Sound of Silence

About Sound of Silence

"The Sound of Silence", originally "The Sounds of Silence", is a song by the American music duo Simon & Garfunkel. The song was written by Paul Simon over several months in 1963 and 1964. A studio audition led to the duo signing a record deal with Columbia Records, and the song was recorded in March 1964 at Columbia Studios in New York City for inclusion on their debut album, Wednesday Morning, 3 A. M.. Released on October 19, 1964, the album was a commercial failure and led to the group disbanding, with Simon returning to England and Art Garfunkel to his studies at Columbia University. In 1965, the song began to attract airplay at radio stations in Boston, Massachusetts, and throughout Florida. The growing airplay led Tom Wilson, the song's producer, to remix the track, overdubbing electric instruments and drums. Simon & Garfunkel were not informed of the song's remix until after its release. The single was released in September 1965. The song hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the week ending January 1, 1966, leading the duo to reunite and hastily record their second album, which Columbia titled Sounds of Silence in an attempt to capitalize on the song's success. The song was a top-ten hit in multiple countries worldwide, among them Australia, Austria, West Germany, Japan and the Netherlands. Generally considered a classic folk rock song, the song was added to the National Recording Registry in the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically important" in 2012 along with the rest of the Sounds of Silence album. more »

Year:

1965

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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 
And no one dare 
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 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

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Paul Simon

Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an award-winning musician whose talents in composing, performing, and vocal harmony placed him at the forefront of the singer-songwriters on an international scale. Simon's fame, influence and commercial success began as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, formed in 1964 with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached No. 1 on the U.S. singles charts: "The Sounds of Silence," "Mrs. Robinson," and "Bridge Over Troubled Water." The duo split up in 1970 at the height of their popularity, and Simon began a successful solo career, recording three highly acclaimed albums over the next five years. In 1986, he released Graceland, an album inspired by South African… more »

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