"For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her" is a song written by Paul Simon

Paul Simon

Paul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Simon is best known for his success, beginning in 1965, as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached number one on the US singles...

. It is the tenth track on Simon & Garfunkel's 1966 album by Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme is the third album by Simon & Garfunkel, released in the United States on October 10, 1966. Its name comes from the second line of the album's first track, "Scarborough Fair/Canticle", an English folk song from the 16th century, paired with a counter-melody and...

, where it is sung by Art Garfunkel

Art Garfunkel

Arthur Ira "Art" Garfunkel is an American singer-songwriter, poet, and actor, best known as being a member of the folk duo Simon & Garfunkel...

.

Paul Simon has said that the song is not about an imaginary girl Emily, but about a belief, while the song "Overs" (from the album Bookends) is about the loss of that belief.

Although the song had not been a hit (it was the B-side of the 1966 single "A Hazy Shade of Winter"), a live version of it was included on the 1972 album Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits

Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits

Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits is the first compilation album from Simon & Garfunkel, released on June 14, 1972 two years after the duo disbanded.-Overview:...

. This live version was released as the B-side of the 1972 single "America", and reached #53 in the Billboard Hot 100

Billboard Hot 100

The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...

 (while the A-side only reached #97).

The song has been covered by a number of artists, including Glenn Yarbrough

Glenn Yarbrough

Glenn Yarbrough is an American folk singer. He was the lead singer with The Limeliters between 1959 and 1963, and had a prolific solo career, recording on various labels.-Biography:...

 (as the title track of his 1967 album For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her), Johnny Rivers

Johnny Rivers

Johnny Rivers is an American rock and roll singer, songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. His styles include folk songs, blues, and revivals of old-time rock 'n' roll songs and some original material...

 (on his 1967 album Rewind), The Arbors

The Arbors

The Arbors were an American pop group formed in 1964 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The members, two sets of brothers, met at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, and began playing local shows in Michigan before moving to New York...

 (on their 1968 album The Arbors Featuring I Can't Quit Her - The Letter), Ricky Nelson

Ricky Nelson

Eric Hilliard Nelson , better known as Ricky Nelson or Rick Nelson, was an American singer-songwriter, instrumentalist, and actor...

 (on his 1969 album Perspective), Paul Desmond

Paul Desmond

Paul Desmond , born Paul Emil Breitenfeld, was a jazz alto saxophonist and composer born in San Francisco, best known for the work he did in the Dave Brubeck Quartet and for penning that group's greatest hit, "Take Five"...

 (on his 1969 album Bridge over Troubled Water), Cliff Richard

Cliff Richard

Sir Cliff Richard, OBE is a British pop singer, musician, performer, actor, and philanthropist who has sold over an estimated 250 million records worldwide....

 (on his 1969 album Sincerely Cliff), David Essex

David Essex

David Essex OBE is an English musician, singer-songwriter and actor. Since the 1970s, Essex has attained nineteen Top 40 singles in the UK , and sixteen Top 40 albums...

 (on his 1973 album Rock On

Rock On (David Essex album)

Rock On is the debut album of singer/songwriter David Essex. Its lead single and title track, "Rock On", is still Essex's best known song in the US...

), John Frusciante

John Frusciante

John Anthony Frusciante is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, record and film producer. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, with whom he had been for a number of years and recorded five studio albums...

 (at Red Hot Chili Peppers shows) and The Czars

The Czars

The Czars was an alternative rock band, formed in 1994 in Denver by John Grant and Chris Pearson. They released six studio albums, one EP, and three singles in the duration of their career. After the release of Goodbye in 2004, five of the six members of The Czars left the band over the span of...

 (on their 2006 album Sorry I Made You Cry). Paul's son Harper

Harper Simon

Harper James Simon is an American singer-songwriter, musician and producer. He is the son of musician Paul Simon and Paul's first wife, Peggy Harper.-Early life:...

used some lines from the song on his "Berkeley Girl."

Chart performance

Chart (1972)	Peak position
US Billboard Hot 100	53