So wanting too much attention and intimacy, being insatiable im marriage is also a common destroying factor of marriages. However, as we see in Simon's lyrics, there is no intimacy or poignant in between the couple. It's a boring life, even the conversations are forced, fake, meaningless and dull. Therefore the song is called the "dangling conversations". They only speak "things that matter with words that must be said". The couple is playing their roles unwillingly, involuntarily. The line "superficial sighs are the borders of our lives" reinforces the idea of them being trapped in an ordinary life where their freedom is limited in great deal. These show us that the two pieces emphasize the importance of communication in marriage, finding the right way to express your feelings, not asking for too much but not asking for none all threatens the marriage because a man and a women must be able to tell each other "how they feel and why the feel the way they do, otherwise they will impose on each others roles and actions that lead to further unhappiness.".
The alienation of the couple is very significant in Simon's lyrics. "Cast in our indifference like shells upon a shore", "I cannot feel your hand you"re a stranger now unto me" these lines show that they have drawn apart from each other due to their lack of communication and they have almost become invisible to one another. The word "shadow" and "fading" strengthens that idea. However, in the passage from "Why Marriages Fail" it is stating how to find the balance in relationships , not to lose the individualtity. "Growing up individuals" is the key word for a happy relationship but it doesn't seem to work for the couple mentioned in Simon's lyrics. "As you read your Emily Dickinson and I my Robert Frost as we note our place with bookmarkers that measure we've lost" is a line prooving that their individuality was a barrier to seperate them.
