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"


Lyrics submitted by kevin, edited by annacronism, Mahasquid, ashakitten4, DAIRYDAWG, sjaydeb, NonDiluted

The Sound Of Silence Lyrics as written by Paul Simon

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

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The Sound of Silence song meanings
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  • +1
    General Comment

    I haven't read Plato's 'Allegory of the Cave' but now I want to after reading a couple of the above comments. I'd always interpreted the song as being about a lack of communication as well, and the narrator-poet feeling disenchanted with the masses who follow blind faith (bowed and prayed to the neon god they made).

    But the Holocaust interpretation really does apply as well. I hadn't thought of that before.

    As for the reference to The Graduate - I am not sure if the song came before the movie or vice versa (I believe that Mrs. Robinson was written for the movie though) but I think the reason this song also plays quite a bit (as do several other Simon and Garfunkel songs) but this song in particular is about isolation. Dustin Hoffman's character feels isolated and disenfranchised with the rest of society, and come to think of it, Mrs. Robinson is also isolated and much like the masses that the narrator refers to.

    alracon February 01, 2006   Link

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