The Sound of Silence
Simon and Garfunkle 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 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.
The Sound of Silence by Simon & Garfunkel is a deep and evocative song that deals with themes of loneliness, disconnection, and the search for meaning in a world that seems void and empty. The opening lines, "Hello darkness, my old friend, I've come to talk with you again," evoke a sense of familiarity with this darkness, suggesting that it is not an occasional visitor but a constant companion. The vision that the singer refers to, which "left its seeds while [he] was sleeping," represents an idea or a message that he has received but not yet fully grasped. He states that "the vision that was planted in [his] brain still remains within the sound of silence," suggesting that he can only access it in moments of quietness and solitude.
The second verse paints a picture of a cityscape, with the singer walking through "narrow streets of cobblestone" and turning his collar to the cold and damp. The neon light that blinds him symbolizes the distractions and noise of the modern world that prevent people from truly connecting with each other. The singer observes that people are talking without speaking and hearing without listening, suggesting a profound sense of disconnect in human communication and relationships. He longs to reach out to them and teach them, but his words fall like "silent raindrops" and are swallowed up by the "wells of silence."
The final verse offers a scathing critique of society's worship of materialism and the superficial gods that it creates in its own image. The sign that flashes out its warning represents the false promises of advertising and the insidious messages that lead people astray. The fact that the "words of the prophets" are written on the walls of the subway and tenement halls suggests that the true messages of wisdom and enlightenment are hidden in plain sight, but that people are too busy chasing after empty pleasures and distractions to see them. Overall, The Sound of Silence is a poignant and thought-provoking song that speaks to the human condition in a way that is both timeless and relevant.
Line by Line Meaning
Hello darkness, my old friend,
Addressing the emptiness and sadness in life that has become familiar over time.
I've come to talk with you again,
Seeking solace in loneliness and trying to find meaning in it by speaking with it in hopes of a response.
Because a vision softly creeping,
A thought that appeared in the mind in a subtle and gradual manner.
Left its seeds while I was sleeping,
The idea began to take root while the artist was not conscious and defenseless.
And the vision that was planted in my brain
The idea that was implanted in the thinker's mind started to grow on its own.
Still remains
The idea persists and stays within the thinker's mind.
Within the sound of silence.
The idea thrives in the singer's solitude, which is the conducive environment for thinking and creativity.
In restless dreams I walked alone
In his dreams, the artist was wandering aimlessly, alone, and was unable to find peace.
Narrow streets of cobblestone,
The artist found himself walking in a place that was limited and confining, making him feel suffocated.
'Neath the halo of a street lamp,
The light from the street lamp was creating a mystical ambiance around him.
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
He wrapped his coat collar around his neck to protect himself from the cold and wet.
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
When he saw the neon light, it hurt his eyes and felt like a jarring intrusion.
That split the night
The light was so bright it seemed to carve the darkness into two parts.
And touched the sound of silence.
The silence was broken by the neon light and didn't remain pure.
And in the naked light I saw
In the stark clarity of the light, he saw something exceptional.
Ten thousand people, maybe more.
A mass of people beyond what a person could count without machines were there to form a crowd.
People talking without speaking,
The artist perceived people communicating without indicating meaning, as though talking mechanically.
People hearing without listening,
Most were only hearing things selectively, rather than listening to and understanding it wholly.
People writing songs that voices never share
People penning lyrics and melodies, but hiding their emotional content and delegating it to be expressed by others.
And no one dare
No one has the courage to break away from the numbness and speak out.
Disturb the sound of silence.
The silence that had been shattered by the neon light is now re-established and protected from disruption.
"Fools" said I, "You do not know
The artist sees people's ignorance and calls them fools to provoke their attention.
Silence like a cancer grows.
The singer compares the growing silence to a cancer that can destroy us slowly.
Hear my words that I might teach you,
The artist is attempting to communicate directly with the people, saying that he can instruct them if they listen.
Take my arms that I might reach you."
The singer would physically reach out to and try to emotionally connect with the people if they wish.
But my words like silent raindrops fell,
Despite the singer's efforts, his words fell without anyone hearing them. His message is like a raindrops - weak and easily ignored.
And echoed
The words of the singer seem to have an ongoing, almost irritating presence, echoing.
In the wells of silence
His message ultimately falls within the silence, into a void where it can't affect progress or connect with people.
And the people bowed and prayed
The people are so deeply absorbed in their emptiness and numbness that all they can do is bow their head and pray.
To the neon God they made.
They've turned the source of light that pierced the silence into a deity - but also made it symbolic of their unfeeling and materialistic culture.
And the sign flashed out its warning,
The all-encompassing sign showed a reminder of the alternative if people didn't break free from their disillusionment and numbness.
In the words that it was forming.
The artists are not hearing the message, but the words formed by the flickering signs.
And the sign said, "The words of the prophets
The sign relayed the message of hope that messengers, or prophets, traditionally give when it comes to overcoming difficulties.
are written on the subway walls
The words of the prophets, rather than in holy books or texts, are scrawled on subway walls tinged with dirt and graffiti.
And tenement halls."
The words can be found in the most unlikely places, even among the poorest members of society who have the least prominence.
And whisper'd in the sounds of silence.
Finally, the message echoes quietly within the emptiness, becoming a whisper in the cacophony of silence.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
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