in his life he recalls setting him on a different path or way of thinking indefinitely- I am remembering a girl when I was young- (literally) And she said these songs are true, these days are ours, these tears are free thusly reinforcing the simplicity and power of childhood. The Cross is in the ballpark,- the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these. So it is in a place like a ball park where children are. Relative to them. the next stanza a is... well yeah, and I just love the way he says "sunny get sunnier" to say he gets older... Then the focus moves directly off of sunny, and back on..our guy. He's been waking up at sunrise He's been following the light across his room He watches the night receive the room of his day He has entered a point in his life when the sunrise and sunsets are some of the most precious things he has as he marvels at creation in a way that is so central to childhood's essence. In his older age his is re-discovering the type of wisdom that is found in this idea. HE watches (participates in) as the night gets everything from his day's thoughts and lies there thinking, watching the night sky and getting lost in a well developed peace. and goes to sleep as the night also receives his day's weariness Some people say the sky is just the sky but I say why The awe of creation is often lost to us as we grow older and understand it more, so the sky is just the sky, but there is an implied earnestness to continue admiring the beauty one sees around oneself and continue in the childhood admiration of things we don't understand. Sonny's yearbook from high school Is down from the shelf And he idly thumbs through the pages Some have died Some have fled from themselves Or struggled from here to get there -Sunny is now contemplating the road to adulthood and how many stumble and fall and get into trouble along the way again re-enforcing the fact that adulthood is not all it's cracked up to be, and is not necessarily the main objective. Sonny wanders beyond his interior walls Runs his hand through his thinning brown hair Well I'm accustomed to a smoother ride Maybe I'm a dog that's lost his bite I don't expect to be treated like a fool no more I don't expect to sleep the night Some people say a lie is just a lie But I say the cross is in the ballpark Why deny the obvious child? This part is rather interesting as sunny "wanders beyond his interior walls" that is thinks beyond himself in a philosophical fashion and runs his hands though his now aging hair he stumbles upon the exact same conclusion as his father before him, (so it is sunny now saying the last stanza) and comes to all the same conclusion about childhood and growing up, and there is only ONE last Why deny the obvious Child at the end for the listener to interpret which of the two it means... this is why two "the cross is in the ballpark"s is unnecessary, when he uses them. That line only had one meaning. So it is then implied that this is endless cycle of understanding and going from childhood to adulthood and then seemingly back to childhood and pro-creating to create children from adults is in its harmonic and beautiful unending conclusion with all the drums and the rockin out ending.

sollomanon January 08, 2012

@twollamalove Paul Simon is Jewish so is he just interpreting someone elses life journey? I did hear that he was watching the papal visit of the USA on TV and the pope was giving mass at Yankees Stadium and thats where the lyric comes from but you know what the best thing about music and lyrics and even poetry is? Its all subjective. Nobodys wrong If it evokes an emotion that differs from someone elses or even that of the composers.

christophton September 09, 2018