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The Sound Of Silence
Simon & Garfunkel Lyrics


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The Sounds Of Silence

Performer:Simon & Garfunkel
Composer :Paul Simon
Lyricist :Paul Simon

Hello darkness my old friend
I've come to talk with you again
Because a vision softly creeping
Left its seeds while i was sleeping
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains within the sound of silence

In restless dreams i walked alone
Narrow streets of cobblestone
'Neath the halo of a street lamp
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
That split the night
And touched the sound of silence

And in the naked light i saw
Ten thousand people may be more
People talking without speaking
People hearing without listening
People writing songs that voices never shared
No one dared disturb the sound of silence

Fools said i "you do not know
Silence is like a cancer grows
Hear my words that i might teach you
Take my arms that i might reach you"
But my words like silent raindrops fell
And echoed in the wells of silence

And the people bowed and prayed
To the neon god they made
And the sign flashed out its warning
In the words that it was forming
And the sign said
"the words of the prophets are written on the subway walls
And tenement halls
And whispered in the sounds of silence"

Overall Meaning

The Sound of Silence by Simon & Garfunkel is a hauntingly beautiful and thought-provoking song. The song reflects a sense of loneliness, isolation and disconnectedness in a world where people are surrounded by endless chatter and meaningless communication. The singer addresses the darkness, which he personifies as an old friend, and confesses that he has come to talk with it again. The vision that has crept into his mind and left its seeds is the feeling of emptiness and despair that has been caused by his inability to connect with people despite being surrounded by them. He suggests that this feeling, which is the absence of sound or silence, is a part of him, and he cannot escape it.


In the second verse, the singer takes a walk in the city streets, where he sees numerous people, but none of them communicate in a genuine and meaningful way. After a sudden burst of light, he is blinded and touched by the sound of silence. He wonders why people are not able to hear the inner voice of others, which is drowned out by the constant noise around them. The singer's frustration and feeling of being ignored by society is emphasized in the next verse when he tries to teach the people to listen to his message, but it falls on deaf ears. He compares his words to raindrops in the silence, creating no impact. The final verse describes the people's reverence to the neon god that they made, a symbol of their reliance on technology and materialism. The warning on the signboard describes the words of the prophets written on the walls of tenements and subways, the echoes of the voiceless in the sound of silence.


Line by Line Meaning

Hello darkness, my old friend
I am returning to a state of sadness that I am familiar with


I've come to talk with you again
I want to explore this state of sadness and reflect on it


Because a vision softly creeping
I experienced a vision that was subtle and unobtrusive


Left its seeds while I was sleeping
This vision left a lasting impression while I was subconscious


And the vision that was planted in my brain
I cannot forget the vision that is imprinted in my mind


Still remains
It persists and lingers


Within the sound of silence
Only in this state of silence am I able to reflect clearly on that vision


In restless dreams I walked alone
I am wandering alone in a state of restlessness in my dreams


Narrow streets of cobblestone
I am wandering through isolated and confining spaces in my subconscious


'Neath the halo of a street lamp
The only source of light and illumination is a street light above me


I turned my collar to the cold and damp
I am shielding myself from the harshness of the environment I am in


When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
My senses were jolted by a sudden, bright neon light


That split the night
It disrupted the serenity of the false peace in the night


And touched the sound of silence
It made me realize the stark contrast between this serenity and the chaos in reality


And in the naked light I saw
In the harsh reality that the neon light illuminated, I witnessed


Ten thousand people, maybe more
I saw a large crowd of people, potentially in the masses


People talking without speaking
They were communicating without truly reaching each other


People hearing without listening
They heard the words but did not listen to the message behind them


People writing songs that voices never share
There is an issue in society in which songs and voices are lost and unheard


No one dared
There is too much fear in society to address this problem


Disturb the sound of silence
No one wants to disrupt the false serenity that exists


"Fools" said I, "You do not know
I realize that the people around me are misguided


Silence like a cancer grows
The longer we stay silent, the worse we let the problem grow


Hear my words that I might teach you
I am sharing my thoughts to enlighten others


Take my arms that I might reach you"
I am making a genuine effort to connect with others and help them


But my words like silent raindrops fell
Unfortunately, my message was not well-received or impactful


And echoed in the wells of silence
My message was lost in the reverberating echo of the unspoken problem in society


And the people bowed and prayed
The masses turned to their false gods in a moment of weakness


To the neon god they made
They looked to the very thing that is causing the issue


And the sign flashed out its warning
The flashing neon sign is a warning of the further damage that will come


In the words that it was forming
The warning is contained in the message that it is sending


And the sign said, "The words of the prophets
The sign is speaking of the important messages sent by leaders


Are written on the subway walls
But these messages are only found in obscure places like subway walls


And tenement halls
Or basic living accommodations


And whispered in the sounds of silence"
These problems are left to be discussed only in silence and obscurity




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Paul Simon

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Boyce Avenue

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Fabian Sanchez

do cover of SELENA - I Could Fall In Love. Not too many covers of that song.

Karla Almeida

thank you so much for this wonderful gift 🎁 I'm super hyper happy!! please give a super hug to the whole team that is part of this wonderful event!! I thank you from the bottom of my heart 😍 and I'm already here enjoying myself and listening to My Dear Boyceavenue! One day I want to hear it live! Kisses 🥰😘😘

Karla Almeida

Thank you very much

Kosta Ziu

Please forever young by alphavill

Joey

Cool

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Morlath

One of my all time favourite songs, covered by my all time favourite "cover" band. Love it!

Mister S

Right Here With Ya!

Daniel Peters

Yep same!

christopher francis

Likewise!

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