Why Paul Simon Won’t Play ‘You Can Call Me Al’ Again

Paul Simon has abandoned one of his biggest hits, a decision that was entirely out of his control.

The acclaimed singer-songwriter, now 83 years old, has been open about his ongoing battle with hearing loss. While the condition has forced him to retire from touring, Simon has continued performing occasional concerts.

During a recent conversation with CBS Mornings, the musician explained how he manages his condition – and why it made him retire one of his most popular songs.

READ MORE: Paul Simon Hopes to Play a Full Concert

“There’s only about 6% [hearing] in my left ear,” Simon explained, noting how he has to use multiple monitors during performances. “When the balance is right, I can hear well.”

The condition has also affected his setlist decisions.

“I’m going through my repertoire and reducing a lot of the choices I make to acoustic versions,” he noted. “It’s all much quieter. It’s not ‘You Can Call Me Al.’ That’s gone. I can’t do that one.”

Paul Simon Working With Leading Scientists on Hearing Loss

Though Simon called his condition “incredibly frustrating,” he has a renewed sense of hope thanks to research being conducted at Stanford University. There, a team of scientists are working to reverse the affects of hearing loss, and their progress has been substantial.

READ MORE: 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Paul Simon

The CBS Mornings segment highlighted two notable success stories. In one, scientists were able to restore hearing for zebrafish that had previously been deaf. In another, Stanford’s team were able to regenerate hair cells in mice (both animals have similar inner ear structures to humans). Simon admitted their progress “gives me hope that there is some significant improvement on the horizon.”

In the meantime, the musician – whose most recent album, Seven Psalms, was released in 2023 – will continue doing what he can.

“I don’t think creativity stops with disability,” Simon explained. “So far, I haven’t experienced that. And I hope not to.”