The Sound Of Silence

The hauntingly beautiful 'The Sound Of Silence' by the iconic folk duo Simon & Garfunkel is a song that has resonated with audiences since its release in the 1960s. The song begins with the familiar greeting to darkness, suggesting a conversation with one's inner self or a contemplation of solitude. The 'vision' that creeps into the narrator's mind during sleep could symbolize a realization or a truth about society that persists, represented by the 'sound of silence.' This silence could be interpreted as a metaphor for a lack of communication and understanding among people.

As the song progresses, the imagery of walking alone on cobblestone streets under the dim light of a streetlamp paints a picture of isolation. The 'flash of a neon light' that interrupts this solitude may represent the sudden and invasive nature of modern life and its artificiality. The chorus speaks to the alienation of individuals in a crowd, where people are physically present but fail to genuinely communicate or connect with each other. The songwriters are critiquing a society where people have become passive, not actively engaging with one another or with important messages ('songs that voices never share').

The latter verses of the song grow more intense with the admonition that silence, like a cancer, grows. This suggests that the lack of meaningful discourse can have a detrimental effect, spreading through society and deteriorating its core values. The 'neon God' is a powerful image that symbolizes the worship of materialism and superficiality. The song concludes with a prophetic warning that true wisdom and prophetic messages ('the words of the prophets') are being ignored, relegated to the margins of society ('subway walls and tenement halls'), and lost in the overwhelming 'sound of silence.' The song, thus, is a powerful critique of the state of communication and connection in modern society, urging listeners to break the silence and engage with the world around them more deeply.