The 1983 Paul Simon Song You Probably Didn't Know Was Inspired By His Real-Life Heartbreak

Paul Simon's legacy is simply too large to fit into a single article. Many of his songs have become a part of the soundtrack of our everyday lives, but a lot of fans might not know how much he poured his heart out in some of them, including his 1983 song "Heart and Bones," which was inspired by a painful end to his long relationship with legendary actress Carrie Fisher.

As an artist, Simon had many facets. He started his mainstream career as the singer and songwriting mastermind of Simon & Garfunkel, the duet that defined the '70s, and once he and Art Garfunkel broke up amid a nasty feud, he went on to write songs for other artists and have an amazing solo career. In 1983, he released his sixth solo studio album, "Heart and Bones," which included a song by the same name about he and Fisher. 

Though he had written this song during his time in Simon & Garfunkel, he released it on his own, shortly before divorcing the "Star Wars" icon. Theirs was a complicated and confusing love affair. They were together for 12 years, "on and off." They dated, got married, got divorced, got back together ... In her autobiography, Carrie Fisher described their relationship as a fight that lasted 12 years (via the Daily Mail), and no song reflects the complexity and depth of their love better than "Heart and Bones."

When Paul Simon released "Heart and Bones," he and Fisher were newly married after dating for six years. The song doesn't exactly scream newlywed bliss, though. It feels like he knew, even then, that their relationship would never be easy. 

The song is about a couple struggling with each other. In Simon's voice, the bridge has a woman pleading, "Why won't you love me for who I am where I am?" The partner responds, "'Cause that's not the way the world is, baby / This is how I love you, baby." They got divorced only a few months later, but that wasn't the end of their story.

Carrie Fisher explained in her biography (via the Daily Mail) that they dated for several years after their divorce, but their relationship was never easy. They traveled a lot, and after their last trip together, Paul Simon wrote his last song for his beloved, titled "She Moves On." Their love was a continuous source of inspiration for Simon, even when it was painful. "I was good for material, but when it came to day-to-day living, I was more than he could take." For Simon's part, he said in the documentary "In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon" that the relationship was a "whirlwind," and the couple made "all types of mistakes on top of mistakes on top of mistakes" (via Fox News).