Her debut solo album Melody was released in 2008, followed by a second solo album, The Movie Songbook, in March 2010. During this time, Spiteri was a judge on the Sky music talent show, Must Be the Music. Texas returned from their hiatus in 2013 with The Conversation, which debuted at No. 4 on the UK Album Chart, No. 3 on their native Scottish Album Charts as well as No. 8 in France. A 25th-anniversary album followed in 2015 entitled Texas 25, followed by the band's ninth studio album, Jump on Board (2017), which achieved mainstream chart success, topping the albums charts in Scotland and debuting within the top ten in France, the United Kingdom and Belgium.
The Sound of Silence
Sharleen Spiteri 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 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 lyrics of "The Sound Of Silence" is an intricate and thought-provoking description of a world filled with superficiality and silence. The singer narrates his journey into the world of silence, which he terms as darkness, a friend that he has visited again. He explains that he has come to talk to darkness about a vision that appeared to him while he was sleeping. The vision took root inside him during his slumber, and it still echoes in the "sound of silence."
The scene changes, and the singer paints us vivid imagery of walking the narrow streets of cobblestones under a neon light. Amidst the hustle and bustle of the supposedly busy town, he observes ten thousand people talking, yet no words are spoken. Their ears hear, but their hearts do not listen, people writing songs that are never shared. The word silence assumes a central theme of the song as it echoes through the wells and minds of people.
The climax of the song comes when the singer tries to speak and awaken the people, but his words echo like silent raindrops that no one notices. The people pray and bow to the neon god they have created, and the sign warns the people that they have ignored the words of the prophets written on the hallway walls. Therefore, the sound of silence whispers in their ears. The song leaves us with a profound message that in silence, the truth resides; silence should not be feared, but rather it should be embraced to unveil the deeper truths in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Hello darkness, my old friend
I am here to seek solace in your darkness, where I have found peace before.
I've come to talk with you again
I seek a familiar, comforting presence in my loneliness.
Because a vision softly creeping
Something indefinable yet unsettling has breached my consciousness.
Left its seeds while I was sleeping
While unaware, it implanted a sense of foreboding that remains.
And the vision that was planted in my brain
The haunting mental image continues to haunt me.
Still remains
It persists, echoing through my thoughts.
Within the sound of silence
It lives in the absence of noise, where it can thrive undisturbed.
In restless dreams I walked alone
I wander aimlessly in my anxious reveries.
Narrow streets of cobblestone
The path ahead is uncertain and treacherous.
'Neath the halo of a street lamp
I am plagued by a dim and eerie illumination.
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
I must protect myself from the harsh environment around me.
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
The sudden and intrusive illumination is jarring and piercing to my sight.
That split the night
It fractures the tranquil darkness of the world.
And touched the sound of silence
It distorts the stillness with its blaring disruption.
And in the naked light I saw
In the stark brightness, I perceived clearly.
Ten thousand people, maybe more
The world is overflowing with people and voices.
People talking without speaking
The cacophony of conversation reveals the absence of true communication.
People hearing without listening
Ears are open, but minds are closed, unable to receive or comprehend.
People writing songs that voices never share
Artists use their craft to express what they cannot say aloud.
And no one dare
There is an unspoken taboo against disturbing the status quo.
Disturb the sound of silence
Upsetting the artificial stillness of the world is to be avoided at all costs.
"Fools" said I, "You do not know
I express my condemnation of those who remain oblivious to the truth.
Silence like a cancer grows
The suffocating silence metastasizes and grows ever more malignant.
Hear my words that I might teach you
I plead with others to listen and learn from my experiences.
Take my arms that I might reach you
I offer myself as a vessel of comfort and support to those who need it.
But my words like silent raindrops fell
My words, heartfelt as they are, fall on deaf ears and apathetic hearts.
And echoed in the wells of silence
Their impact is absorbed by the all-encompassing stillness of the world.
And the people bowed and prayed
The masses futilely seek guidance and salvation from their artificial gods.
To the neon god they made
They have created a shallow substitute for true divinity, bathed in garish light.
And the sign flashed out its warning
The vibrant sign serves as a cynical harbinger of happenings to come.
In the words that it was forming
Its message is conveyed implicitly in its very existence.
And the sign said, "The words of the prophets
The prophetic words that reveal the present and future.
Are written on the subway walls
Insight and wisdom can be found in the most unlikely of places.
And tenement halls"
Even in the grimiest, most forsaken corners of society.
And whispered in the sounds of silence
Their resounding truth is heard loudest when the world is at its quietest.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Paul Simon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind