Simon Paparo
“Embrace everyone you come across. Show them love and tenderness,
My Dad died in March – I asked him when he was dying what he had learned from life – that was his answer.
and see if it comes back to you.”
Simon Paparo
Simon grew up in Perth and has been writing songs since the age of 15. His family moved to Sydney and then to Melbourne where he has continued his music career. You’ll find Simon busking regularly in Bourke Street Mall and gigging around Melbourne.
What’s something memorable that’s happened to you while busking?
“One day a guy listened for a while and then wrote a note and threw it in my guitar case. I didn’t look at it until I was packing up my stuff. I opened it and it said: ‘You gave me hope today.’ That was pretty special. I guess that’s why we do what we do.”
What’s a lyric you really love from any song?
“You’re gonna drown tomorrow, if you cry too many tears for yesterday.”
“It’s from a song called ‘Only Him or Me’ by Townes Van Zandt. I like that line.”
Who are your musical influences?
“Vance Joy, Bon Iver and Ed Sheeran. Also pretty much all of the folk artists from the 60s and 70s because I grew up listening to all of that music with my Dad.”
Apart from earning some coin, why do you busk?
“It’s a good way to pick up private gigs. I get party bookings, wedding bookings, that sort of gig from enquiries while busking.”
“But mostly it’s about human connection. One day before I started my set in Bourke Street Craig this homeless guy was in a really bad way. I thought he was dead. I rushed over to him and saw he was breathing. I got him some water and something to eat, got him an ambulance. We connected as human beings and now we have a chat, you know, we have a connection.”
Leanne Ortiz 