The song, like most Simon & Garfunkel songs, is about lack of communication, this time taking place during a traffic jam on the 59th Street Bridge in Manhattan, which happens frequently during a morning rush hour going to work. During a traffic jam, drivers are trying to drive fast even though it's physically impossible to go anywhere -- and no one communicates during a jam, even though there's nothing going on. The protagonist is begging the listener to enjoy the delay -- essentially, "We're stuck here. Let's talk!", comparing the stolid listenr to a "lamp post". The jam removes all obligations ("I've got no deeds to do, no promises to keep") and even affords a chance to take a snooze. The protagonist is insisting that a traffic jam is to be savored as a gift, not a hindrance.