The Sound of Silence – English Lyrics

• By: Simon & Garfunkel

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the lyrical depth of Simon & Garfunkel's "The Sound of Silence" – a timeless folk-rock anthem that offers a unique window into English expression. This song, with its profound reflections on communication and societal alienation, features rich, poetic language and a gentle, melodic structure that makes its English lyrics both accessible and deeply moving for language learners. Explore its verses to understand complex emotions and social commentary, and discover how simple words can convey powerful, enduring messages about the human condition.

[English]

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 streetlamp

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 shared

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

In tenement halls"

And whispered in the sounds of silence

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
darkness /ˈdɑːrknəs/ B1	noun - the state or quality of being dark
vision /ˈvɪʒən/ B2	noun - the ability to see; a mental image
seeds /siːdz/ A2	noun - small objects produced by a plant, from which new plants grow
streets /striːts/ A2	noun - a public road in a city or town
halo /ˈheɪloʊ/ B2	noun - a circle of light around the head of a sacred person
collar /ˈkɑːlər/ A2	noun - the part of a shirt or coat that surrounds the neck
flash /flæʃ/ B1	noun - a sudden burst of light verb - to shine brightly for a short time
split /splɪt/ B1	verb - to divide something into two or more parts
naked /ˈneɪkɪd/ B2	adjective - without clothes
people /ˈpiːpl/ A1	noun - humans
writing /ˈraɪtɪŋ/ B1	noun - the activity or skill of marking coherent words on paper
songs /sɔːŋz/ A2	noun - a musical composition
dared /derd/ B2	verb - to have the courage to do something
cancer /ˈkænsər/ C1	noun - a serious disease in which abnormal cells grow within the body
raindrops /ˈreɪndrɒps/ A2	noun - a drop of rain
wells /welz/ B1	noun - a hole dug in the ground to obtain water
prayed /preɪd/ A2	verb - to make a request to God or another deity
warning /ˈwɔːrnɪŋ/ B1	noun - an indication of possible danger
prophets /ˈprɑːfɪts/ C1	noun - a person regarded as inspired by a divine power

Key Grammar Structures

• I've come to talk with you again

  ➔ Present Perfect Tense

  ➔ Expresses an action that started in the past and continues to the present. "I've come" implies the speaker's ongoing relationship with darkness.

• Because a vision softly creeping

  ➔ Reduced Relative Clause

  ➔ Omission of "that was" before "creeping". Full phrase: "Because a vision that was softly creeping". The participle "creeping" acts as an adjective.

• When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light

  ➔ Passive Voice

  ➔ Emphasizes the receiver of the action (eyes) rather than the doer (neon light). "Were stabbed" shows the subject was acted upon.

• People talking without speaking

  ➔ Present Participle Phrase

  ➔ "Talking" functions as an adjective modifying "people". Shows simultaneous action: people exist while engaging in superficial communication.

• Silence like a cancer grows

  ➔ Simile

  ➔ Uses "like" to directly compare silence to cancer, emphasizing its destructive and invasive nature.

• But my words like silent raindrops fell

  ➔ Comparative Structure

  ➔ "Like silent raindrops" compares words to raindrops using implied verb (fell). Highlights the futility/unheard nature of the words.

• And echoed in the wells of silence

  ➔ Metaphor

  ➔ "Wells of silence" metaphorically represents deep, empty spaces where sound resonates but isn't heard. Silence is portrayed as a physical container.

• To the neon god they made

  ➔ Reduced Relative Clause

  ➔ Omission of "that/which" before "they made". Full phrase: "To the neon god that/which they made". The clause modifies "neon god".