The Sound of Silence
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Soundsofsilence.jpg
The Sound of Silence is the song that propelled the 1960s folk duo Simon and Garfunkel to popularity. It was originally released on the album Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.. Afterwards it reached number one on the charts, in the album Sounds of Silence. In 1999, BMI named The Sound of Silence as the 18th-most performed song of the 20th century. [1] (http://bmi.com/awards/1999/top100.asp)
Featured in the soundtrack to The Graduate, The Sound of Silence carries themes of isolation and individuality.
Quotations
- The Sound of Silence is a major work. We were looking for a song on a larger scale, but this is more that either of us expected.
- - Art Garfunkel [2] (http://freespace.virgin.net/r.kent/quotes.html)
- A societal view of the lack of communication.
- - Paul Simon [3] (http://freespace.virgin.net/r.kent/quotes.html)
- The main thing about playing the guitar, though, was that I was able to sit by myself and play and dream. And I was always happy doing that. I used to go off in the bathroom, because the bathroom had tiles, so it was a slight echo chamber. 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. In the dark. "Hello darkness, my old friend / I've come to talk with you again".
- - Paul Simon [4] (http://www.ckk.chalmers.se/guitar/sounds.of.silence.html)
Meaning
The Sound of Silence contains numerous references to Christian theology. The narrator is a sort of Christ figure, indicated when he finds himself under a "halo". He comes across a large mass of people "talking without speaking", "hearing without listening", "writing songs that voices never share," and praying "to the neon god they made," an allusion to the book of Exodus in the Bible.
External link
- Lyrics (http://www.medialab.chalmers.se/guitar/sounds.of.silence.lyr.html)