The Sound Of Silence
The Ray Conniff Singers 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.
In restless dreams I walked alone
'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 The Ray Conniff Singers is a song that deals with the themes of isolation, alienation, and the inability of people to meaningfully communicate with one another. The singer addresses "darkness" as an old friend, suggesting that it is a natural state for the singer. The song then describes a vision that came to the singer while he was asleep, leaving behind an impression that seemed to capture the essence of the darkness: the sound of silence.
The second verse of the song is a description of a dream, in which the singer wanders alone through narrow streets, cold and damp, where people are talking without speaking and hearing without listening. In this verse, the singer becomes an observer of the darkness, describing the way in which people are unable to connect with one another, despite being physically close.
In the final verse, the singer becomes a preacher, attempting to reach out to the people he sees in his dream. However, the people refuse to listen to him, continuing to worship the "neon god" that they have created. The final sign, and the song's closing lines, suggest that they will continue to ignore the warnings of the prophets, and that their fate is sealed. The Sound of Silence is a powerful commentary on the state of modern society, and the ways in which people are becoming more and more isolated from one another.
Line by Line Meaning
Hello darkness, my old friend,
I'm revisiting my past struggles, and I'm at peace with them
I've come to talk with you again,
I'm reflecting on my internal conflicts once more
Because a vision softly creeping,
I had a profound realization that dawned on me slowly
Left its seeds while I was sleeping,
The realization left a lasting impact on me
And the vision that was planted in my brain
The realization became ingrained in my thoughts
Still remains
It hasn't faded away
Within the sound of silence.
It persists within my mind, in the absence of external noise
In restless dreams I walked alone
In my troubled sleep, I wandered aimlessly
Narrow streets of cobblestone,
Through deserted alleys of old architecture
'Neath the halo of a street lamp,
Under the dim light of a lamppost
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
I secured myself against the chilly and damp weather
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
A sudden, bright light caught my attention
That split the night
Breaking the silence and darkness
And touched the sound of silence.
It interrupted the tranquility of my inner thoughts
And in the naked light I saw
In the bright and unfiltered light, I observed
Ten thousand people, maybe more.
A large crowd, perhaps numbering in the thousands
People talking without speaking,
Conversing without conveying genuine meaning
People hearing without listening,
Hearing but not truly absorbing what is being said
People writing songs that voices never share
Creating music that is not truly expressive
And no one dare
Nobody is brave enough
Disturb the sound of silence.
To break the enveloping silence with genuine articulation
"Fools" said I, "You do not know
I thought to myself: these people are naive
Silence like a cancer grows.
The absence of true expression can breed negativity
Hear my words that I might teach you,
Listen to me speak, so that I can impart knowledge
Take my arms that I might reach you."
Come closer to me, so I can offer you guidance
But my words like silent raindrops fell,
My words were met with indifference
And echoed
Reverberating
In the wells of silence
And amplified by the overwhelming lack of genuine expression
And the people bowed and prayed
The crowd collectively became introspective
To the neon god they made.
They sought guidance from a creation of their own making: consumer culture
And the sign flashed out its warning,
A warning sign blared out
In the words that it was forming.
The warning was conveyed in its messaging
And the sign said, "The words of the prophets
The warning sign proclaimed:"Listen to the wise words of the past
Are written on the subway walls
Lessons can be learned from unexpected sources
And tenement halls."
Even seemingly insignificant places hold a wealth of knowledge
And whisper'd in the sounds of silence.
These teachings are often ignored in the absence of genuine expression
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Paul Simon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind