The Sound of Silence
Paul Simon;The Jesse Dixon Singers;Urubamba 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 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 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
In Paul Simon's Sound of Silence, he personifies darkness as an old friend that he has come to talk to. Throughout the song, Simon depicts a vivid contrast between the silence and the noise in society, and how each has its own power. Simon describes a vision while he was sleeping that left its seeds in his brain, which still remain today. He goes on to talk about his experience walking alone in the streets, where he was surrounded by thousands of people talking without saying anything meaningful. He refers to them as "fools," who do not understand the importance of the sound of silence - a silence that is like a cancer that grows.
Simon's cries to teach and reach others with his message and words are silenced, and they fall like raindrops into the well of silence, echoing back to him without an audience. The people are consumed by the neon God they have made, and even the sign warns them of their foolishness. Simon concludes that the words of the prophets are no longer heard in the right places, where they should be written in the tenement halls and subway walls to be whispered in the sounds of silence.
Line by Line Meaning
Hello darkness, my old friend
I have returned to my state of melancholy, where the absence of light consumes me
I've come to talk with you again
I am acknowledging and embracing my feelings of despair
Because a vision softly creeping
A thought or idea gradually infiltrated my mind
Left its seeds while I was sleeping
It embedded itself in my subconscious while I was unaware of its presence
And the vision that was planted in my brain
The thought or idea that took root in my mind
Still remains
It has not gone away
Within the sound of silence
It thrives in the absence of meaningful communication or interaction
In restless dreams I walked alone
During my anxious moments, I felt isolated and disconnected from the world
Narrow streets of cobblestone
The paths I walked were rough, uncertain, and challenging
'Neath the halo of a street lamp
Beneath the light of a lamppost, an object that provides minimal illumination
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
I protected myself from the harsh and dreary environment
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
When I was jolted by a sudden, artificial outburst of light
That split the night
That seemingly broke through the quietness
And touched the sound of silence
That reached and disrupted the solitude, that defines the quietness
And in the naked light I saw
In a bright, bold, and straightforward world, I saw the truth
Ten thousand people, maybe more
An unimaginable number of people, hopeless and trapped in their silence
People talking without speaking
Despite their words, they express no real substance or emotion
People hearing without listening
They listen passively, without really trying to comprehend or understand
People writing songs that voices never share
They use art to cope with their isolation but remain too afraid to share those thoughts
And no one dare
No one is bold enough to
Disturb the sound of silence
Disrupt the peace of their muted existence
"Fools" said I, "You do not know
In my perception, naive people with no comprehension of the truth
Silence like a cancer grows
The suppression of expression, is as destructive and virulent as a disease
Hear my words that I might teach you
Listen carefully to my words, and I can show you a truth previously unknown to you
Take my arms that I might reach you"
Let me help you, by reaching out to you
But my words like silent raindrops fell
Despite my efforts, my words fell upon deaf ears
And echoed
They reverberated, symbolizing the lack of true interaction and understanding
In the wells of silence
Deep in the silence that permeates the culture, my words echoed
And the people bowed and prayed
They submitted themselves and entreated their collective silent power
To the neon God they made
They denoted their worship of an artificial adoration
And the sign flashed its warning
An ominous advisory was displayed in the form of an ethereal sign
In the words that it was forming
The meaning and warning was shaped through its words
And the sign said, "The words of the prophets
The sign conveyed a warning that foretold
Are written on the subway walls
They would be found lurking in the mundane and forgotten corners of society
And tenement halls"
Society and the people who call it home alike, will contain the message
And whispered in the sounds of silence
The words will be heard, but only if one listens closely and attentively within the silence
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Paul Simon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind