The Sound of Silence
Simon and Garfunkel Tribute Band 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 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

Overall Meaning

The Sound of Silence is a masterpiece and one of the most iconic songs ever written. It starts on a melancholic note with the singer personifying darkness as an old friend. The darkness refers to the singer's isolation and loneliness. He then describes a vision that is creeping powerfully, causing a deep and sad feeling in his heart. The vision is elusive and deep-seated, represented by seeds that stay with the singer even long after he wakes up. The vision is set against the "sound of silence," which fills the gaps between the noise and the words people speak, and where this vision has taken root. The use of the sound of silence here is intended to refer to the lack of communication and authentic relationships with other people.


In the next portion of the song, the singer wanders the city streets in a dream-like state. He is surrounded by crowds of people, but he feels incredibly lonely. He hears them talking but recognizes that they speak without really communicating. They hear but never really listen, and they write and sing but without sharing their true voices. The singer becomes frustrated, realizing that this is how most people live their lives. He wants to teach them, reach out to them, and bring them together in a genuine, human connection. But when he speaks, his words fall to the ground like rain and fade away, echoing silently. The people remain immobile, in a deep state of complacency, worshipping neon gods as they listen to the sounds of silence.


Line by Line Meaning

Hello darkness, my old friend
The singer is addressing their state of despair and saying it's a familiar companion.


I've come to talk with you again
The singer is seeking solace in their sadness and hopes to alleviate their loneliness.


Because a vision softly creeping
The singer had a dream, the memory of which lingers in their mind.


Left its seeds while I was sleeping
The dream planted a seed of thought that has grown in the artist's mind while they slept.


And the vision that was planted in my brain
The dream left a lasting impression on the artist's thoughts and emotions.


Still remains
The dream's impact is still strongly felt in the singer's mind.


Within the sound of silence
The singer associates the dream with a sense of silence that pervades their thoughts.


In restless dreams I walked alone
The artist describes a recurring nightmare wherein they are isolated and struggling to find their way forward.


Narrow streets of cobblestone
The artist is describing their dream setting as a confined, uncomfortable place.


'Neath the halo of a street lamp
The artist recalls a street lamp that lit their way in the dream.


I turned my collar to the cold and damp
The singer adjusts their clothing to protect themselves against the harsh conditions in the dream's setting.


When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
The artist is temporarily blinded by a sudden burst of neon light that appears in their dream.


That split the night
The neon light briefly illuminates the dark night in the dream.


And touched the sound of silence
The neon light heightens the sense of stillness and silence in the dream.


And in the naked light I saw
The singer describes a moment of clarity in their dream where they saw things without the usual veil of darkness.


Ten thousand people, maybe more
The artist sees a crowd of people in their dream but cannot tell exactly how many there are.


People talking without speaking
The artist notes that despite the crowd, there is no meaningful connection between the people.


People hearing without listening
The singer observes that no one is truly paying attention to what is being said or heard.


People writing songs that voices never share
The singer notices that some of the people are silently creating works of art that will never be seen or heard.


And no one dare
Despite their presence among a crowd, it's as if everyone is too afraid to speak out.


Disturb the sound of silence
The silence creates an uncomfortable disconnection between the people, who are too afraid to break it.


"Fools" said I, "You do not know
The artist is addressing the people in their dream, calling them foolish for their lack of communication.


Silence like a cancer grows
The singer is warning that the silence and disconnection is poisonous and contagious.


Hear my words that I might teach you
The artist implores the people in their dream to listen and learn from what they have to say.


Take my arms that I might reach you"
The singer is extending a hand to the people in their dream, hoping to bridge the gap between them.


But my words like silent raindrops fell
Despite the singer's efforts to break the silence, their words have no impact and fall like raindrops in the dream.


And echoed
The singer's voice rings out but receives no response.


In the wells of silence
The silence persists, muffling the artist's words and creating an unpleasant echo.


And the people bowed and prayed
Despite the artist's plea for connection, the people in their dream simply bow their heads in prayer.


To the neon God they made
Instead of seeking connection with others, the people in the dream worship an artificial deity created by man (the neon light from earlier).


And the sign flashed its warning
The artificial deity bears witness to the disconnected people, delivering a warning through its sign.


In the words that it was forming
The warning is communicated through words formed by the neon light.


And the sign said, "The words of the prophets
The message delivered by the sign takes the form of a prophetic warning.


Are written on the subway walls
The message is so important that it's literally carved into the walls of society (subway walls).


And tenement halls"
The message is pervasive and applies to people from all walks of life, regardless of their place of living.


And whispered in the sounds of silence
Despite the pervasive and prophetic message, it's still almost impossible to hear over the sound of silence that pervades society.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Paul Simon

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Comments from YouTube:

@kadejott

Wir haben es noch vor uns, am 21. März 2020 in Büdingen, aber ich bin jetzt schon total begeistert. Würden sich die Menschen weltweit mehr um Musik kümmern statt um Atomwaffen und sonstige Rüstung .................................. ach ja, "I know, I'm a dreamer, but (I hope) I'm not the only one" .................... die Hoffnung stirbt zuletzt

@swetamarkwart5880

Waren gestern Abend in Wuppertal. Wie immer ein toller Abend mit Musik von Simon Carfunkel, die uns begeistert hat. Es zählt zu unseren besonderen Highlights, einmal im Jahr das Graceland Duo zu besuchen.

@manfredgottig3202

Dankeschön ich war gestern mit meiner Frau 

auf eurem Konzert .Bin total begeistert .Ich liebe euere Musik.
Gerne demnächst wieder.

@sandranuchter544

Wir waren Samstag Abend bei euch in bad orb einfach schön diese Musik 🎶 weiter so

@michaelgrimm1642

Danke für den schönen Abend 31.7.2020 am Rathaus in Bretten

@davidgrason161

Oh yeah! You folks KILLED it! That was beautiful!

@beatezinke8035

Komme gerade von eurem Konzert im Osterfeld in Pforzheim. Es war toll! Bin noch ganz high. Wie schön, dass ihr diese Art Musik weiter leben lasst. Tribute to you🌝🌹

@ilkabaumgaertner8715

Bin brutal stolz auf Dich Thorsten Gary :-)

@ilkabaumgaertner8715

Liebe Grüße auch an Deine Schwester Christina :-)

@tinekedijk7385

Ja, heel mooi .

More Comments

More Versions