<p id=”par-1_44″><a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/frank-sinatra/”>Frank Sinatra</a> covered many <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/the-beatles-classic-sinatra-called-1-of-the-greatest-love-songs-ever-written.html/?swcfpc=1″>styles of music</a> throughout his long career in the entertainment industry. But after covering a late 1960s masterpiece by Paul Simon, the Chairman of the Board was criticized by <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/new-york-new-york-the-iconic-song-its-composers-and-their-beef-with-frank-sinatra.html/?swcfpc=1″>the composer</a> for tweaking his lyrics, saying “he can’t do that.”</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-paul-simon-wanted-to-stop-frank-sinatra-s-version-of-his-1968-song”>Paul Simon wanted to stop Frank Sinatra’s version of his 1968 song</h2>
<p id=”par-2_35″>“Mrs. Robinson” was added to the soundtrack of the 1967 film <em>The Graduate</em>. Paul Simon did not write the song specifically for the movie. It was later released on Simon & Garfunkel’s fourth album, <em>Bookends</em>.</p>
<p id=”par-3_23″>The tune became Simon & Garfunkel’s second number-one hit. In 1969, it became the first rock song to win a <a href=”https://www.grammy.com/news/mrs-robinson-the-graduate-soundtrack-3-grammy-facts” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Grammy Award </a>for Record of the Year.</p>
<p id=”par-4_30″>One of the first recorded covers of the song was done by Frank Sinatra that same year. Paul Simon wanted to do everything he could to stop the song’s release.</p>
<p id=”par-5_48″>Simon told Stephen Colbert at the New York premiere of MGM+’s two-part documentary <em>In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon</em> that he wasn’t happy about Sinatra’s cover. <a href=”https://www.mensjournal.com/news/paul-simon-disliked-frank-sinatra-mrs-robinson-cover” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Men’s Journal</a> reported on the exchange between Simon and Colbert, where the songwriter revealed his fury that Sinatra changed his lyrics.</p>
<p id=”par-6_29″>“I met him once. It was very interesting, too, because he made a cover record of my song ‘Mrs. Robinson,’” Simon told Colbert. “And he changed the lyric[s],” </p>
<p id=”par-7_41″>“[The original lyrics] were fantastic. But when I first heard [Sinatra’s], it was like, ‘Man, ring a ding, ding you Mrs. Robinson. Jesus loves you more,’ and this is in the ’60s, and I said, ‘He can’t do that,’” Simon continued.</p>
<p id=”par-8_55″>“I said, ‘I’m stopping the record. Nobody asked me to change, and I’m not giving permission. I don’t care.’” He added that a Warner Bros. producer said that it was his idea, not Sinatra’s to change the lyrics. Sinatra later told Simon of his insistence on halting the release, “You can’t stop a Frank record.”</p>
<p id=”par-9_26″>“And then later, <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/willie-nelson-calls-frank-sinatra-great-friend-favorite-singer.html/?swcfpc=1″>I fell in love</a> with that record. And when you play music after the concert is over, that’s the first song,” Simon concluded.</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-the-song-earned-paul-simon-his-first-grammy-win-outside-of-simon-amp-garfunkel”>The song earned Paul Simon his first Grammy win outside of Simon & Garfunkel</h2>
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<iframe title=”Mrs. Robinson” width=”925″ height=”694″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/oHLNSxIAZiA?feature=oembed” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” referrerpolicy=”strict-origin-when-cross-origin” allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<p id=”par-10_34″>“Mrs. Robinson” was included on <em>The Graduate</em> soundtrack. The album earned Paul Simon a solo Grammy Award in the category of Best Original Score Written For A Motion Picture Or A Television Special. </p>
<p id=”par-11_57″>Per the official <a href=”https://www.grammy.com/news/mrs-robinson-the-graduate-soundtrack-3-grammy-facts” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Grammy website</a>, Simon joined other music luminaries who had previously won that award including Duke Ellington, Henry Mancini, Lalo Schifrin, and Julie Andrews. The song also earned two Grammy Awards for Simon & Garfunkel in 1968 in the categories of Record of the Year and Best Contemporary Pop Performance, Duo or Group. </p>
<p id=”par-12_50″>Also featured on <em>The Graduate</em> soundtrack were other Simon & Garfunkel classics including “Scarborough Fair/Canticle,” “The Sound of Silence,” “April Come She Will,” and “The Big Bright Green Pleasure Machine.” Art Garfunkel was credited as a singer on the aforementioned songs. Dave Grusin produced the remaining music on the soundtrack.</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-who-else-has-covered-mrs-robinson”>Who else has covered “Mrs. Robinson?”</h2>
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<iframe title=”The Lemonheads – Mrs. Robinson (Remastered)” width=”925″ height=”520″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/sjIpvUSnmH0?feature=oembed” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” referrerpolicy=”strict-origin-when-cross-origin” allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<p id=”par-13_40″>Paul Simon’s “Mrs. Robinson” is a song so ingrained in popular culture that other artists regularly cover it. There have been many who have paid homage to Simon’s song in concert, but only a few have recorded versions of it.</p>
<p id=”par-14_46″>In 1968 Chet Atkins covered the song for a greatest hits album, and Diana Ross and the Supremes tweaked the tune for a live performance on their 1968 TV special. One year later, Booker T. and the MGs released a soul/funk version of the tune. </p>
<p id=”par-15_29″>The song was covered <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/bon-jovi-thank-you-goodnight-shows-high-stakes-jon-bon-jovi-vocal-challenges-exclusive.html/”>by Bon Jovi</a> for their 1995 album <em>These Days</em>. It was an alternate live take and was released on a special edition of the album.</p>
<p id=”par-16_30″>One of the most popular and updated versions of the song was by The Lemonheads. The song was recorded to honor the 25th anniversary of <em>The Graduate</em> in 1992. </p>
<p id=”par-17_42″>Although the song was not initially included on the band’s album <em>It’s a Shame About Ray</em>, it was added to the album in later pressings due to its popularity. This version introduced younger listeners to the song, boosting its visibility once again.</p>
<p id=”par-18_15″>Paul Simon retired from touring in 2018. He released the album <em>Seven Psalms</em> in 2023.</p>