Sound of Silence
Garfunkel Lyrics
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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
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
No one dared
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 whispered in the sounds of silence"
The song “The Sound of Silence” by Garfunkel is a hauntingly beautiful yet deeply contemplative piece of music that explores the themes of isolation, alienation, and the dangers of modern society. The song starts with the singer addressing “darkness” as an old friend who has returned to talk with him again. The singer describes how a vision, planted in his mind while asleep, still remains within the sound of silence. This vision, combined with the singer’s experiences walking the streets late at night, underscores the loneliness and disaffection of modern life.
Garfunkel goes on to paint a picture of thousands of people “talking without speaking” and “hearing without listening,” lost in their own little worlds and unable to connect with the larger issues that affect them. The singer asserts that “silence like a cancer grows” and pleads with the people to hear his words so that he might reach them. However, the efforts of the singer to connect with the people are in vain, as his “words like silent raindrops fell, and echoed in the wells of silence.”
The song concludes by describing how the people, instead of listening to the singer’s pleas, have bowed and prayed to the “neon god they made.” The “sign flashed out its warning” that the words of the prophets are written on the subway walls and tenement halls, and whispered in the sounds of silence. In essence, the song is a cautionary tale about the dangers of losing touch with one’s humanity and the need to connect with others in a meaningful way in order to truly live.
Line by Line Meaning
Hello darkness, my old friend
I acknowledge that darkness is familiar to me and now I'm addressing it as if an old friend
I've come to talk with you again
I've approached darkness again because there's something I need to discuss with it
Because a vision softly creeping
A vague idea has slowly appeared in my mind
Left its seeds while I was sleeping
It has left a lasting impression in my mind while I was asleep
And the vision that was planted in my brain
The idea that has taken root in my head
Still remains
It's still there, with me
Within the sound of silence
I can only hear it in an atmosphere of silence
In restless dreams I walked alone
I'm alone in my unsettled dreams
Narrow streets of cobblestone
The paths I take are rough and limited
'Neath the halo of a street lamp
Under the light of the streetlamp, I feel exposed and vulnerable
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
I attempt to protect myself from the harsh weather
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
An unexpected jolt of brightness suddenly disorientated me
That split the night
It divided the darkness, creating a stark contrast
And touched the sound of silence
It shattered the quietness around me
And in the naked light I saw
I was exposed to the 'truths' that the bright light exposed
Ten thousand people, maybe more
A vast sea of people was present
People talking without speaking
They're chatting but saying nothing of value or significance
People hearing without listening
They're paying no attention to one another
People writing songs that voices never share
They express emotions through music without ever truly communicating
No one dared
No one has the courage to
Disturb the sound of silence
Interrupt the stillness around them
"Fools" said I, "You do not know
In my mind I admonish them and say they lack understanding
Silence like a cancer grows
The emptiness has engulfed them and is spreading like an insidious disease
Hear my words that I might teach you
I implore them to listen to my message, to learn from me
Take my arms that I might reach you"
I'm extending myself, offering to help them
But my words like silent raindrops fell
They fall on deaf ears, ignored and unnoticed
And echoed in the wells of silence
My words bounced around aimlessly, lost in the silence
And the people bowed and prayed
They turn their attention to a higher power
To the neon god they made
The signs of vanity and commercialism have become their divinity
And the sign flashed out its warning
The neon light tried to warn them of the impending danger
In the words that it was forming
Its message briefly had the potential to penetrate their souls
And the sign said,"The words of the prophets
The sign itself is a witness to the fact that what is being said is true and prophetic
Are written on the subway walls
Despite their fleeting nature, powerful ideas coudl be found on common walls
And tenement halls
Even among the lower class there are powerful and profound opinions
And whispered in the sounds of silence"
These insightful voices are carried on the emptiness that surrounds them
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Paul Simon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@elaineyee6700
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
No one dared
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 whispered in the sounds of silence"
@Chelanirahul
LYRICS:
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 shared
And no one dared
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 its warning
In the words that it was forming
And the sign said, "The words on the prophets are written on the subway walls and tenement halls"
And whispered in the sounds of silence.
(This is for those who want to read the lyrics while watching this video)
@ArthurSilva-hj1tv
O Som do Silêncio
Olá, escuridão, minha velha amiga
Vim conversar com você outra vez
Porque uma visão surgiu mansamente
Deixou suas sementes enquanto eu dormia
E a visão que foi plantada em meu cérebro
Ainda permanece
Dentro do som do silêncio
Em sonhos atormentados, eu caminhei sozinho
Ruas estreitas de paralelepípedos
Sob a luz de um poste de rua
Levantei minha gola contra o frio e a umidade
Quando meus olhos foram apunhalados pelo brilho de uma luz de neon
Que partiu a noite
E tocou o som do silêncio
E na luz nua eu vi
Dez mil pessoas, talvez mais
Pessoas falando sem dizer
Pessoas ouvindo sem escutar
Pessoas escrevendo canções que vozes jamais compartilharam
E ninguém ousava
Perturbar o som do silêncio
Tolos, eu disse, vocês não sabem?
