Simon & Garfunkel: The Sound of Silence Meaning

Song Released: 1965

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The Sound of Silence 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...
↓ See the rest of these lyrics ↓

1. 1TOP RATED

   anonymous

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   Mar 16th 2011, 02:33 report

   
   

   This may be coming from a generation to far into the distant future to understand the feelings of the time, but here it goes:
   
   The first stanza Simon refers to darkness as being his "old friend" that he came to talk with because he was awoken in the middle of the night, of a nightmare that still lingers in his head, that gives his a considerable amount of distress. So bad that the awful visions were still flashing before his eyes as he is awake.
   
   Second stanza begins setting the scene in which the dream took place: at night, him walking along the cobblestone road where he stops below the light of a streetlight. The cold chill runs up his back, so he lifts his collar to the "cold and damp." Just then, a blight neon sign lit up, showing that he, in fact, was not alone. But there were "ten thousand maybe more" all gathered in the cold night. The people who are talking, not speaking, are politicians, who are using false words to sway the population to vote for them, never revealing true intentions. The people therefore are hearing are not listening.
   
   They are taking these words that are spoken to them in plain value, not examining or putting into depth anything that is said. Because of this, as referred to later, these politicians have formed a government that the people in fact voted for and supported until it began to act as a dictatorship. This seems that Simon is making an inditement to a large government that has taken away the freedoms of its people. A future for America it seemed with the rise of government in world affairs as in entered Vietnam. This "future America" has given Americans everything, and has the power the take it all away, hence the people "bow and pray to the neon god they made."
   
   The Silence that is referred to is the silence of the people, afraid to say anything against the government for fear of death or worse. Simon, or whoever has had this dream, tries to bring people to speak out. Saying "Fools, you do not know, Silence like a cancer grows" that as more are afraid to speak, the more control the government takes and the less anyone will stand up to the new government.
   
   As all hope is about to be given up, someone steps up and says to the crowd that the future they will hold has been written on the walls of subways and tenement halls. This is because this form of protest can be done anonymously, therefore no one can get in trouble for it. This begins the whispering in the silence of the people, and starts the beginning of a revolt.
   
   
   
   -I hope you enjoyed a younger perspective on this classic song. USMCRIFLEMAN2006

   
   
   
   

2. 2TOP RATED

   linksysman2000

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   Apr 3rd 2007, 23:53 report

   
   

   The first verse is about a man who sees the wrongs in the world, but can do nothing about it, and seeks refuge, but finds none, thus there is “darkness” for him, and it isn’t the first time, because he calls darkness his “old friend”. This man wants change the world, and has a vision “planted in his brain” that still remains.
   In his dreams, he is along in his vision, and he walks alone in all lonely places that he refers to, such as cobblestones and at night underneath a street lamp. Left to himself and his vision, he has his revelation, which I think is this “neon light” he is talking about. In this vision, he sees that there are thousands of people, maybe more, talking without speaking. They talk, but they really mean nothing, because they are empty. The same goes for their communications, because they hear, but take no heed, and though they try to share what they go through by means of music, no one is speaking or listening, so their voices are never shared. And yet no one dares to change this situation, and no one disturbs the silence of that lack of communication.
   The man tries to tell people of what he sees, and understands enough to at least explain this vision of his, but like before, no one listens. Soon, people creates their own image and gods, whether it be money or fame or power, and bow to their idols and do whatever it took to worship their gods. The last part is that the truth is revealed to this man, that the future is really under the city, buried from all the coldness of a lack of communication, and the same goes for tenements, where people live so close but yet so far away. That is the future, because people are cold and will remain that way because they refuse to change or even reconsider.

   
   
   
   

3. 3TOP RATED

   mensoelrey

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   Oct 2nd 2008, 10:48 report

   
   

   You are kind of right but missing one big thing. The society Simon envisions is a dictatorship. Not Hitler's dictatorship exactly; more just any dictatorship. And a dictatorship silences the people but really it is the people who have silenced themselves by communicating less and less. There are still prophets, but no one will listen to them so they write their words on subway walls and tenement halls, where, perhaps, future generations will read them and act. But until then, the people will bow and pray to their pointless gods and not listen because it is pointless.

   
   
   
   

↓ More The Sound of Silence meanings below the jump ↓

4.  

   anonymous

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   Nov 12th 2005, 11:09 report

   
   

   This song is about a man that has a dream that he is in a very dark place somewhere and a bright neon light plashes in the sky and he sees thousands of people bowing to him like he is their god.
   
   I don't really know what kind of statement it is making or anything, but if you listen to the song, then you can understand what he is saying.

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
   
   
   
   

5.  

   JAM

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   Dec 14th 2005, 22:26 report

   
   

   This is about him feeling lost and falling back into the darkness - the sadness that he wanted to leave forever but couldn't.

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
   
   
   
   

6.  

   JonahFalcon

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   May 19th 2006, 01:16 report

   
   

   As with many Simon & Garfunkel songs, The Sounds of Silence is about lack of communication on many levels - between lovers, friends, society in general.

