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]

Featured in the 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]

• A societal view of the lack of communication

- Paul Simon [3]

• 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]

External link

• Lyrics