About the song
“The Sound of Silence” is a timeless folk song by the American duo Simon & Garfunkel, composed by Paul Simon between 1963 and 1964. This song, initially released on their debut album *Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.*, holds a special place in music history and is often associated with the period following President John F. Kennedy’s assassination, which occurred just a few months before the song was written. The reflective and haunting nature of the lyrics has led many to believe that it resonates with the national mood of that time.
Recorded first at Columbia Studios in New York City in an acoustic style, the song initially had modest success. However, it gained renewed attention when producer Tom Wilson reworked it with added instrumentation, including drums, bass guitar, and electric guitar. This new version was released as a single in September 1965, and it quickly captured the public’s imagination. By early 1966, “The Sound of Silence” had soared to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming one of Simon & Garfunkel’s most famous songs, second only to “Bridge Over Troubled Water.”
The song’s title was originally “The Sounds of Silence” as featured on their debut album. However, it was later simplified to “The Sound of Silence” in subsequent releases, including their greatest hits compilation in 1972. This song remains a profound piece of American folk music, representing the duo’s artistic depth and the era’s cultural reflections. Its success cemented Simon & Garfunkel’s place in the music world and continues to resonate with listeners to this day.
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”