   
   
   
   

7.  

   AshleyForever7

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   Jan 7th 2007, 23:15 report

   
   

   It took me forever to figure this out, but I think I got it. In 7th grade, my literature teacher made us listen to this song everyday and discuss what it meant. We were studying the Holocaust at the time. I think this song is about Hitler and his impact on the people. When the song says "people hearing without listening" means that they heard what Hitler was telling them to do, but they really werent interpreting it. Where it says "hello darkness my old friend" I think that means that all the people in the camps were so used to being in the dark that it was nothing new to them. This may be wrong, but its what I think. I love this song by the way. :)

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
   
   
   
   

8.  

   anonymous

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   Jun 21st 2007, 00:21 report

   
   

   This song actually is about the nation after the death of John Kennedy. The line about ten thousand people I believe is talking about the funeral and the line about the neon god that the people had made I believe is John Kennedy himself. The music in this song is beautiful.

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
   
   
   
   

9.  

   AlfreRH

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   Aug 8th 2007, 19:08 report

   
   

   This song is talking about the movie, the graduate, in witch he talks with mrs Robinson in the darkness, that is one of the parts, of it the others I really don´t get them.

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
   
   
   
   

10.  

    anonymous

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    Aug 14th 2007, 17:17 report

    
    

    Well, first of all this song is definitely about lack of communication between mankind. I think he calls darkness as "old friend" referring to the beginning of humanity when there was darkness and it all started with light (Bible). So this means that mankind destroying itself, maybe not physically but spiritually.

    
    
    
    

11.  

    anonymous

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    Dec 31st 2007, 22:04 report

    
    

    I heard the whole idea for this song came from a dream that Paul simon had. In the dream he claimed that he could see hundreds of people talking but could not hear what they were saying.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
    
    
    
    

12.  

    anonymous

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    Jan 18th 2008, 02:35 report

    
    

    The best interpretation of this song I have ever come to the conclusion of was one of a atomic bomb. The bomb of course being the "neon light" referred to in the song. What's most interesting is later on when it speaks of how "the people bowed and prayed to the neon god they made". The cold war and even today, we revere it as the strongest form of arsenal a country can possess. A simple explanation...but still carrying the depth of sages

    
    
    
    

13.  

    anonymous

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    Feb 22nd 2008, 21:38 report

    
    

    "A societal view of the lack of communication."
    
    -Paul Simon on this song

    
    
    
    

14.  

    anonymous

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    May 16th 2008, 12:32 report

    
    

    Prefer the nuclear holocaust interpretation, myself. Seemed pretty clear, even the first time I heard it. A lack of communication, perhaps, but with consequences more dire than the usual S&G lyrics.
    
    ...words of the prophets are written on the subway walls, and tenement halls/ surely referring to the apocalptic predictions spelled out in graffiti.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
    
    
    
    

15.  

    bonincf

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    Oct 16th 2008, 23:56 report

    
    

    I believe that this song was written in the 60's and was about the times then when a person, man or woman was lonely that needed and wanted a friend to talk to other than to just talk in general, to deeply talk and discuss personal things that might be troubling them without having to go to see a shrink. I'm not referring to a gay person seeking a mate, just another straight person to talk to. But back then you could be in a shopping mall of 10 thousand people or more, people talking but not speaking, hearing but not listening, and if you were a stranger and went up to just one person or group of people and tried to talked other then general, you would be given the cold shoulder and be told to leave. Today is worse.

    
    
    
    

16.  

    m320753

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    Oct 23rd 2008, 11:39 report

    
    

    The sound of silence; did you ever want to be left alone for a while to clear your and as you sit in your dark room or in your yard looking at the moon, your mind seems to relax every time you do such things so yeah Hello darkness my old friend I've come to talk with you again. Sounds almost like the beginning of self counseling or therapy?the rest of this classic song is probably what he was almost dreaming about as he was sitting there enjoying the silence. The verses may be memories he is thinking about or maybe encounters he has had and in a moment of self examination he tells himself that he while being a great writer the real signs ofmusical genious is written on the wall of the subways by graffiti artists

    
    
    
    

17.  

    anonymous

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    May 21st 2009, 23:10 report

    
    

    I don't see the song in anyway as being drug related but rather lonliness and being open and real. Jesus and his cousin John the Baptist for example spoke directly from the heart with everyone and played no mind games. Can you Imagine being in a room with a wild bunch of people who are competitive,two faced,business minded,sports minded, earthly people and then you or I who they know comes in and says hey your all gods creations and hang in there because god loves you and the sun will shine. I don't care what your status is in this life because I love you anyways. They would all think your nuts and feel embarrassed for you but deep down we need this kind of talk and when your alone with little or no sound you become deep in thought and not fake.

    
    
    
    

18.  

    anonymous

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    Feb 14th 2010, 03:44 report

    
    

    The song is about his wifes breakdown. She is trapped in silence and darkness where he cannot reach her. He is describing how he thinks she feels trapped in her own mind

    
    
    
    

19.  

    anonymous

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    Feb 26th 2010, 13:20 report

    
    

    Heroin: if you know this drug have used it, thats what it's about.

