In the beginning, Columbia Records signed Carlile in late 2004 on the strength of songs she'd been recording periodically at home. Released in 2005, Brandi Carlile showcased those early songs along with several newly recorded tracks. Shortly after the release of Brandi Carlile, she left her home in Seattle and set out with the Hanseroth brothers, with whom she'd worked on her earliest recordings and independent regional tours. The tightly knit trio, which forms the core of her band today, spent the better part of two years on the road honing the songs that would later become part of her album "The Story".
In 2005, she was featured on Rolling Stone's "10 Artists to Watch in 2005" list. By the end of 2006, Carlile had embarked on several headlining tours and supported a variety of artists including Ray LaMontagne, The Fray, Chris Isaak, Tori Amos, and Shawn Colvin.
Her second album, The Story, was released in April 2007. It was produced by T Bone Burnett and includes a collaboration with the Indigo Girls on "Cannonball." The album was recorded in an eleven-day-long session with Carlile , the twins (Tim and Phil Hanseroth) and drummer Matt Chamberlain to capture the raw intensity of Carlile's live performances. The crack in Carlile's vocals during the title track, "The Story", came out by accident and was a direct result of the way the album was recorded. Carlile herself describes the vocals as "technically wrong but emotionally right."
Carlile was exposed to a wider audience when ABC's Grey's Anatomy showcased three of her songs: "Tragedy," "What Can I Say," and "Throw It All Away". In April 2007, Grey's Anatomy debuted a version of the video for the single The Story interspersed with footage from the show. On May 3, 2007, a special two-hour episode of "Grey's Anatomy" featured Carlile's song "Turpentine" during footage of the "Grey's Anatomy" spin-off, "Private Practice".
The Sound of Silence
Brandi Carlile Lyrics
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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 streetlamp, I turned my collar to the cold and damp
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light, split the night
And in the naked light I saw, ten thousand people, maybe more
People talking without speaking, people hearing without listening
People writing songs that voices never shared, and no one dared
To stir the sound of silence
Fool, said I, you do not know, silence, like a cancer, grows
Hear my words and I might teach you, take my arms then 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'd made
And the sign flashed 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
The song "The Sound of Silence" by Brandi Carlile is a poignant reflection on the isolating nature of modern society. The opening line, "Hello darkness, my old friend," suggests that the singer has become accustomed to loneliness and has come to embrace it as a part of their life. The vision that the singer had while they were sleeping represents an idea that has taken root in their mind and has yet to leave. This idea is embodied in the "sound of silence," which represents the lack of meaningful communication in society.
The singer then describes a dream in which they walk alone down cobblestone streets, surrounded by thousands of people who are not truly present. These people are speaking without saying anything of substance, and they are hearing without really listening. The singer then refers to the fact that people are writing songs that aren't being shared with others, and that no one dares to try to stir up the sound of silence. The singer sees the silence as an all-consuming force, like a cancer that is growing within society.
Line by Line Meaning
Hello darkness, my old friend, I've come with talk with you again
I am in a familiar place of sadness and I want to have a conversation with it to understand it better.
Because a vision softly creeping, left its seeds while I was sleeping
A thought or idea came to me when I was not actively thinking about it.
And the vision that was planted in my brain, still remains
The idea that came to me has stayed with me.
Within the sound of silence
The idea is tied to the quiet or initial absence of thought.
In restless dreams I walked alone, narrow streets of cobblestone
I am feeling alone and wandering in my thoughts.
Neath the halo of a streetlamp, I turned my collar to the cold and damp
I am alone in a chilly and dim place.
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light, split the night
Something sharp and bright caught my attention in the dark.
And touched the sound of silence
The external stimulation brought me back to the presence of thought.
And in the naked light I saw, ten thousand people, maybe more
In a moment of clarity, I see a large group of people before me.
People talking without speaking, people hearing without listening
Many of these people are speaking emptily, without really hearing or understanding each other.
People writing songs that voices never shared, and no one dared
Some people are expressing themselves through art but are afraid to truly share it with others.
To stir the sound of silence
They are afraid to disrupt the quiet of their own thoughts or the undefined space between them and others.
Fool, said I, you do not know, silence, like a cancer, grows
I recognize that avoiding thoughts and emotions can lead to them festering and growing worse over time.
Hear my words and I might teach you, take my arms then I might reach you
I want to share my thoughts and connect with others to help them understand.
But my words, like silent raindrops fell, and echoed in the wells of silence
Despite my intentions, my words are absorbed into the silence and not always heard or understood by others.
And the people bowed and prayed to the neon god they'd made
Those around me are preoccupied with and worshiping material things.
And the sign flashed its warning in the words that it was forming
Even the material things around us can have warnings and implications that we need to pay attention to.
And the sign said the words of the prophets are written on the subway walls
Even in unexpected and unassuming places, there can be meaningful and insightful messages from others.
And tenement halls, and whispered in the sounds of silence
These messages can be found in the places that we might dismiss as unimportant and in the absence of sound or activity.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Paul Simon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind