What is The Sound of Silence?

Questions Answered in this Article

• Why did I write this article about the classic Simon and Garfunkel song?
• What is sound?
• What is silence?
• What did the song mean to me at the time of first discovery?
• What does the song me to me now?
• What is the message of the song to society?

 

Birth, Death, Re-Birth

The Sound of Silence is a song first recorded and released by the pop rock duo, Simon and Garfunkel in 1964 to little fanfare. It was a commercial failure and resulted in the breakup of Simon and Garfunkel.

Click the image below to watch a 1965 recording of the original version performed live by Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel. ¹

I think you will agree, there is something in this song, but this version just doesn't tug at your heart or give you chills.

Though Simon is an accomplished guitarist and Simon and Garfunkel harmonize very well together, their performance doesn't deliver the passion that lies dormant in the lyrics. If the song had remained just this, it would have remained just one more of the thousands of obscure folk songs released during the 1960s and Simon and Garfunkel would have been just another of the many folk groups that have disappeared in to musical obscurity.

Fortunately for the world, this did not happen. The song was remixed with electric instruments and drums without the knowledge of either Paul Simon or Art Garfunkel. It was then re-released in 1965 reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the week ending January 1, 1966.

The story of the creation, release, remix, rerelease and ultimate success of this amazing song is of great interest to music nerds. It has been well documented online so I won't repeat the story here. Suffice to say the remixed song is now widely recognized as one of the most culturally significant songs of the era.

Without this remix and re-release, the duo Simon and Garfunkel would not exist, their music I so loved as a teenager and still love today would never have been written, and I would not have been inspired 50 years later to write this article.

Following is the remixed version. I'm sure you will recognize this version as the "real" version.

The title, The Sound of Silence, seems to me an intentional, and very clever play on words; almost as if it were a complete non-sequitur or oxymoron (meaning a contradiction in terms) like:

• Military Intelligence
• Government Assistance
• Deceptively Honest
• Too Big to Fail
• Two Weeks to Flatten the Curve
• Exact Estimate
• Wise Fool
• Deliberate Mistake
• Seriously Funny
• The Big Short
• Temporary Tax Increase
• Express Mail
• Bureaucratic Efficiency

As humorous as these examples are, I suggest the title "The Sound of Silence" actually conveys a serious meaning that was relevant for its time and is critically important for the survival of our society today.

To uncover the deeper meaning contained in "The Sound of Silence", let's begin by considering the definition of the two operative words “Sound” and “Silence”.

 

From Merriam Webster Dictionary

Sound (noun)

1. A particular auditory impression : tone
2. The sensation perceived by the sense of hearing
3. Mechanical radiant energy that is transmitted by longitudinal pressure waves in a material medium (such as air) and is the objective cause of hearing

Silence (noun)

1. Forbearance from speech or noise : muteness
   —often used interjectionally
2. Absence of sound or noise : stillness
   in the silence of the night
3. Absence of mention:
   a: oblivion, obscurity
   b: secrecy
   weapons research was conducted in silence

 

Perhaps a revealing example will help provide some context.

 

A Tree Falls in the Forest

Does a tree falling in the forest make a sound if no one is present to hear it?

Blue Team Perspective

The Blue Team says “obviously the falling tree makes no sound.”

Because, you see (or perhaps you don't see), sound is a cultural construct, the “sound” of the tree falling exists only in the mind of the hearer. The exact nature of the sound is colored by the hearer's social context, by the pronouns they choose with which to represent their self identity, by the way of knowing they employ to allow the sound to develop through collaborative consensus and thus reach its true expression in their mind, and so on.

Sound, therefore, cannot exist without someone to first hear the sound and then construct the truth of its existence. (Never mind the seemingly circular logic, just go with it for now.)

Naturally, this approach to understanding sound results in myriad different sound identities arising from the same event. Each individual hearer must, by definition, experience a different, personal truth of the sound when the tree falls.

This personal "sound truth" is not amenable to challenge since no other individual can fully understand the context of the perceiver's situation. As a result, any attempt to challenge an expression of his/her/they/them's truth is a particularly egregious form of racism. This is how we get the claim that, "You as a... (insert race, gender, etc. here) can't possible understand my truth because you don't share my lived experience and so you can't be allowed to speak on the topic. (I'm not making this up or attempting mockery. Look up “ Social Constructivism”. You will most likely be amazed at the depth of your ignorance in this matter.)

