When you hear the title “Scissors Cut,” it may conjure images of childhood games, simple choices, or the random playfulness of fate. But in Art Garfunkel’s haunting and poetic ballad, “Scissors Cut,” those innocent metaphors are wrapped in layers of emotional complexity, human regret, and the cascading chain reaction of love, loss, and longing. Originally the title track from his 1981 solo album, Scissors Cut is a lesser-known gem that has captivated attentive listeners for decades with its subtle storytelling and aching vulnerability.
The track was penned not by Garfunkel himself, but by songwriter Jimmy Webb, whose ability to sculpt songs with philosophical depth and lyrical poignancy is well established (he also wrote “All I Know” and “MacArthur Park”). Garfunkel, whose voice is synonymous with fragile beauty, became the perfect vessel for this introspective piece.
Let’s journey into the emotional terrain of “Scissors Cut”, unravel its lyrical layers, and explore why this quiet song leaves such a deep echo in the listener’s heart.
The Meaning of “Scissors Cut” Lyrics
The song opens with an intimate recollection of a promise—one made in a time of fear, perhaps during the Cold War era when nuclear anxiety was an omnipresent cultural undercurrent:
“If they ever drop the bomb,” you said
“I’ll find you in the flames.” 1
This line immediately sets a tone of devotion in the face of catastrophe. It echoes a sentiment that love can outlast disaster, that two souls might reunite even amid apocalypse. But the following line is a jarring contrast:
But now we act like people
Who don’t know each other’s names 1
Here, the emotional fallout becomes more devastating than any physical bomb. The intimacy of the past has disintegrated into unfamiliarity. It’s a startling, raw recognition that relationships—even ones with promises forged in fire—can fade into estrangement.
The chorus introduces the metaphor that anchors the song, Rock, Paper, Scissors—but twisted into something mournful and adult:
Scissors cut, paper covers rock
Breaks the shining scissor 1
This children’s game becomes a metaphor for the fragility and cyclical hurt in adult relationships. Each element, once playful, now represents damage, erosion, and consequence. The “shining scissor” could symbolize trust, clarity, or truth—something beautiful and dangerous—that ultimately gets broken.
Then comes the chain of pain:
You hurt me
I hurt her and she goes and we will miss her 1
This is the emotional core of the song. In just a few lines, it tells an entire generational story of trauma passed on, like a domino effect of pain. The original wound—“you hurt me”—does not simply fade; it transforms into secondary wounds inflicted on others. There’s guilt, resignation, and grief in this chain reaction. “She goes and we will miss her” sounds like an ending—not just to a relationship but possibly to a life, a presence, a soul lost in the waves of emotional neglect or collateral damage.
The second verse continues the theme of disillusionment:
Now, I look around at people
Playing children’s games 1
This line adds a layer of social commentary. The narrator observes the world still entangled in trivial conflicts and surface-level engagements, perhaps alluding to the way adults often cloak deep emotional issues in childish behavior, refusing to confront their past with honesty.
Yet, there’s still that aching question lingering:
And I wonder if you’re still thinking
You might find me somewhere in the flames 1
It’s a devastating return to the opening line—a circle of thought where the past refuses to die. Despite the hurt and estrangement, there remains a quiet hope—however irrational—that love might still reappear in the ashes.
The repetition of the chorus reinforces the inescapable pattern:
Scissors cut, paper covers rock
Breaks the shining scissor
You hurt me
I hurt her and she goes and we will miss her 1
It’s not just a musical refrain—it’s an emotional verdict, emphasizing the inevitability of this painful pattern. This is not a song of resolution; it’s a song of resigned sorrow, of recognizing how time, silence, and wounded pride can fracture even the deepest bonds.
A Legacy of Quiet Power
Though it never topped charts, “Scissors Cut” holds a special place among Art Garfunkel’s most introspective work. It’s a song that demands stillness—a moment of deep listening. Garfunkel’s voice here is soft and ghost-like, not attempting to dominate but to reveal the undercurrent of quiet heartbreak. His delivery of Webb’s poetry is filled with nuance, as if he, too, is searching for someone in the flames.
In the context of Garfunkel’s solo career, Scissors Cut marked a deeply personal period. He was emerging from both professional and personal turmoil, including the death of his partner Laurie Bird, which haunted much of his work in the early ’80s. While the song doesn’t explicitly reference these events, the emotional weight it carries makes it impossible to separate from the real-world pain behind the voice.
Final Thoughts
“Scissors Cut” is not a song of blame—it’s a meditation on how relationships unravel, how emotional injuries don’t just stay with us, and how we inadvertently wound others as we try to move forward. It’s a poetic elegy for promises broken not by bombs, but by time and silence.
In today’s world—where human connections can be fleeting, and the damage of the past lingers in quiet ways—Scissors Cut feels more relevant than ever. It reminds us that even the softest songs can speak the loudest truths.
Complete Lyrics
“If they ever drop the bomb,” you said
“I’ll find you in the flames.”
But now we act like people
Who don’t know each other’s names
Well, sometimes it makes me sad, you know
Sometimes it makes me smile
‘Cause you know how the game goes, honey
We all eat it once in awhile
Scissors cut, paper covers rock
Breaks the shining scissor
You hurt me
I hurt her and she goes and we will miss her
Now, I look around at people
Playing children’s games
And I wonder if you’re still thinking
You might find me somewhere in the flames
Scissors cut, paper covers rock
Breaks the shining scissor
You hurt me
I hurt her and she goes and we will miss her