The Sound of Silence
Only You : Beautiful Sentimental Piano Vol.2 Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

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.

Overall Meaning

"The Sound of Silence" by Simon and Garfunkel is a compelling song that contemplates the idea of communication and the value of silence in modern society. The opening line "Hello darkness, my old friend" can be interpreted as a metaphor for depression, as the singer has come to rely on it as a familiar companion. This may also refer to the way silence can be present even in the midst of noise and clamor.


The chorus "Within the sound of silence" highlights how the silence can be both within and around us. The second verse elaborates on how the singer perceives the world as he moves through it at night. He witnesses people speaking without communicating and writing songs that are never shared. The line "People hearing without listening" suggests that communication requires more than just hearing words, but actively paying attention to what is being said.


In the third verse, the singer attempts to break the cycle of meaningless communication by sharing his message with those around him. He wants to teach and reach those who are lost in their own world of noise. However, he finds that his words fall on deaf ears and are lost in the "wells of silence."


The final verse refers to the warning sign as a representation of the "neon god" of modernity. This idolization of technology and materialism has resulted in a society that has lost touch with the human connection. The song ends with the haunting line, "And whispered in the sounds of silence," which serves as a reminder that even in the midst of chaos and noise, silence is always present.


Line by Line Meaning

Hello darkness, my old friend,
I am here to confront the feeling of emptiness and sadness that I have known and been comforted by before.


I've come to talk with you again,
I am reaching out to my familiar feelings of loneliness and despair.


Because a vision softly creeping,
I had a dream or thought that came to me quietly and unexpectedly.


Left its seeds while I was sleeping,
The thought or dream had a lasting effect on me even though I was not fully conscious.


And the vision that was planted in my brain
The idea or image that came to me has stayed with me and affected my thoughts.


Still remains
Even though time has passed, the feeling and memory of the dream or thought are still present.


Within the sound of silence.
The silence around me is a reminder of the dream or thought that I had.


In restless dreams I walked alone
I am haunted by these thoughts and dreams when I am unable to sleep and am left feeling lonely and disconnected.


Narrow streets of cobblestone,
The setting of my dream or thoughts is a dark, confining place.


'Neath the halo of a street lamp,
The only light in this setting is a single street lamp illuminating a small area.


I turned my collar to the cold and damp
I am trying to block out the cold and wetness of my surroundings as I walk.


When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
Suddenly, a bright light shone and interrupted my thoughts.


That split the night
The light was so bright that it completely changed the atmosphere of my surroundings.


And touched the sound of silence.
The bright light reminded me of the silence and emptiness I was feeling.


And in the naked light I saw
The bright light illuminated everything around me.


Ten thousand people, maybe more.
Despite being surrounded by people, I still feel disconnected and alone.


People talking without speaking,
People are making noise, but not truly communicating or connecting with each other.


People hearing without listening,
Even though people are around me, no one is truly paying attention to what is being said.


People writing songs that voices never share
People are expressing themselves through music, but their messages are not being heard or understood by others.


And no one dare
No one is brave enough or willing to address the deeper issues troubling us.


Disturb the sound of silence.
Everyone is content to remain in their own bubbles of silence, ignoring the problems around them.


"Fools" said I, "You do not know
I am frustrated and disappointed in the people around me who cannot see the pain and loneliness that everyone is feeling.


Silence like a cancer grows.
The silence and emotional detachment around us is a sickness that is spreading and growing worse.


Hear my words that I might teach you,
I am making a plea for everyone to listen to me and be open to change.


Take my arms that I might reach you."
I am offering my support and comfort to others in the hope that we can come together and overcome our struggles.


But my words like silent raindrops fell,
Despite my efforts, my words and message were not received or understood by those around me.


And echoed
My message was repeated and reflected back to me, but no one truly listened or understood.


In the wells of silence
My message and emotions fell into the void of silence and emotional detachment.


And the people bowed and prayed
People turn to religion or other forms of worship as a way to escape the pain and loneliness they feel.


To the neon god they made.
People are worshipping false gods, such as materialism and consumerism, rather than addressing the underlying issues.


And the sign flashed out its warning,
A warning sign appeared, indicating that something is deeply wrong and in need of attention.


In the words that it was forming.
The warning sign's message is clear and powerful.


And the sign said, "The words of the prophets
The message of the warning sign is similar to that of the prophets and other wise figures throughout history.


Are written on the subway walls
The message of change and hope can be found anywhere and everywhere, even in unexpected places like subway walls.


And tenement halls."
Even those who are living in poverty and difficult circumstances can find hope and meaning in the words of the prophets.


And whisper'd in the sounds of silence.
The message of change and transformation is present even in the midst of the silence and emotional detachment that surrounds us.




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:

Library Music

Hermosas melodías q me conectan y me suben mi vibración ,con esa maravillosa flauta ..Gracias gracias gracias 🙏

Ariela Gonzalez

😊Realmente hermosas melodias Gracias

María Silvia James Lema

I 8

Sara Cuerda

Maravillosas melodías!! gracias gracias❤

1 More Replies...

Adilma Fantoches

Lindas músicas, estou em viagem de ônibus, em meditação,! Obrigada pelo seu trabalho!

Iani Iansen

Belas melodias.

Victor Ramirez

Hermosa música y bellos paisajes. Tenemos la dicha de vivir en un planeta maravilloso, pero mucha gente no sabe valorarlo.

Gideão Patrício de Moraes

Estou de pleno acordo com tua opinião e seu comentário. As músicas produzidas nos dias atuais são lamentáveis.

Patty

👍🌿✌️🎶

Elvira Zafra

me siento muy afortunada de que me guste la música. y distruto escuchando éstas preciosas melodías. y contemplar estos maravillosos paisajes. en ocasiones no somos conscientes de la mgestuosa creación de dios. y hoy por hoy..la hermosa naturaleza está muy maltratada y herida. y por tal hecho nos esta demostrando su gran poder de destrucción ha todos los niveles.. deseamos de todo corazón que los responsables directos ha esta destrucción. rectifiquen sus negativas acciones '. y se restablezca un equilibrio y los años que ha cada uno de nosotros tengamos que vivir vivamos en armonía con nuestra madre naturaleza.. pues ella nos proporciona lo vasico para vivir. dignamente.. Mi admiración cariño y respeto... y que nos proporcionan tanta felicidad escuchando sus preciosas melodías. muchisimas gracias... Un saludo desde España ❤❤❤

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