The Sound of Silence

This is a great song that I love, and it is very intelligent and poetic. The song uses the imagery of light and darkness to show how people's ignorance and apathy destroys their ability to communicate even on simple levels. Its theme is man's inability to communicate with man. The author sees the extent of communication as it is on only its most superficial and "commercial" level (of which the "neon sign" is representative). There is no serious understanding because there is no serious communication - "people talking without speaking - hearing without listening". No one dares take the risk of reaching out ("take my arms that I might reach you") to disturb the sound of silence. The poet's (character in the song) attempts are equally futile (" . . . but my words like silent raindrops fell within the wells of silence"). The ending is an enigma. The words tell us that when meaningful communication fails, the only sound is silence.

I interpret this song slightly different. I feel it is an allusion to Plato's "Allegory of the Cave." While the ideas of commercialism (the people bow and pray to a neon god they made, the words of the prophets are written on the subway walls, etc) run throughout the poem, it also has to do with a frustration the narrator feels with humans in general. They are content to "hear without listening," not willing or interested in focusing on anyone or anything too intently. They are not willing to go beyond the superficial, but merely to accept the world around them, as no one "dares disturb the sounds of silence." The allusion comes into play in the beginning, as the narrator has a revelation, a vision, that awakes him from this superficial, merely shadowed world. He rises, walks alone as the man in Plato's story did, and he sees the light. He tries to tempt others out of the cave of ignorance and look beyond teh surface of things, but his "words like silent raindrops" fall. His attempts are futile. That's what I got out of the song, my two cents ^_^ An amazing song no matter how you interpret it!

The song sound of silence is a lyric that uses imagery and symbolism very heavily. The story of it is that the author has a dream about ten thousand people bowing to a god they made of neon light. The god represents the fake and shallow culture they are building on pop stars and the dollar bill. The media “talks without speaking” and the people “hear without listening” there is a cancer of silence which represents a widespred lack of meaning, in music namely. This is an extreemly well written poem and a good view on what is happening to the media. The so called artists are putting less and less art in their work.Their is mass prostitution of art happening in our culture and we all sit happily starring at the neon light and ignore the real art. I heard a good a good quote the other day i have eno idea who said it but I’ll close with it. “For the culture that tolerates shottyness in philosophy because it is an exalted activity and ignores excellence in plumbing because it is a humble activity. This is their fate. Neither their pipes nor it’s theories will hold water.”

One of the very few songs that can bring me to tears.... I've always loved quoting parts of it to people, then interpreting it to them. (cause they usually don't get it!) Good music never grows old, that's what I've discovered...

I think that this song is about a struggle to share and exchange MEANINGFUL ideas. The people “talking without speaking” and “hearing without listening” are too afraid to share their deep and personal ideas or consider the ideas of others. A person’s refusal to share or receive meaningful ideas dissuades others from sharing meaningful ideas, which leaves people isolated in a personal bubble of silence. When people are too afraid to open up and disturb their comfortable bubble of silence, all that is left for everyone to see is the neon light — the glaringly obvious and superficial. As for the ending, I think it is an anthropomorphized neon sign warning the silent people that “the words of the prophets”, or ideas that used to be incredibly meaningful, are “written on the subway walls and tenement halls” — are now written in crappy public places alongside posters, dirt, and graffiti. The meaning has been lost. The words and ideas they conveyed are now no more important than any other carelessly scribbled message. And yet, and yet. These important words are also “whispered in the sounds of silence”. I personally like to think this means that, though much of what we blather on about today in school, in the media, with our friends, ect... is not very meaningful, we DO still reach out to one another; people ARE still capable of sharing great ideas (as is required of great philosophers and inventors and builders) even if only in whispers. And perhaps one day, when someone has an idea which is very important to them, they will not feel too intimidated to open up and share that idea or have that idea challenged by someone else’s idea.

for some reason i find this song to have a haunting and almost sinister sound. it is rather sad. i almost associate it with war and death for some unknown reason. Any ideas why?

My Verse by verse interpretation: 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 ----- ~ Hello Enlightened people, To me, this song also represents the improper communication with our mind. Our mind is The sound of silence. It is ON when you close ur eyes. It has to be listened, respected to believe and followed. As the writer did, and we get this ultimate song. ----- In restless dreams I walked alone Narrow streets of cobblestone Beneath 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 ----- ~ Now we open our eyes. We look everywhere around us. We switch on our TV. We get majority of our thoughts from Screens(TV/Movies) i.e. Neon god. We fill ourself with thoughts of People, Lifestyle, War, Fashion, Money, Cars,etc. This makes our mind ponder to a thought. ----- 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 deared Disturb the sound of silence ----- ~ When we watch TV, we find that we try to follow it in our life to completeness. We follow it even though its fake and manipulated to fulfill some person's financial needs. In screens, Actors just speak lines. In screens, Actors just hear lines. In screens, Actors dont express their actual thoughts. Everyone is afraid to touch what one's mind feels like speaking. They are mere spectators, powerless and hollow from inside. As they dont touch their own mind(sound of silence). So we follow them too by being spectators and powerless in our life too. We dont touch our what our mind(sound of silence) say. ------ "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 ----- ~ The writer here ask us to act(Hear my words,take my arms). Because if we keep only following screens and dont listen to our own mind(sound of silence) Then we will run after things dictated by screens our whole life. We have no idea why we are doing that way and complain till end. Because we have no idea what we really want and where our happiness lies. Thats why everyday, we feel so hollow inside. This hollowness(cancer) grows bigger and bigger. But still nobody wants to touch that sound of silence(mind) We look out for solution even though every solution is inside us. We dont listen, we just hear it. and its accumulated in the sound of silence(mind) which we never listen. ----- 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 signs said the words of the prophets Are written on the subway walls And tenement halls And whispered in the sounds of silence ----- ~ But still we go on with our screens(Neon god). Neon god laughs here and says to the writer "Throughtout ages, all the prophets of all the religions have been saying the same things. Earlier it was kings then society, now its screens. Their have found their place in outside world only (on walls and books) not inside (the mind). If they werent successful, where do you stand? You will also find yourself at the same place i.e. outside the mind" Thats why millions may have listened to the songs. Thousands have sung. Hundreds have interpreted it. But very few will follow it even then. We will still follow our neon gods, And not listen to our sound of silence. Thus this song will hold significance till mankind remains, and we will just laugh at this paradox.

so some guys at blender magazine happen to be tone deaf... poor blokes... they're talking without speaking, they're hearing without listening... This song is so definitely on my list of top 5 all time greats... its incredibly relevant in our lives

This song is definitely about how people can't communicate and everyone is so content in their own little world that they don't bother to look around once in a while.. i just don't really understand the last verse about what the signs said.

People need to stop posting "I'm only __ years old and I love this song!" It doesn't make you sound any more mature or any cooler so stop trying.