The neon light under its cold glare exposes droves of people, each of them trapped in their own version of loneliness. This is the vision that Simon wanted to share with the world. The third verse is a significant one in “The Sound of Silence”, as indicated by lyrics, music, and the harmonization that is included in it. The light itself is unnatural and artificial, standing apart from the cold and dark, stunning the narrator – because now the silence is broken.
PLAY SOUNDS OF SILENCE BY DISTURBED FULL
With the word ‘neon,’ the listener is transported to modern times – bustling streets full of people. And this loneliness is suddenly interrupted by the glare of a neon light. The lyrics make it seem as if the narrator is the only man alive, making his way in the cold and dark. The imagery created through the poetry of Simon’s language enhances this feeling – narrow streets lighted by the soft glow of a street lamp, a collar turned up against the cold as the narrator is out walking alone in the dark. Again there is an emphasis on the sense of loneliness. Now we come to the vision itself that the narrator saw in his dreams. This brings out a sense of urgency that keeps rising as the song progresses, emphasized by the music that accompanies each verse. So in darkness and in silence, he is there to say it out loud, giving voice to the thoughts that are in his head even if there is no one listening to him. The narrator is there to confess a “vision” that came to him in sleep that he can’t seem to get rid of. It is familiar darkness to him and perhaps a place of comfort where he feels seen and understood. The loneliness comes out more because this is not the first time the narrator has done this – he has greeted the darkness again and again. But the darkness is also a symbol of loneliness, of being in a place where confessions are made in secret and there is no one to listen to. We imagine a conversation carried out in the darkness of the night, in the quiet. One of the most well-known opening lines there is, “The Sound of Silence” starts off with a greeting. Each of these verses describes a setting, an action, a thoughtful comment, finally concluded by that iconic line we are familiar with – “the sound of silence”. Instead of the usual verse-chorus-bridge structure, “The Sound of Silence” has only five verses lined up one after the other. The lyrics of this song follow an interesting pattern. Simon & Garfunkel “The Sound of Silence” Lyrics Review and Song Meaning The track is listed on Rolling Stone’s The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and was preserved at the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress along with the rest of the songs in the album ‘Sounds of Silence.’ Gold certified by RIAA and Platinum certified by BPI, “The Sound of Silence” was covered by multiple artists, with the hard rock version by Disturbed being the most well-received after the original.ĭownload ‘Simon & Garfunkel: Greatest Hits’ Album on Apple Music & Amazon “The Sound of Silence” secured the top spot on Billboard Hot 100 as well as the US Cash Box Top 100 charts. Of course, a song so iconic has an amazing track record.
Paul just uncovered what was, right?’ No he didn’t – he wrote it!”
Doesn’t this already exist?’ And so it is with really basic, wonderful stuff. It’s been under our noses all of our lives. “The words to me were very appealing, and it was one of those melodies Paul wrote that made you feel like ‘we know this song. Looking back on what he felt at the time, Garfunkel said: ‘Hello darkness, my old friend/ I’ve come to talk with you again’.”įor singer Art Garfunkel, “The Sound of Silence” was a track that changed his life.
I’d turn on the faucet so that water would run – I like that sound, it’s very soothing to me – and I’d play. I used to go off in the bathroom, because the bathroom had tiles, so it was a slight echo chamber. “The main thing about playing the guitar, though, was that I was able to sit by myself and play and dream. Simon tied in that experience with the first lines of “The Sound of Silence”: This version, re-released as a single in 1965 and later included in the album ‘Sounds of Silence’ released in 1966, pushed Simon & Garfunkel from obscurity into the spotlight.įor songwriter Paul Simon, the song was inspired by his teenage years when he was just happy to be alone with his guitar. The song’s producer Tom Wilson was alerted to this trend and he took the initiative to dub a rock rhythm section to the song over the folk rendition, transforming “The Sound of Silence” as we know it, into a success. Yet, “The Sound of Silence” somehow found its way into the college crowd, as it was aired overnight by a DJ in Boston.
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