As should by now be obvious, the Blue Team sees everything in the world through the senses and feelings of the hearer, observer, experiencer, etc. See the definition of "lived experience" for more details.

Since nothing can be perceived without a perceiver, everything (and I do mean everything) is of necessity subject to interpretation by the perceiver; hence the term “social construct”. This is how notions like gender as a social construct come in to being.

And so naturally, it goes without saying in their view, that a tree falling in the forest makes no sound whatsoever without a self-identified hearing person being present to construct the sound through hearing and constitutive communication. In other words, sound has no objective existence outside the brain of the perceiver and whatever group context might emerge as a result of the hearer's constitutive communication.  A hearing challenged person can't perceive any sound from the falling tree due to their particular hearing challenge and so, in their truth, the falling tree obviously makes no sound at all, in fact it cannot make sound in such a person's truth. However, and this is critically important, such a hearing challenged person could still “hear the sound not made by the falling tree” if they chose to identify as hearing enabled; hence the notion “My feelings don't care about your facts.” (Again, pay no attention to the circular logic, doing so will give you a headache.)

The Blue Team is not being obtuse. Such things are unquestionable articles of faith to them. To suggest otherwise is to attack the very core of their being.

Red Team Perspective

On the other hand, the Red Team says “of course the falling tree makes a sound”. Are you nuts?

Since sound is just pressure waves propagating through a medium like air or water, so long as a propagation medium exists, the tree must make a sound when it falls. The tree doesn't have a choice in the matter and neither does any hypothetical hearing or non-hearing person within or without earshot of the falling tree.

In other words, sound is a physical phenomena that exists independently of perception. It is not merely a social construct. It does not depend on a perceiver for its existence. It is always amenable to objective measurement and testing. The amplitude, frequency, and shape of the pressure waves can be objectively measured, recorded, and reproduced. Such pressure waves can be represented accurately by numbers and recorded exactly enough with the appropriate transducer to be recognized by any hearing person as the sound of a tree falling in the forest when the pressure waves are played back. If it were not so, sound recording and playback would not be possible.

And so, in the view of the Red Team, a tree falling in the forest must make a sound whether it is heard or not; hence the notion “Facts don't care about your feelings.”

Summary Perspective

Both these interpretations of sound make good logical arguments. Who's to say which is right and which is the illusion?

I suggest they are both right and both wrong at the same time, or more correctly, they are both incomplete without the other.

Just as a coin is incomplete without both sides, both of these interpretations of sound require the other to achieve comprehensive expression.

Likewise, the Red Team without the Blue Team lacks heart and the Blue Team without the Red Team lacks objective understanding. They need each other for completeness.

It breaks my heart and wounds my soul to see both teams attempting to cancel, destroy, and discard the other as heretics in our present political fervor.

Could it be the solution to my heartbreak and wounded soul lies in the lyrics of “The Sound of Silence”?

Let's hear that song again, this time with printed lyrics. Try reading along as Simon and Garfunkel sing.

Can you hear "The Sound of Silence" of which they sing?

 

An Alternative Meaning

Could you imagine what such a sound of silence might be, or what conditions could create such a sound of silence?

If such a "sound" could exist, what would a hypothetical dictionary definition of that sound look like?

I submit the following fictional definition of "Sound of Silence" for your reflection.

Noun

1. The sound made by a tree falling in the forest when no one is present to hear it fall.
2. The sound heard in a person's head when sitting in a perfectly dark and perfectly quite room such as an anechoic chamber.
3. The sound made by a group of people immediately after receiving stunning news. This is often described by observers who were present at the time as, “You could have heard a pin drop.”
4. The sound produced by a group of people all shouting at the same time but not hearing what anyone is saying. Very similar to the sound of opposing political pundits shouting inane accusations at each other and by politicians speaking loudly while saying nothing.
5. The sound heard round the world immediately after God destroyed the Tower of Babel in the Old Testament Bible story.
6. The sound that follows destruction of the world after a major asteroid impact or global thermonuclear war.
7. The sound made by a spouse or parent in the first micro second after learning of the death of their spouse or of the death of their child. This sound is usually followed quickly by a sharp intake of breath, the clatter of whatever object they were holding as it hits the floor, and then by wracking sobs of grief.
8. The sound made by every politician in the micro second before responding to a question for which they were not prepared by their handlers. Such questions often begin with “Why did you...”
9. The sound made by every press secretary while attempting to cover for the latest gaffe made by his/her/their/they/them's boss. Do not be confused by the apparently inane chatter or seemingly incoherent ramblings of such creatures. They are smarter than they appear. They are all masters of the art of distraction otherwise they would not have the job. Listen carefully to their maunderings. I am sure you will hear the unmistakable sound of silence hidden in their words no matter how loudly and gratingly the words are delivered.
10. The sound made by your old friend Darkness when you finish speaking to him/her/they/them/etc.
11. The sound made by seeds sprouting as they leave a vision softly creeping in your brain while you are sleeping.
12. The sound of your footfalls on narrow streets of cobblestone as you walk alone in restless dreams.
13. The sound of cold and damp in the halo beneath a streetlamp.
14. The sound of a neon light that splits the night. Not to be confused with the sound made by the neon light fixture.
15. The sound of people talking without speaking.
16. The sound made by the billions of songs that have been written but were never shared. (I have written many such songs.)
17. The sound made by cancer growing.
18. The sound made by silent raindrops echoing in all the wells of silence that have plagued all of human existence.
19. The sound of a fictional neon god replying to the earnest prayers of its very real acolytes.
20. A song by pop/rock duo “Simon and Garfunkel” which was first released by the duo in 1964 and which has since been “covered” by many thousands of artists.

 

How and When I First Heard the Simon and Garfunkel Version

Since Simon and Garfunkel became very publicly active in 1965 after the release of the electronically enhanced version of what was then titled "The Sounds of Silence", I must have heard their work on the radio many times in the normal course of life as a small child in California but I have no specific recollection of particular songs or musicians that I can point to with confidence until reaching Junior High School in 1970. The work of Simon and Garfunkel is not in my conscious memory by name until I reached High School in 1973 where I used their music quite a lot in my role as student assistant in the “Media Center” of my High School.

I remember being so touched by their work and the work of a similar popular duo of the time, Seals and Crofts, that I used songs from both groups in several automated 35mm slide presentations which I made for class and large group expositions at my High School. These presentations tended to be constructed from candid photos of students in various activities around the school during the course of normal school days. The photos were taken and developed (Remember, this was a time before digital photography existed.) by me, other student assistants, and by the faculty adviser who was guiding our efforts.

Think of the cute cat videos and cute baby videos that helped launch youtube and you will have an idea of the roll played by my automated slide presentations. Remember, nothing like youtube existed in 1973 because the internet was not yet even a glimmer of a dream in the minds of internet creators Vinton Cerf and Bob Kahn, or was it Al Gore, no wait, I remember, it was a super secret DARPA project intended to enable the United States to survive the much feared nuclear Armageddon.

How did the world exist without the internet? I know it's hard to imagine, but here we are anyway having survived all of pre-internet history without youtube, twitter, facebook, tik-tok, my space, google, etc.

And so I had no option but to discover the music of Simon and Garfunkel, Seals and Crofts, Hal and Oats, Captain and Tennille, Peaches and Herb, Sonny and Cher and the others with only the two local AM radio stations 590 and 940, the record collections of local dance DJs, the local dance bands, and the record collection in my high school media center.  

Many of the songs from these groups and others still occupy a cherished place in my heart today. But there was something about The Sound of Silence that was different for me in 1973. It struck a chord in my soul of a different, melancholy sort than the other popular songs of the time.

I remember strongly identifying with the phrase "In restless dreams I walked alone." What teenager has not felt that no one understands their pain, that no one understands their struggle, and has not had a strong sense of walking through life alone?

For example, I don't know how it was with the girls, but for me, one of the loneliest things was the fear of rejection that welled up immediately upon asking the next pretty girl for a date on Friday night. I remember vividly that lonely feeling when dialing the phone number for one of my high school's mot popular cheerleaders to inviter her to the Senior Hop dance. I also remember the great sense of relief when she declined. 

It didn't occur to me at the time, that the girls might be experiencing a similar feeling of walking alone. Many years later at a high school class reunion, one of the cheerleaders that I didn't have courage to ask for a date back in high school approached me, called me by name, and engaged me in conversation about a high school class we had shared. I was quite surprised. I didn't think she even new I existed let alone new my name. Sort of like one of those songs that was written but never shared.

I don't remember having a strong sense of social distress that the song conveys to me today. Even though the Viet Nam war was raging at the time, and my friends and I were becoming increasingly concerned about the prospect of being drafted in to the military and sent to war, I didn't connect those feelings of fear and dread with "The Sound of Silence". 

This all changed when I stumbled upon a cover version of the song by the heavy metal band "Disturbed".

 

How and When I Discovered the Disturbed Cover Version

I should have made notes upon discovering Disturbed's cover version of the Simon and Garfunkel classic song for the first time but I didn't. This sort of thing is the story of my life. I didn't realize I would be writing this article until weeks after first hearing the Disturbed version so I didn't think to make any notes about my reaction. What fallows is necessarily from memory.

I was completely unaware of the band Disturbed since they perform in a genre known as Heavy Metal . And while I appreciate all types of music so long as the music is well done, with a very few exceptions heavy metal tunes are not in my list of favorites. I have nothing against the genre per se, it just doesn't appeal to me for casual listening. And so the band Disturbed and its members were not part of my world.

However, since I played trombone actively from 4th grade through college, and have sung actively in my church choir since 1991, I have a strong interest in music. As a result, I often watch and/or listen to youtube music videos from a wide variety of artists for pleasure and to expand my musical world. I also watch vocal coach video reviews of a similar wide variety of musical performances in a hopeful attempt to improve my vocal ability.

So it happened that about a month ago I was scanning through the reaction videos on one of my favorite vocal coach channels, "The Charismatic Voice" which features vocal couch Elizabeth Zharoff reviewing and commenting on a wide variety of vocal artists . In the process I noticed a reaction video to the Sound of Silence by Disturbed. I was intrigued by this apparent oxymoron and clicked play. Not only was I rewarded by the normal thoughtfully detailed and amusingly over the top reactions from vocal coach Elizabeth, but I was also stunned by the vocal style and obviously seriously amazing vocal ability of the singer David Dramain, and by the fantastic accompaniment from the other Disturbed band members. I was completely blown away, as they say, by David's unique interpretation of the classic Simon and Garfunkel song. While the reactions of the vocal coach brought many smiles to my face as usual, David's singing and the accompanying orchestration brought tears to my eyes and touched my heart in an unexpected way.

(I re-watched Disturbed's version of The Sound of Silence while writing this and found David's vocal singing still brings chills and raises goosebumps. His interpretation just strikes a chord and the visuals in the video convey a strong sense of loss, as noted by Elizabeth in her analysis. And like Elezabeth, I just love Disturbed's version of the song. Would that I could sing even half as well as David.)

Watch The Charismatic Voice reaction and read on to see why David Draiman's interpretation touches me so profoundly.

I think you will have a similar reaction.

That reaction video launched me on a path of discovery that a month later resulted in me writing this article. I have since watched Disturbed's music video and their live performance on Conan many dozens of times. The emotional impact of David's artistic interpretation lead me to wonder what other interpretations might exist. So I searched youtube and found hundreds of other cover videos by a surprisingly wide range of artists. Who would have thought “The Sound of Silence” would make sense on a kalimba, on bagpipes, on a chapman stick, or on a cathedral organ. Yet all these and many more, not to mention an unbelievably long list of vocal covers, are just waiting to be discovered on youtube. More about that later.

Not only was I blown away by David Draiman's virtuosic singing but also by the youtube view counter which, at the time of this writing, stands at 132,898,275 for the live Conan performance and 839,930,540 for their official music video. And this is only for those two videos on youtube. I can only imagine that the other channels where Disturbed's Sound of Silence cover is available show similar results.

The official music video of "Disturbed - The Sound Of Silence" linked below features haunting visuals that magnify the feeling of loss and despair and yet it ends on a hopeful note. 

The live version of Disturbed - The Sound Of Silence broadcast on Conan linked below is likewise amazing. Can you not see the passion in David's face and feel the emotion in David's singing? Even without the reinforcing visuals contained in the music video version, David's singing and physical presence conveys a deep sense of loss and perhaps even anger at that loss. This is exactly the job that music is supposed to do. You can tell Conan's studio audience was deeply touched by their reaction at the end of Disturb's performance even though the video clip cuts off before the audience reaction reaches its full extent.

Consider that these two video covers of the Simon and Garfunkel folk/pop rock duo by a bunch of metal heads have achieved nearly a billion views. Add to that astounding number, more millions of views on other channels and they must have reached something on the order of a quarter of the world's population with this rendition. What is going on here?

