McRae was born in Harlem, New York, on the 8th April 1920, and studied piano as a child. As a teenager she came to the attention of Teddy Wilson and his wife, the composer Irene Kitchings Wilson. Through their influence, one of McRae’s early songs, "Dream of Life", was recorded by Wilson’s longtime collaborator Billie Holiday.
By the late 1940s she was well known among the modern jazz musicians who gathered at Minton's Playhouse, Harlem’s most famous jazz club, where she was the intermission pianist. But it was while working in Brooklyn that she came to the attention of Decca’s Milt Gabler. Her five year association with Decca yielded twelve LPs.
The musicians she sang with include Benny Carter, Mercer Ellington, Count Basie, Sammy Davis Jr, Dave Brubeck, and Louis Armstrong. She was married once (and briefly), to drummer Kenny Clarke.
McRae died on the 10th November 1994.
The Sound Of Silence
Carmen McRae Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
'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, maybe more.
People talking without speaking,
People hearing without listening,
People writing songs that voices never share
And no one dare
Disturb the sound of silence.
"Fools" said I" You do not know
Silence 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 whisper'd in the sounds of silence.
Carmen McRae's rendition of "The Sound of Silence" pays tribute to Simon & Garfunkel's original version, which ranked in the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 in the '60s. The lyrics describe the singer's struggle to communicate in a world where people don't listen or communicate with each other. Darkness symbolizes isolation and loneliness, which have become the singer's "old friend." The vision that the singer refers to is an epiphany that inspires them to write a song about silence, and the silence still echoes in the singer's mind.
In the second verse, the singer describes a dream where they're walking alone, and nothing significant happens until they're stabbed by the flash of a neon light. This moment represents the realization that people are talking without really communicating, hearing without really listening. The neon light is a metaphor for society's obsession with superficiality and technology that distracts people from what's important. The third part of the song acknowledges that people are reluctant to break the silence because they fear the consequences. The singer urges people to wake up, listen to what they're saying, and actively participate in communication rather than be passive.
Line by Line Meaning
Hello darkness, my old friend,
I am welcoming sadness, as it has become a familiar companion in my life.
I've come to talk with you again,
I want to express my emotions and share my inner thoughts with my old friend, sadness.
Because a vision softly creeping,
A thought or idea slowly entered my mind.
Left its seeds while I was sleeping,
The idea took root in my mind while I was unaware.
And the vision that was planted in my brain
The idea took hold and became a dominant thought in my mind.
Still remains
The thought or idea continues to have an impact and influence on me.
Within the sound of silence.
The idea is present in the quiet moments of my life.
In restless dreams I walked alone
My anxious thoughts and emotions kept me company as I drifted off to sleep.
Narrow streets of cobblestone,
Metaphorically, the path ahead of me in life is uncertain and unstable.
'Neath the halo of a street lamp,
The dim light illuminated my surroundings and my thoughts.
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
In an attempt to protect myself, I physically shielded myself from the environment.
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
A sudden, jarring event interrupted my thoughts and emotions.
That split the night
This event disrupted the peace and calm of the night.
And touched the sound of silence.
The event impacted me in a way that was connected to the quiet moments in my life.
And in the naked light I saw
In a moment of clarity, I was able to see things as they truly were.
Ten thousand people, maybe more.
There were countless individuals around me.
People talking without speaking,
Despite communication, there was no true connection or understanding.
People hearing without listening,
Individuals were present, but their minds were not engaged in active listening or comprehension.
People writing songs that voices never share
An individual is creating something that will never be truly understood or heard by others.
And no one dare
No one is willing or able to change the current state of affairs.
Disturb the sound of silence.
The status quo remains unchallenged and unchanged.
"Fools" said I" You do not know
I am labeling the individuals around me as foolish or unaware.
Silence like a cancer grows.
The absence of communication or understanding is a detrimental force that spreads throughout society.
Hear my words that I might teach you,
I am offering my wisdom and perspective to those around me.
Take my arms that I might reach you."
I am extending myself in an attempt to connect with others and share my thoughts and feelings.
But my words like silent raindrops fell,
Despite my attempts to communicate, my words were not heard or understood.
And echoed
My words were repeated, but not truly listened to or understood by others.
In the wells of silence
My words were lost in the deep, unchanging silence of society.
And the people bowed and prayed
Society collectively engaged in a ritualistic form of worship or expression.
To the neon god they made.
Individuals have placed importance and value in consumer culture and material items.
And the sign flashed out its warning,
The consumer culture warns of the dangers of not conforming and the potential consequences of being an outsider.
In the words that it was forming.
The message is clear and understandable to society at large.
And the sign said, "The words of the prophets
The consumer culture presents itself as an authority figure with reliable and accurate information.
Are written on the subway walls
The ideas and messages of the consumer culture are ubiquitous and visual.
And tenement halls."
The culture is everywhere and impacts all aspects of life.
And whisper'd in the sounds of silence.
The culture remains pervasive, even in moments of quiet and isolation.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Paul Simon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mihalissimhs8014
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, maybe more.
People talking without speaking,
People hearing without listening,
People writing songs that voices never share
And no one dare
Disturb the sound of silence.
"Fools" said I" You do not know
Silence 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 whisper'd in the sounds of silence.
@terrylewis_
I love this!!! I've never heard of Carmen McRae before. What a lovely voice and vibe.
@jonjabina7175
love carmen's version , very psychedelic but her voice is that of an angels !
@bradly2007
Classic Carmen during Atlantic Records years, can't go wrong with any of these as Carmen McRae stretched refusing to be boxed in to doing "old standards"...go Carmen!
@adambrocklehurst4211
Delicious, psychedelic, the slight discordance of her voice is wonderful.
@feicodeboer
As if it was a totally new song ... very nice rendition.
@asam68
Beautiful sound and voice
@mihalissimhs8014
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, maybe more.
People talking without speaking,
People hearing without listening,
People writing songs that voices never share
And no one dare
Disturb the sound of silence.
"Fools" said I" You do not know
Silence 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 whisper'd in the sounds of silence.
@cesarrodriguezgutierrez1144
Beautiful cover
@maxmarti6854
Quina cançó més fantàstica!!
@DocTrola
La cantant Winnie Winehouse tenia la mateixa veu! he quedat ven parada!