Sound of Silence
Simon & Garfunkel -- Paul Simon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
The Sound of Silence is a song with striking lyrics and a haunting melody, performed by Simon & Garfunkel. The song is essentially a commentary on the lack of communication and the superficiality of society. The opening line, "Hello darkness, my old friend" signifies the comfort and familiarity that the singer feels with the idea of silence. The vision that crept into the singer's mind while he was sleeping (which could symbolize the repressed thoughts and feelings in his subconscious) has left him disturbed and he seeks solace in darkness.
In the second stanza, the singer describes walking alone through the streets. The neon lights and the bustle of people only serve to exacerbate his loneliness. He realizes that everyone is talking, but no one is really communicating. People write songs, but the messages are lost in translation as no one is willing to listen to them. The lyrics "And no one dared disturb the sound of silence" suggest that there is an unspoken rule in society that people must not speak out against the status quo.
In the final stanza, the singer tries to break the silence by speaking out, but his words fall on deaf ears. The people are too consumed by the neon gods they have created - a metaphor for modern technology and commercialism. The final lines suggest that the words of the prophets (those who speak out against the system) are only heard in obscure places where no one is listening. Overall, The Sound of Silence is a profound commentary on the emptiness of modern society and the importance of communication.
Line by Line Meaning
Hello darkness, my old friend
Addressing the feeling of emptiness and sadness within oneself
I've come to talk with you again
Desire to interact with it
Because a vision softly creeping
A mental picture that slowly emerges
Left its seeds while I was sleeping
Got implanted in the subconscious mind while asleep
And the vision that was planted in my brain
The imaginary scene that took root in the mind
Still remains
It still lingers in the mind
Within the sound of silence
This vision is part of the quiet around me
In restless dreams I walked alone
In continuous nightmares, I walked by myself
Narrow streets of cobblestone
Streets made of small rocks
'Neath the halo of a street lamp
Under the circle of light from the lamp
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
I wrapped my wearable around my neck due to cold, wet weather
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
A quick, bright electric light caused pain in my eyes
That split the night
It even managed to slash the darkness
And touched the sound of silence
It cut through the stillness of surroundings
And in the naked light I saw
Under the harsh light, I witnessed
Ten thousand people, maybe more
A vast crowd of about ten thousand, possibly even more
People talking without speaking
Individuals sharing words but not communicating
People hearing without listening
People occupying the space but ignoring the emotional context
People writing songs that voices never share
People composing music that never convey their true emotions
And no one dare
Afraid to break away from this foolish and insensitive mode of living
Disturb the sound of silence
They don't want any noise to disturb them, even if it's for the sake of emotional attachment.
"Fools" said I, "You do not know
Addressing the people as fools who don't understand
Silence like a cancer grows
The idea that uneasiness inside is actually growing like cancer
Hear my words that I might teach you
Listen to him so he can teach them
Take my arms that I might reach you"
Allow him to hold them tight so that he can help them
But my words like silent raindrops fell
His words were like silent raindrops that penetrated all around
And echoed
And returned in the form of an echo
In the wells of silence
Sinking into the depths of hush around one
And the people bowed and prayed
The crowd's religious behavior
To the neon God they made
The neon lights represent their only faith
And the sign flashed its warning
The flashing billboard conveying a message
In the words that it was forming
In the sentences that the board displayed
And the sign said, "The words of the prophets
The board declared- these lines resemble how prophets preach
Are written on the subway walls
On the walls of public transport areas, these sentences are engraved
And tenement halls"
Including the worse of places like slums
And whispered in the sounds of silence
These warnings get cautiously faded amidst the walls of silence
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