I later discovered through research in to the band Disturbed and David Dramain specifically, that David was classically trained as a Jewish Cantor. So that explains how he is able to present such a wide stylistic range from almost operatically pure tones and classical dictional expressions to the raging screams of a heavy metal, head banger. Who would have thought a metal head Jewish Cantor could be a thing. Certainly not me. Yet, David Dramain is exactly that.

This explains David's extremely captivating musical ability but doesn't completely explain the reach of the Disturbed videos, at least not to my way of thinking.

I believe these videos have achieved such wide reach because David and his cohorts have touched a raw nerve in society that has been stretched far too tightly by recent events like the covid pandemic, the attendant government responses to the pandemic, the conflicts raging around the world, and the world wide fear and panic that is being fueled by powerful forces working to divide us in to ever more fractionated identity groups and pit us against each other.

 

Variations on a Theme

While watching and listening to many renditions of The Sound of Silence during my research for this article, I noticed a number of interesting variations among the many versions.  A first I thought these variations were just evidence of the fallibility of the various artists. You see, I assumed anyone who took the effort to record and publish a cover video would naturally do their best to "get it right". But as my research continued, I began to notice some patterns in the variations.

You see, the Simon and Garfunkel version is basically hopeful with a relatively fast pace and pleasant tone.  It is very decidedly upbeat as are  many of the other folk songs of the time from groups like:

• Peter, Paul, and Mary
• Joni Mitchel
• James Taylor
• Woodie Guthrie
• Pete Seeger
• Joan Baez
• Judy Collins
• Don McLean
• etc. 

Many of the cover versions are clearly trying to convey the same feeling as the original.

• Pentatonix ( A Cappella) — 128,864,908 views
• Wuauquikuna (Panflute | Toyos) — 22,782,973 views
• Die Sound-Melodie Gregorian — 20,373,059 views
• Naomi SV (Harp Cover) — 7,470,131 views
• Cole Lam (Piano) — 6,814,459 views
• Hang-Shuen Lee (The Voice of Germany 2017) - 5,196,290 views
• Raimy Salazar (Panflute | Quenacho | Voice | Toyos | Sampoña) — 5,106,262 views
• Etienne de Lavaulx (5 Chord Zither) — 5,022,046 views
• The Farmer (Piano, Guitar, Drums, Vocals) — 4,827,280 views
• Jew in the City Presents (A Cappella Beat Box) — 1,033,771 views
• Natalya Obukhova (kalimba) — 967,200 views
• Luca Stricagnoli (Reversed Slide Neck Guitar) — 752,389 views
• Andru Mac (Dublin City Today Street Musician) — 207,351 views
• Keith Highlanders Pipe Band — 75,463 views
• PaweÅ‚ Piotrowski (Organ) — 25,774 views
• Adalbert Kramer (Tyros 3) — 22,092 views
• Boaz Bar (Chapman Stick) — 13,196 views
• Bernai Velarde (Yamaha PSR SX-900) — 181 views

• Jadyn Rylee and Sina — 22,740,197 views
• Jamie Dupuis (18 String Harp Guitar Cover) — 14,447,705 views
• [Super Vocal] Wang Xi, Li Qi, Ju Hongchuan — 6,789,740 views
• Emiliana Torrini — 6,721,009 views
• אנה סטפני – The X Factor Israel — 2,801,908 views
• The Bands of HM Royal Marines — 2,744,411
• Brooklyn Duo (Cello & Piano) — 2,689,781 views
• VOCES8 (A Cappella) — 1,733,183 views
• Kerstin & Yvonne (German Language) — 1,640,471 views
• Tomi P (Bass Singer A Cappella) — 1,024,440 views
• zazapat (Harmonica) — 512,496 views
• Nouela — 149,224 views
• Titanium A Cappella —  3,274 views
• SoulHikers (German Language)

Some are darker and more foreboding.

• Disturbed — 839,930,540 views

And some are downright depressing.

• Sad clown Puddles Pity Party — 7,944,165 views

I decided that like all good music, they are all valid, they all convey an important message, and they all touch me in ways that I did not expect. It is clear that all these artists were touched by the song in unique ways and wished to share their feelings through their music. 

 

What are we to make of all this?

