The Way I Heard It with Mike Rowe - 156: A Bridge Too Far

Episode Date: April 14, 2020

They built a lot of bridges.  Perhaps, one too many...

This is the way I heard it. Tom Graff and Jerry Landis had built dozens of bridges in all sorts of challenging places, developing a portfolio of work that no one in their industry could hope to rival. While their individual talents were formidable, the real secret to their success was in the strength of their partnership, a 15-year collaboration built on genuine affection and mutual respect. Now, they were about to begin construction on their most,

most ambitious bridge yet. But there was trouble on the horizon. Can you believe what's happening in Vietnam, said Tom? How the hell are we ever getting out of there? Tom was pacing back and forth in Jerry's apartment, reading the New York Times. In recent months, other headlines had elicited similar queries, a shooting at Kent State, a riot at the Democratic National Convention, the murder of Dr. King. What was the world coming to? wondered Dom. Jerry had no answers,

but through his kitchen window, he stared across the East River and considered the Brooklyn Bridge, perhaps the greatest of all the great bridges. Not the grandest, or the longest, or the most elegant, but the first of its kind. An enduring monument to sacrifice,

innovation, and possibility. Jerry had never built a bridge like that, and now, staring at the blank pages in front of him, he feared he never would. I've had enough for today, said Tom. We're just beating our heads against the wall. Jerry nodded as his partner left his apartment. But his eyes remained fixed on the bridge that dominated the New York skyline, the very embodiment of form and function.

He considered the men who died bringing the Brooklyn Bridge to life. He recalled the casons, the fires, the concrete foundations poured a hundred feet below the turbulent water, a true marvel of modern engineering. Jerry turned his attention back to the pages before him, empty pages, waiting for inspiration to fill them. Then he glanced at the newspaper Tom had left behind, filled with one depressing headline after another. And that's when it hit him. A eureka moment. Two hours later, those pages were no longer empty.

They contained a groundbreaking design, the first blueprint of a revolutionary bridge whose enduring majesty would rival the Golden Gate, the Mighty Mac and the Brooklyn Bridge itself. The next morning, Jerry showed his draft to Tom, who tore himself away from the headlines to see what his partner had created. For nearly ten minutes, Tom said nothing.

Then he wiped away a tear and spoke with quiet reverence. Good God, he said. This is incredible. When did you do this? Jerry shrugged modestly. Last night after you left, I was just sitting here, staring out the window, when the idea hit me like a ton of bricks. Do you think it'll work?

Of course it'll work, said Tom. this is maybe the best thing you've ever done. Jerry considered Tom's enthusiasm and felt a pang of guilt. Though people had once known them as Tom and Jerry, they were really Jerry and Tom. For it was Jerry who always took the lead on their projects. And it was Jerry who always got the glory, even though Tom was the only partner to have actually studied architecture. Maybe that's why Jerry. invited Tom to take the lead on this, the best work he'd ever done. Maybe the best work he'd ever do.

Are you sure, Tom said? Jerry smiled at his childhood friend. Listen to me, he said. Your time has come to shine. We're partners. If it's good for you, it's good for us. Jerry's design was implemented in record time, earning the team every industry award and assuring both. men a place in history. But, alas, there was still trouble on the horizon. If you're a fan of Jerry and Tom's work, you know what happens next. As their bridge becomes more and more celebrated, Jerry begins to regret his decision to let Tom lead the project. Why? Because now, for the first time, all the credit is going to Tom. And in Jerry's mind, his partner isn't doing enough to set the record straight.

The bridge was his idea, damn it, and no one seemed to know. Suddenly, it was all Tom and no Jerry. Jerry's regret led to resentment, and over time that resentment festered. The partners became estranged, driven apart by a bridge that brought millions of others together.

Such is the legacy of Tom and Jerry's most famous work, The famous bridge built five years after they changed their names back to the ones they were born with. A metaphorical bridge inspired by the turbulent headlines of a divided country. A healing bridge dedicated to all those who were weary and feeling small. A musical bridge that went to the top of the charts thanks to a designer of songs who once called, himself Jerry Landis and his partner, a singer and former architecture student, once known as Tom Graff. Jerry and Tom, once known as Tom and Jerry, remembered today as Paul and Artie, the old friends who built a bridge over troubled water, a very sturdy bridge that nevertheless

led to the tragic collapse of an amazing partnership called Simon and Garfunkel. Anyway, that's the way I heard it. Alrighty then, let's unpack that one, shall we? I take it back. I hate that expression. Let's not unpack it. Let's just talk about it. This is the way I talked about the way I heard it, the only spontaneous analysis of the only podcast for the curious mind, with a short attention span wherein I attempt to delve into the circumstances that let led to the writing of the tale you just heard. This one's easy to explain. It began with a phone call between myself and Susan Lee Smith, with whom I collaborate from time to time. She wanted to know

