About the song
“The Sound of Silence” holds a particularly fascinating place in their storied career. It was originally released on their debut album, Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M., in 1964, in a purely acoustic form. However, much like a whispered secret, it initially went largely unnoticed. Then, in 1965, without their prior knowledge or consent, Columbia Records producer Tom Wilson famously overdubbed electric guitars, bass, and drums onto the track, transforming it into the folk-rock anthem we know today. This re-release, a testament to the serendipitous nature of musical history, propelled the song to number one on the charts and launched Simon & Garfunkel into superstardom.
But beyond its fascinating trajectory, it’s the song’s content that truly cements its legendary status. Written by Paul Simon when he was just 21, the lyrics are a poignant commentary on alienation and the breakdown of communication. They speak of “people talking without speaking, people hearing without listening,” a prophetic observation on modern society’s struggle to truly connect. The imagery is vivid and often stark: “Fools, said I, you do not know, silence like a cancer grows.” There’s a sense of urgency, a plea for understanding in a world seemingly overwhelmed by its own noise and indifference. The melody itself, initially simple and mournful, builds with the added instrumentation to a powerful, almost desperate crescendo, perfectly mirroring the growing frustration and yearning expressed in the words. “The Sound of Silence” isn’t just a song about a lack of noise; it’s about the overwhelming quietude of unacknowledged truths and unheard cries. It’s a profound and enduring piece that continues to speak volumes, urging us to listen more closely, to speak more truly, and perhaps, to break through that pervasive silence.
Video
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”