I believe there is something much more important going on here than is apparent on the surface. Anything that has such breadth of reach and such depth of interest requires better understanding. I believe the buzz around this song ranging from the followers of the sad clown Puddles Pity Party to followers of the heavy metal band Disturbed (a band who is intentionally working against type in this instance) and the followers of thousands of other performers from all around the world is evidence that this time, the socialist would-be masters of the universe are going to fail in their attempt to cover the world in darkness. It is evidence  that the nefarious plans of these would-be masters will be defeated by little girls and soccer moms, little boys and sad clowns; by bubble gummers, hip hoppers, pashtoon tribes, native American panfluters, and even metal heads coming together to disturb the sound of silence, to speak, listen, and understand each other; to write songs that are actually shared; to work peacefully with each other, and say to the devil of our time, “ I see you, I know who you are, you don't scare me, you have no control over me, get behind me oh Satan.” And then to crush him and and his minions, and rob them of the fuel of contention that they require to pursue their evil intent through all of us embracing each other in kindness, and thus dispelling the darkness with which the global socialist elites are once again attempting to envelope the Earth.

 

Comparison to John F. Kennedy's "Peace Speech"

The message contained in The Sound of Silence reminds me of the message contained in President John F. Kennedy's "Peace Speech" delivered at the American University on June 10, 1963. I believe this speech resulted from President Kennedy's experience dealing with Soviet First Secretary Nikita Khrushchev in what became known as the Cuban Missile Crisis that happened in mid October 1962.

President Kennedy's impassioned call for peace is needed today more than ever as powerful forces are again pushing the world toward devastating conflict.

President Kennedy's entire speech seems spot on to me. But I especially identify with his affirmation that we are more alike than not alike when he said "We all inhabit this small planet, we all breathe the same air, we all cherish our children's future, and we are all mortal."

So, as the song says:

"Fools said I, Silence like a cancer grows.
Hear my words that I might teach you.
Take my arms that I might reach you."

I hope that this time, your words and my words will not fall like silent rain drops and will not echo in the wells of silence. But rather, like words written on subway walls and tenement halls be whispered in the sound of silence and touch enough hearts and minds to avoid the catastrophe just as the whispered words of Kennedy and Khrushchev avoided the catastrophe in 1962.

Click below to watch the President Kennedy's entire speech.

I wonder if Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel were similarly inspired by events of the Cuban Missile Crisis to write and record their song, "The Sound of Silence".

But whether they had the Cuban Missile Crisis specifically in mind or if it was just a more generic concern about the path to war that the world leaders of that time seemed to be pursuing, the result is the same. The message contained in their song, "The Sound of Silence" is just as relevant today as it was in 1964, and perhaps even more needed today than it was in 1964. And in the same way that President Kennedy's speech could have been delivered yesterday and would be, amazingly, equally relevant to world events today as it was in 1963 and perhaps even more needed today than it was in 1963, so that the vision of President Kennedy softly creeping and leaving seeds while we sleep will open our eyes. So that we will see the multitudes of people writing songs intended to disturb the sound of silence such that we will see, recognize, and understand the words of the prophets written on walls and halls and thus hear and reach each other.

As President Kennedy said near the end of his speech "This generation of Americans has already had enough, more than enough of war and hate and oppression...confident and unafraid, we must labor on, not towards a strategy of annihilation, but towards a strategy of peace." 

Since we don't seem to have enough such leaders as John F. Kennedy readily available to us in politics in the world today, it falls to you and to me, to your friends and to my friends, to your neighbors and to my neighbors, to hear the "Sound of Silence" and to speak up and to labor on "towards a strategy of peace" as President Kennedy suggested.

 

Join the Conversation

I loved this song as a teenager, as a young adult, as a parent, and now as a grandparent.

As I have grown and changed over the decades, my understanding of the song has also changed.

I hope my little article has given you also a new perspective on this classic song. 

What do you think?

Do you agree? Do you disagree?

What did the song "The Sound of Silence" mean to you back in the day? What does it mean to you now?

Please post your comments below for all of us to see, consider, and enjoy.

Thanks for your interest.

Jonathan Carter
General Manager

 

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Selected Cover Versions of Simon and Garfunkel's "The Sound of Silence".

