▁" It ▁was ▁recently ▁or phan ed ▁and ▁walked ▁onto ▁this ▁aer od rome ; ▁the ▁people ▁I ▁know ▁took ▁it ▁in ▁and ▁called ▁it ▁Mr . ▁Tem bo . ▁I ▁was ▁there , ▁and ▁I ▁met ▁this ▁little ▁ele ph ant , ▁and ▁he ▁was ▁very ▁sweet . ▁I ▁sang ▁it ▁to ▁him ." ▁The ▁track ▁was ▁played ▁for ▁the ▁ele ph ant ▁in ▁a ▁demo ▁form ▁by ▁Al bar n ▁and ▁Paul ▁Simon on , ▁and ▁recorded ▁over ▁a ▁phone ▁call ▁between ▁Al bar n ▁and ▁Richard ▁Russell . ▁ ▁As ▁for ▁the ▁recording ▁process ▁of ▁the ▁album , ▁Al bar n ▁started ▁it ▁with ▁nearly ▁ 6 0 ▁songs ▁written ▁down , ▁and ▁then ▁would ▁allow ▁co - produ cer ▁Richard ▁Russell ▁to ▁pick ▁his ▁favour ites , ▁which ▁would ▁then ▁become ▁tracks ▁on ▁his ▁album . ▁ ▁In ▁an ▁interview ▁with ▁N ME ▁about ▁the ▁album , ▁Al bar n ▁explained ▁that ▁the ▁lyr ics ▁were ▁" the ▁hard est ▁part ". ▁He ▁commented : ▁" The ▁lyr ics ▁were ▁the ▁hard est ▁part . ▁The ▁music … ▁le ans ▁towards ▁my ▁more ▁mel anch ol ic , ▁intros pective ▁soul ful ▁side , ▁which ▁is ▁where ▁I ▁love ▁to ▁sing , ▁but ▁lyr ically ▁it ▁took ▁me ▁a ▁long ▁time . ▁I ▁wanted ▁it ▁to ▁be ▁about ▁my ▁life , ▁in ▁a ▁way , ▁and ▁I ▁went ▁right ▁back ▁to ... ▁it ▁sort ▁of ▁starts ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 6 ." ▁He ▁added ▁that ▁every ▁song ▁on