The Sound of Silence
The Starlite Orchestra & Singers Lyrics

Hello, darkness, my old friend
I have revisited a familiar feeling of emptiness that I am used to

I've come to talk with you again
I am here to confront the emptiness and try to make sense of it

Because a vision softly creeping
There is a vague image appearing in my mind

Left its seeds while I was sleeping
This image has grown into something more meaningful while I was unaware

And the vision that was planted in my brain
This image has stayed with me and influenced my thoughts

Still remains
It continues to have an impact on me

Within the sound of silence
This emptiness is the only thing I can hear

In restless dreams I walked alone
I am haunted by my thoughts and cannot find peace

Narrow streets of cobblestone
My journey through this emptiness is difficult and constricting

'Neath the halo of a streetlamp
The only light in this darkness comes from the distant city

I turned my collar to the cold and damp
I try to protect myself from this uncomfortable feeling

When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
Suddenly, a bright and artificial light jolts me out of my thoughts

That split the night
It is a stark contrast to the darkness that surrounds me

And touched the sound of silence
It briefly interrupts the silence but cannot dispel it completely

And in the naked light I saw
In this powerful light, I see things more clearly

Ten thousand people, maybe more
In this bustling city, there are countless people around me

People talking without speaking
Everyone is going through the motions but not actually communicating

People hearing without listening
No one is truly paying attention to each other

People writing songs that voices never shared
Even art is created in solitude and not shared with others

No one dared
Everyone is afraid to break the silence and confront their true feelings

Disturb the sound of silence
Everyone is maintaining the facade of busyness and superficiality

"Fools," said I, "You do not know
I realize that I am not alone in this feeling of emptiness but no one else seems aware

Silence like a cancer grows
This silence is not harmless but is actively harming us

Hear my words that I might teach you
I am speaking out to try to help others see what I see

Take my arms that I might reach you"
I am trying to connect with others in a genuine way

But my words like silent raindrops fell
My words have no impact and are ignored like the raindrops that fall without notice

And echoed in the wells of silence
My words only create more silence and isolation

And the people bowed and prayed
Despite the message, everyone continues with their usual routines and patterns

To the neon god they made
Everyone is obsessed with the superficial and artificial

And the sign flashed out its warning
Even the signs and symbols around us are trying to warn us about the emptiness

In the words that it was forming
The message is being communicated through various mediums, even the neon signs

And the sign said, "The words of the prophets
The message is old and has been repeated many times before

Are written on the subway walls
Even the graffiti on the walls is trying to communicate a message to us

And tenement halls
Even the poorest and most rundown places are trying to tell us something

And whispered in the sounds of silence"
But the message is still being drowned out by the silence and emptiness all around us