First issued as a single as the B-side of "A Hazy Shade of Winter" (1966), the song was later reissued in live form in 1972 to promote the release of the compilation album Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits.
[6] The live recording of the song released as a single in August 1972 peaked at number 53 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent seven weeks on the chart.
[1] "For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her" has been called an "ethereal showpiece for [Art] Garfunkel," containing a "mystical quality, created not only by the timbre of the guitar, but also by some of the rhythmic and pitch elements.
"[7] The song’s production is simple, and consists mainly of a 12-string acoustic guitar played by Simon and various studio techniques, such as reverberation and unison overdubs on the vocals.
[8] James Bennighof, in his book The Words and Music of Paul Simon, considers the composition exceptionally flexible in regard to its harmonic and melodic scheme: "Simon feels free to vary the syllable and accent pattern of the text lines within the verses, and he adjusts the rhythms and pitches in order to accommodate these alterations.
"[7] Within the album’s sequence, the song follows "A Simple Desultory Philippic (or How I Was Robert McNamara'd into Submission)", which is considerably different in tone: a satirical rant regarding pop culture.