Sound of Silence
J2 (The Iconic Series Vol.1) 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
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 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
"Sound of Silence" is a song that was originally released in 1964 by Simon & Garfunkel but later it was covered by J2 (The Iconic Series Vol. 1) in their own style. In the first verse, the singer is addressing "darkness," as if it were a person. They are saying that it has returned as a familiar and welcome presence, and that they want to speak to it. The vision of the singer's dream has left its mark on him, and he can't ignore it. He's haunted by it, and it's something that he can't shake off. The vision of the dream is present in the sound of silence.
In the second verse, the singer's walking around at night in a city, when he sees a neon light. He's struck by the contrast between the brightness of the light and the surrounding darkness. He sees a group of people talking, but to him, they're not communicating anything really meaningful. They're talking without speaking, hearing without listening. They're absorbed in their own thoughts and aren't creating anything of substance. They're merely existing in the sound of silence.
In the final verse, the singer tries to awaken the people around him to the beauty of what he has seen. He tells them that silence can be more harmful than we think, like a cancer. He wants to teach them, to help them understand. However, his words fall on deaf ears. He's unable to break through the wall of silence that envelops them, which is why his words fall like raindrops into a well. The people are too willing to bow down to the artificial light of a neon sign, which serves as a false god. And the song fades to a whisper, as the true sound of silence cannot be fully grasped.
Line by Line Meaning
Hello darkness, my old friend
Addressing the feeling of emptiness and loneliness that has always been around
I've come to talk with you again
Finding solace in despair, seeking comfort in being alone
Because a vision softly creeping
A sudden realization, a thought that gradually takes shape
Left its seeds while I was sleeping
Growing in the subconscious, shaping the course of life
And the vision that was planted in my brain
A concept that takes root in the mind, a powerful idea
Still remains
Persisting, not going away
Within the sound of silence
Beneath the noise and distractions of life, hidden within the quietness
In restless dreams I walked alone
Recurring thoughts and worries that haunt the mind, causing unease
Narrow streets of cobblestone
A bleak and constricting environment, symbolizing hardship and struggle
'Neath the halo of a street lamp
Illuminated by a dim and unforgiving source of light, helpless and exposed
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
Attempting to protect oneself from the harshness of reality
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
A sudden and intrusive disturbance, an unwelcome intrusion
That split the night
A jarring interruption to the peacefulness of the night
And touched the sound of silence
Penetrating the quietness, disrupting the solace of solitude
And in the naked light I saw
Exposed, vulnerable, and seeing the world for what it truly is
Ten thousand people, maybe more
A vast number of individuals, all seemingly alike
People talking without speaking
Conversations that lack meaning, shallow and superficial
People hearing without listening
Passive listening, not truly engaging with the message being conveyed
People writing songs that voices never share
Art that is created but not expressed or communicated
And no one dared
A lack of courage, unwillingness to break from the crowd
Disturb the sound of silence
Respect for the peacefulness and solitude of silence
"Fools", said I, "You do not know
Recognizing the ignorance and lack of understanding of others
Silence like a cancer grows
The danger of silence, how it can fester and spread like a disease
Hear my words that I might teach you
Offering insight and knowledge, hoping to change the perspective of others
Take my arms that I might reach you"
Extending a helping hand, a gesture of kindness and compassion
But my words, like silent raindrops fell
Unheeded, without impact, muted by the indifference of others
And echoed
Reverberating, resounding in emptiness
In the wells of silence
Drowning in the vast emptiness of silence
And the people bowed and prayed
Submitting to a greater power, seeking guidance and salvation
To the neon god they made
Worshipping false idols, seeking meaning in empty symbols
And the sign flashed out its warning
A warning of the dangers of idolizing and worshiping empty symbols
In the words that it was forming
The message communicated by the sign
And the sign said, "The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls
A reminder that wisdom and truth can be found in unexpected places
And tenement halls"
In the midst of humble and impoverished surroundings
And whispered in the sounds of silence
Speaking through the emptiness, offering hope and guidance
Contributed by William Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@tejashmore5897
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 dared
Disturb the sound of silence.
@capulet777
I discovered this song while I was high...and let me tell you...that was an experience I'll never forget.
@willcham8146
@Wraith Gaming here here!
@meghandavis5327
this and Disturbed's renditions are perhaps the greatest
@Tiffhoney2
Disturbed is, by a great margin, the best rendition of this song. But this one too is great.
@sh9683
true., but never as good as the original, but best covers absolutely
@1Life2Little
Perhaps?
@Mymloch
This version does what I wanted Disturbed's version to do. So awesome!
@Wblanco23
Damn, u should do more videos like this. Mixing old classic song with epic music just sounds fucking amazing
@Jak.Jak.
you should look up this song "love is like a battle field" epic pop. the one with the elf girl and blue hair.
@eu7384
man, mandou bem, representou