O silêncio cresce como um câncer
Escutem-me, que talvez eu possa ensiná-los
Peguem meus braços, que talvez eu possa alcançá-los
Mas minhas palavras caíram como gotas silenciosas de chuva
E ecoaram nos poços do silêncio
E as pessoas se curvaram e rezaram
Para o deus de neon que elas criaram
E a placa mostrou o seu aviso
Nas palavras que formava
E a placa dizia
As palavras dos profetas estão escritas nas paredes do metrô
E nos corredores dos cortiços
E são sussurradas ao som do silêncio
@townstar1
I think: My Top Ten of all written songs. All are number one:
John Lennon - Imagine
The eagles - Hotel California
Simon & Garfunkel - Sound of silence
Elvis Presley - Jail House Rock
Michael Jackson - Billy Jean
Whitney Houston - I will always love you
Elton John - Candle in the wind
Bob Dylon - Like a rolling stone
Led Zepplin - Stairway to heaven
Jimi Hendrix - All along the watchtower
@mauriziomaranesi2720
E’ la canzone del complesso “Simon & Garfunkel”. Vedi testo in fondo. Si tratta di una visione: “a vision softly creeping / Left its seeds while I was sleeping”. Il suono del silenzio è il caotico frastuono dell’orrore che non si può esprimere a parole. E’ l’umanità vittima dell’abominio: “Ten thousand people, maybe more / People talking without speaking / People hearing without listening / People writing songs that voices never share / No one dared / Disturb the sound of silence”. La reazione del profeta è di avvertimento: “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”. Ma non c’è risposta: “But my words like silent raindrops fell / And echoed in the wells of silence”. L’umanità adora la divinità dell’abominio che essa stessa ha creato: “And the people bowed and prayed / To the neon god they made”. Ed è la divinità stessa dell’abominio che, per la disperazione del suo stesso inferno in cui essa stessa si è condannata trascinandovi anche l’umanità, cerca di salvare quest’ultima per avere essa stessa un’opportunità di salvezza: “And the sign flashed out its warning / In the words that it was forming”. Il suo messaggio è: “The words of the prophets / Are written on the subway walls / And tenement halls”. Quindi la salvezza può venire dai bassifondi, non certo dall’autorità costituita. Ma il messaggio di avvertimento è solo un sussurro nel frastuono dell’orrore che non si può esprimere: “And whispered in the sounds of silence”.
Alla fine è la Bestia stessa che invoca il karma dal quale ha sempre tentato di sfuggire. E’ la Bestia stessa che si rende conto di dover salvare l’umanità sua vittima per salvare se stessa. Ma le risponde il suono del silenzio.
THE SOUND OF SILENCE
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
No one dared
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 whispered in the sounds of silence
(febbraio 2022)
@user-tj7xt3ph1l
Lyrics: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 streetlamp
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
No one dared
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 whispered in the sounds of silence."
@eastcumbriancollector983
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
No one dared
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 whispered in the sounds of silence"
@papafico1402
Lyrics
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
No one dared
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 whispered in the sounds of silence"
@margaretfarmer8184
When this song was at its height, my sister was 19 years old, dying from cancer. I was 17, and left school to spend a dreary winter with her in a Chicago hospital where they were doing experimental chemo. Late night, we'd order a pizza to be delivered to the ER in the basement, because nobody was allowed on the 8th floor cancer ward that late. We'd ride the elevator down and back, harmonizing this song together. She died too soon after that. I'm in my 70s now, but when I hear this song, I'm 17, in an elevator with great acoustics, holding a pizza, and singing my heart out with my best friend.
@dupedexplained1016
God bless you
@margaretfarmer8184
Thank you, God Bless you, too. I feel very blessed to have had those special times with her. In dying, she taught me so much about living.
@mikeatcora
Your memories made me want to connect through this, I take it that your beloved sister has been gone for over 50 years now as you're in your 70's now. I lost my only brother two years ago, he was 57 and much older than your sister was, I'm still wondering how it will feel for me to be older than he was, is that something that you ticked off as the years went by, the things you expected to learn from your sister that could never be about getting older. I find that I'm still confused by it all and now I'm 57, the same age as my brother was. It's obvious that you still miss her and feel how you did with her at that time, I hope my feelings don't fade away and stay with me as yours have for your sister.
Thanks for your posting.
@margaretfarmer8184
@@mikeatcora Thank you for sharing your thoughts and feelings about your loss. In answer, yes, it was very strange when I became "older" than my older sister. The hardest part was when I became a mother and later, a grandmother, and she wasn't there to be an aunt. She would have been a much loved aunt. But in those joyful minutes I've felt her there with me, and it felt good. My kids never got to have cousins, and I regret that, but now their kids DO have cousins, and I share that joy. I wish you those joyful moments of your brother's presence, and hope it eases the painful times.
@powergrassp7769
god bless you
@peacebrothers9112
Anyone here in 2024?
@sawomirborowski-szwed8957
😉
@user-kv5sk1bg3n
Пентатоникс исполняет эту песню в сто раз лучше.
@karolynecordeirocarvalho6475
Yes