if I had ever heard of Tom and Jerry. And I said, sure, the famous cat and mouse. And she said, no, no, the famous songwriting duo. And I said, no, I haven't. She said, well, it's actually Simon and Garfunkel. Go figure. Simon and Garfunkel used to be called Tom and Jerry. And I thought that was interesting and possibly sufficient enough for a suitable misdirect if in fact we had a topic at hand. And of course, Susan did. She wanted to know what my favorite Simon and Garfunkel song was. And I said, ooh, that's a good one. I do love America. She said, that is good. And then I said, I do love the boxer. And she said, oh, yeah, that one's good too. One of my favorites that she wasn't familiar with that most people aren't is keep the customer satisfied. Trying to keep the

customer satisfied story of my life, but also an amazing song. Google it. The horns in that song, I would say rival anything from Chicago. They're that good. It's really a great tune. Anyway, this is the conversation we're having. And Susan says to me, Mike, according to the experts, it's almost unanimous, their greatest song, is a bridge over troubled water. And I said, oh, God, of course. I mean, it's a hymn, really. Just beautiful. And we started talking about that, and I asked her to look into the details of how it was written. And she said, well, I already have. And it's curious, because there's a lot out there. So to cut to the chase, you know, this was a story that I wrote about two and a half months ago, and I just filed it away. And I wasn't sure why. It just didn't feel

like the right time to share it. Obviously now, when our country is just one big body of troubled water, it seems apropos. But the research is the thing I want to talk to you briefly about, because it once again completely justifies the name of this podcast, the way I heard it, because sometimes there's really just no other way to preface the tales I share. Because either the facts in evidence are too skinny to hang my hat on or too voluminous. And that was the case here. There's so much out there about this song that the information itself has become contradictory. Paul Simon on the Dick Cavett show tells a slightly different version than he does on the David Letterman show.

And in print interviews, we get alternative takes as well. Same with Art Garfunkel. This happens, right? You know, I mean, decades ago, people remember things in different ways. And as they tell the story, it kind of takes a shape and a life of its own, right? So that's not really unusual, but it does pose an interesting challenge. And happily, the way I heard it, allows me not to make stuff up. I would never just pull stuff out of thin. air. But I will imagine scenarios and dialogue that are supported by the basic facts and evidence. And that's what's happened here. And it didn't come together for me, really, until Susan sent a link to a terrific interview. And if you're fans of Simon and Garfunkel, you should watch this. It's great. It's called The Story of Bridge Over Troubled Water. It's only 15 or 20 minutes long. But it features Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel talking about the song, confirming or at least vindicating much of what I shared in the story

but the thing that really got me was early early on Paul Simon says in this interview quote I have no idea where this song came from and I just love that he has no idea he didn't he didn't sit down to write it he sat down and it came out

I read somewhere to I mean this happens a fair amount in music but Stephen Tyler tells a great story about Dream On from Arrowsmith. He said he dreamt it for real and woke up and simply wrote it down in real time. That didn't happen with Bridge Over Troubled Water. There are many iterations of it. And the reason I wrote the story I did is because in this interview with Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel,

there is footage of him in his apartment, noodling the song. before it's done, long before it's done, back when the lyrics were completely different. He was figuring it out a little bit at a time. And through his window, you can get a glimpse of the Brooklyn Bridge. And that was enough for me to have permission or license to imagine what might have gone through his genius mind, either consciously or subconsciously, that informed the writing of the song. And then in the same interview, about eight minutes and 25 seconds in, you see, Paul and Artie on the Brooklyn Bridge doing a version of a music video of Bridge over Troubled

water. So it was those images that I felt allowed me to go where I went. And so that's why I wrote the story I wrote. I'd love to tell you that I wrote it because in the age of coronavirus, when the entire country is one big body of troubled water, the metaphor just came screaming off the page. But that's not how it happened. This pre-existed corona, and I brought it out because it seemed apropos today, and I hope you liked it. That's the way it happened. Will I be back next week with another? To be determined. We are in a fluid situation here. If I can, I will. I do have an idea for another story, but I'm also happily busy right now. The Discovery Channel wants half a dozen of these after the catch shows, which I can host from my office. And Facebook wants more of these

COVID editions of returning the favor, which we're also producing here in a very homemade way. So I've got my work cut out for me. And my mom's book hits the shelves today. And of course, nobody's standing in front of the shelves to buy it, which is too bad. But it's a terrific book. And if you haven't picked up a copy, About Your Fatherbook.com. There you go. A shameless plug for mom and some heartfelt thanks to you for listening to another episode of the way I heard it and the way I talked about the way I heard it.

Maybe I'll be back next week. If I'm not or even if I am, do yourself a favor. Listen to the boxer. Then listen to America. Then listen to trying to keep the customer satisfied. Then listen to bridge over troubled water. Then...

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