The Boy in the Bubble

"The Boy in the Bubble"
Single by Paul Simon
from the album Graceland
ReleasedFebruary 17, 1987 (1987-02-17)
RecordedOctober 1985
Genre
Length4:00
LabelWarner Bros.
Songwriter(s)
  • Forere Motloheloa
  • Paul Simon
Producer(s)Paul Simon
Paul Simon singles chronology
"Graceland"
(1986)
"The Boy in the Bubble"
(1987)
"Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes"
(1987)

"The Boy in the Bubble" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Paul Simon. It was the third single from his seventh studio album, Graceland (1986), released on Warner Bros. Records. Written by Simon and Forere Motloheloa (an accordionist from Lesotho), its lyrics explore starvation and terrorism, juxtaposed with wit and optimism.

The single—released in February 1987—performed well on charts worldwide. In the United States, it was mainly successful on the Album Rock Tracks chart, where it peaked at No. 15. Outside the U.S., "The Boy in the Bubble" was a top 20 hit in the Netherlands, and top 30 in the United Kingdom and Belgium.