This song is by Simon & Garfunkel and was released as a single in September 1966 from their album Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme. It reached number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was never charted in the UK.
The lyrics are about a relationship that is in trouble. It's one that has faded into apathy and numbness. The couple are intellectuals who read literature but seem to be out of sync with each other. They talk about analysis and theater, but aren't able to connect with their partner. They haven't had any meaningful conversations in a long time, and it is obvious that their love has faded away.
Paul Simon’s use of simile, metaphor and auditory imagery in this song makes it so powerful. He uses the words “like shells upon the shore” to represent the void between this pair of lovers, and he repeats “the borders of our lives” throughout the song, which allows us to picture the distance.
Simon also explains that this song is about two people who are in love, but have failed to communicate with each other. The songs is an attempt to get them to communicate again.
They have a conversation that is "dangling" between them, and they don't want to talk about it because they know it's wrong. They are trying to keep their relationship alive, but they're not willing to make an effort and it's becoming a waste of their time.