    
    
    
    

20.  

    anonymous

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    Oct 16th 2010, 07:20 report

    
    

    I think the neon light is a literal neon light, and the gods are the pop culture icons. The "talking without speaking" and "hearing without listening" seems to be like most pointless talk these days. He tries to stop the mindless advance of culture, but those who go against the flow are few and far between, so his words aren't listened to. This is my humble opinion, don't flame me.

    
    
    
    

21.  

    anonymous

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    Feb 22nd 2011, 09:36 report

    
    

    This song criticizes the increasing materialistic tendency and modern people's blind faith in 'neon god'. Here, neon god stands for the commercial advertisements flashed with neon lights. Pramod subedi, nepal

    
    
    
    

22.  

    anonymous

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    Jun 4th 2011, 02:33 report

    
    

    I think the interpretation of looking at it from a society standpoint is correct but how I interpreted it is also from a songwriting standpoint. People talking without speaking people hearing without listning people writing songs that voices never shared. To that means people write lyrics but they don't mean anything and voices never shared because they are just writing them for the sake of writing songs, they don't truely mean anything. The speaker tries to enlighten these 'fools', but they simply ignore him turning their attention to this fake neon god with no substance. The neon god agrees and points where to look, but none of them pay any attention, and without substance, there might as well be the sound of silence.
    I inerpret it this way and it could very well be Paul Simon forshadowing the lack of meaning in music today, which we all know certainly applies. Anyways that is what I think let me know what you do!

    
    
    
    

23.  

    anonymous

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    Jun 13th 2011, 12:06 report

    
    

    Hello darkness, my old friend---Seeking Hello from the evil one. He has known before and is close to him from time to time whenever he calls upon him.
    I've come to talk with you again --- He has sought wisdom from the evils before. Is still seeking more wisdom
    Because a vision softly creeping --- He has had a specific vision-that came in un-announced and unwarranted under the cover of darkness slipping through the lowly places and as if it were righteous
    Left its seeds while I was sleeping --- Left an impression in his dreams that will grow over time.
    And the vision that was planted in my brain --- The impression will not go away and was planted there to grow.
    Still remains --- Still There. The original vision still repeats itself.
    Within the sound of silence --- In the dream, no sound, it is silent. communication is felt not heard. Spirit world of communication
    
    In restless dreams I walked alone --- He is there by himself. This is his soul's future. He only has himself to answer for.
    Narrow streets of cobblestone --- This is the narrow pathway to heaven . He started out on the right path.
    'Neath the halo of a street lamp --- On the way he came across light that appeared righteous.
    I turned my collar to the cold and damp --- He turned away from the righteous path and walked toward the spiritually cold places of darkness. This was the false Halo, false light.
    When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light --- He found on his walks a bright false light that that turned out not to be pleasant.
    That split the night --- An un-righteous light a false light coming through the darkness
    And touched the sound of silence --- The light was without sound but had spiritual feeling in his vision
    
    And in the naked light I saw --- The light was stripped of righteousness
    Ten thousand people, maybe more --- He saw many souls on this path. The number is uncountable.
    People talking without speaking --- no voice but messages come through spiritually
    People hearing without listening --- Complete communication through spiritual darkness
    People writing songs that voices never share --- The music comes through darkness of spiritual feeling and not through direct earthly vibrations. These are dirges in the dark.
    And no one dared --- Spiritual dirges that people do not hear in words.
    Disturb the sound of silence --- Hearing is through the spirit world and placed through thought.
    
    "Fools", said I, "You do not know --- " I " Is not talking about the writer, but rather the evil one making this statement
    Silence like a cancer grows --- The silence of the evil one is spiritual through the inside just like cancer grows outwardly. Speaking spiritually and as a cancer grows. So does his message
    Hear my words that I might teach you --- The evil one of darkness is speaking spiritually to teach the evil ways.
    Take my arms that I might reach you" --- The evil one wants people to reach out there arm so that he may guide down the path of un-righteous
    But my words, like silent raindrops fell - As from up above or in another plain of existence. The words fall amongst those
    And echoed "repeated"
    In the wells of silence --- The wells are the abyss. The silence of course is the spirit world of communication.
    
    And the people bowed and prayed --- The souls of people there bow and pray to the false God of light.
    To the neon god they made --- The neon God is a false light.
    And the sign flashed out its warning --- Out of the sign the false God and a reminder to those who followed into the darkness. You now have the truth, but too late.
    In the words that it was forming --- The words in the sign will always be seen.
    And the sign said, "The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls - Even as you were walking down the path of darkness. The prophets tried to warn you and you did not listen. The truth is revealed, too late.
    And tenement halls" --- The pathway to Heaven. The place that awaits all his people to those who listen, though many did not. The truth revealed, too late.
    And whispered in the sounds of silence --- The place of unspeakable torment.