♫ Sound of Silence ♫

Posted on by under 9/11, Bits 'n Pieces, music, music history, Social commentary

Okay, my friends, it is official … this is officially Simon & Garfunkel Week!  No, I didn’t intend that, but since S&G were featured on Monday’s and Tuesday’s music posts, and since a number of my readers were enthusiastic over the idea of an S&G Week, then … how could I resist, eh?  So, now that it’s official, for today’s choice I am playing my favourite S&G song!  The one problem with S&G week is that I’ve probably played most of them fairly recently, but … so be it.  Always worth hearing again, right?

I played this song in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2022!  Can you tell it’s my favourite?   Last year, Erika from Share Your Light, suggested that perhaps the version by ‘Disturbed’ would be fitting for the times.  I had never heard of Disturbed before, but I went, I listened, and I thought, “Yeah, that is pretty apt for the times.”  I played both versions last year, but since this is S&G Week, I think I’ll stick with just Simon and Garfunkel’s version for this time.

This song has an interesting history …

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 original ‘acoustic’ version of the song was recorded in March 1964 at Columbia Studios in New York City and included on their debut album, Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.. Released on October 19, 1964, the album was a commercial failure and led to the duo disbanding; Simon returned 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. This remixed version was released as a single in September 1965. Simon & Garfunkel were not informed of the song’s remix until after its release!

Sounds like grounds for a lawsuit to me, but then … the song hit #1 in late December, so who can complain, right?  Simon & Garfunkel reunited and hastily recorded their second album, which Columbia titled Sounds of Silence in an attempt to capitalize on the song’s success. The remixed single version of the song was included on this follow-up album.

Paul Simon was often compared to Bob Dylan, who was also signed to Columbia Records, and while Simon has acknowledged Dylan’s influence on The Sound Of Silence, he was never trying to measure up to Dylan.  Simon says …

“I tried very hard not to be influenced by him, and that was hard. ‘The Sound Of Silence’, which I wrote when I was 21, I never would have wrote it were it not for Bob Dylan. Never, he was the first guy to come along in a serious way that wasn’t a teen language song. I saw him as a major guy whose work I didn’t want to imitate in the least.”

There is quite a bit more info about this song on Wikipedia and Songfacts, if you’re interested.  Meanwhile …

The Sound of Silence
Simon & Garfunkel
Produced by Tom Wilson

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 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 sound of silence.”

Songwriters: Paul Simon
The Sound of Silence lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

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49 thoughts on “♫ Sound of Silence ♫”

  2. Hi Jill. I will just tell you thanks for posting this. It always amazes me how much detail you can gather on the songs you post. It has always been one of my favorite songs. But one I have to be careful when listening to. I think you understand. The first lyrics are a trigger for me. Hugs, love, and again I do love the song and glad you posted it. Hugs. Scottie

    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

    Liked by 1 person

    • Thanks, Scottie! Finding the background and trivia is usually pretty easy … I have 2-3 good sources. Every now and then I run across a song that there just seems to be no background, but most of the time there is at least a little bit. It’s fun to learn what went into the production of music I’ve loved for 50+ years! Yes, my friend, I can certainly understand how the lyrics would be a trigger for you. Hugs ‘n loves

      Liked by 2 people

  3. Powerful song, going into the mid-teams angst I just had to love this one.
    Reading the ‘wiki entry’…….What’s this about folk laughing at it? Geez Louise the folkie set then were so far up their over cavities trying to play the insightfully sardonic shtick.

    Liked by 2 people

  6. I know we had the discussion, but I cannot remember that it was already a year ago. Thanks for the mention, Jill. The original is the original, absolutely. The Disturbed song is a different song to me. The different expressions and probably philosophy behind both songs make both versions special. Thanks for sharing the S & G version today!

    Liked by 5 people

  7. Jill, you captured the story behind the song well. Per his biography, Simon was perturbed by the remixing without his involvement, as he often took a heavy hand in the process. I remember one song, he used the guitars from one recording session in a different city and blended them with recordings at another. Keith

    Liked by 4 people

    • Thanks, Keith! Maybe a bit of ego on Simon’s part? Have you heard the song Clive recommended, “The Only Living Boy in New York”? I hadn’t heard it before, but I’ll be playing it sometime this week!

      Liked by 1 person

  8. The video wasn’t available here, but I didn’t really need it! And I’m glad you didn’t play the Disturbed version again: it’s an abomination, a crime against music. If you’re looking for S&G songs that you might not have played before, have you done The Only Living Boy In New York? And if you have, it is so good that it needs to be heard again – the studio version.

    Liked by 5 people

    • rawgod said it wasn’t available in Canada, either! Darn! I never know until someone tells me in a comment, whether the video will play in other countries or not. I’m sorry, Clive.

      You are so right that I haven’t done “The Only Living Boy in New York” … and in fact I had never heard of it until tonight! Some interesting background on the song … I will definitely play it sometime this week! Thank you!

      Liked by 1 person

    • Hi Clive. I disagree strongly with you on that. I love the Disturbed version. It echos in every part of me. But I have a personal reason why, and not everyone lived my life. But yes, while this version is great and the one I grew up with, the Disturbed version is the one that expresses my internal conflict. Hugs. Scottie

      Liked by 2 people

      • Hi Scottie. I respect your opinion and that you have a personal connection with the song. It is a version that divides opinion, isn’t it. I know Paul Simon has expressed his approval of it, but I don’t think even that could change my mind. As I’ve often said, it would be boring if we all liked the same music, wouldn’t it 😊

        Liked by 2 people

        • Hi Clive. Oh yes, I agree. I would hate a world where everyone did the same thing, ate the same food, praised the same stuff. It would be so boring, it would become so painful to even live in such an environment. And to pivot to another subject that endorses such a torture, I think the heaven most Christians envision would also be that way. Minute, hour, day, eternity of praising one being? Singing the same songs of praise, having an eternity of nothing but worship. It is the heaven of tRump, it is what he would want but with him as god. How agonizing such an existence would be. Think of having to eat the same food every day of your life, listen to the same song, watch the same videos. For eternity!

          Anyway, sorry for the place my thoughts went and the long answer. The short answer is I agree with you, the wonderful thing in life is diversity, acceptance, and tolerance. Hugs, Scottie

          Liked by 2 people

  11. Video unavailable
    The uploader has not made this video available in your country

    I should go looking for a version I could listen to — but really, I can play this entire version i side my hesd any time I want to, it was that great!

    Liked by 5 people

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