The Song He Was My Brother, By Simon And Garfunkel

The song “He Was My Brother,” performed by Simon & Garfunkel, was released on the album Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. in 1964. The song was written by Paul Simon. In the song, the performers are telling a story about the performers’ older brother being shot and killed at the age of 23. Based on when the song was released and what was going on during that time (i.e. the civil rights movement), as well as the lyric, the shooting seems to be racially motivated. The lyrics say that the brother was cursed by an angry mob and shot because the brother ‘hated what was wrong’ (i.e. racial inequality). At the beginning of the song, the performers seem sad because of their loss. The music is slow and the performers’ voices are melancholy. However, as the