Simon & Garfunkel - Sound Of Silence (1965)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwP3vPQi0nI
473,899 views May 19, 2017

The Sound of Silence (Electric Version)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjkPQYWNTlg
22,336,323 views Feb 18, 2017

Simon & Garfunkel - The Sounds of Silence (Audio)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fWyzwo1xg0
19,747,273 views Mar 26, 2013

Simon & Garfunkel - The Sound of Silence - Madison Square Garden, NYC - 2009/10/29&30
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-JQ1q-13Ek
81,007,784 views Dec 30, 2009

Gregorian - The Sound of Silence
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6AxTDrthl8
20,373,059 views Jan 26, 2014

GERMAN COVER "Sound of Silence" - Kerstin & Yvonne - "Klang des Schweigens
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1n_c5axemoE
1,640,471 views Aug 16, 2020

The Sound Of Silence by Simon & Garfunkel | Piano Cover
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELTUzU9QhLY
2,478,733 views May 1, 2022

Brooklyn Duo - The Sound of Silence (Cello & Piano)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-2MNM1O6EE
2,689,781 views May 4, 2018

Sound of Silence - Loveliest Music by Hauser
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxwXMxU187c
1,552,128 views Aug 18, 2020

The Sound of Silence | Simon & Garfunkel (Harp Cover)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MsXDPqcrvM
7,470,131 views Jul 23, 2020

The Sound Of Silence by Wuauquikuna | Panflute | Toyos |
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndUCNnhH03Q
22,782,973 views Premiered Apr 28, 2021

The Sound of Silence | The Bands of HM Royal Marines
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o05f8yLaaKM
2,744,411 views Nov 27, 2020

Simon & Garfunkel - The Sound Of Silence | Hang-Shuen Lee | The Voice of Germany 2017 | Audition
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRiJm2Dffq0
5,196,290 views Jan 2, 2018

The sound of silence - Harmonica chromatique
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roCCORRawJM
512,496 views Apr 18, 2018

The Sound Of Silence - Raimy Salazar | Panflute | Quenacho | Voice | Toyos | Sampoña
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kh73XnopkvM
5,106,262 views Premiered Sep 14, 2021

"The Sound of Silence" performed by the Keith Highlanders Pipe Band
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBVf4F-SVYM
75,463 views Jul 19, 2020

The Sound of Silence – Simon and Garfunkel (kalimba cover by Natalya Obukhova)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4O0ZOUBvIU
967,200 views Nov 20, 2018

Sounds of Silence Played on a 5 Chord Zither
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3Z9XBAw4cU
5,022,046 views Dec 15, 2017

The Sound of Silence - 18 String Harp Guitar Cover
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vlzk9989dzg
14,447,705 views Sep 6, 2017

Sound of Silence von Simon & Garfunkel on Tyros 3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIcFWNE1D_w
22,092 views Aug 10, 2018

Disturbed - The Sound of Silence - for organ - Paweł Piotrowski
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nI4tx212iQg
25,774 views Premiered Oct 11, 2018

Andru Mac - The Sound of Silence (Simon & Garfunkel)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_xx-8NaoGI
207,351 views Jun 20, 2019

The Sound of Silence Cover, Played by Bernai Velarde, Yamaha PSR SX-900
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFZFk2VNBPY
181 views Aug 22, 2022

The Sound of Silence Chapman stick
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsyPPgzcflY
13,196 views Apr 24, 2016

The Sound Of Silence (Simon & Garfunkel) - Luca Stricagnoli - Reversed Slide Neck Cover
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWdb9Nu-gqQ
752,389 views Jun 25, 2021

The Sound Of Silence German Cover - Der Klang der Stille [Disturbed Style]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pOV8ZsXE4A
28,914 views Premiered Sep 8, 2022

Disturbed - The Sound Of Silence - cover by Jadyn Rylee and Sina (Simon & Garfunkel original)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xysVNigCsU
22,740,197 views May 1, 2017

Shocking Ladies with The Sound of Silence Piano "You're Twelve?!?!" Cole Lam 12 Years Old
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpxR4Pt5wQI
6,814,459 views Nov 28, 2019

The Farmer - Sound of Silence Cover (Simon & Garfunkel)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LEtfy2flE4
4,827,280 views Aug 27, 2020

[Super Vocal] Wang Xi, Li Qi, Ju Hongchuan - “The Sound of Silence”: A near-perfect trio performance
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6-2ER1IVzo
6,789,740 views Dec 14, 2018

 ×× ×” סטפני –  The Sound of Silence | אקס פקטור לאירוויזיון 2022
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02i0OosnMuw
2,801,908 views Dec 16, 2021

Emiliana Torrini - The Sound Of Silence
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUTnFRlk8gQ
6,721,009 views Jul 17, 2016

SOUND OF SILENCE - Bass Singer Cover (A cappella Music Video)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2FEHHHDMRI
1,024,440 views Premiered Mar 7, 2020

Puddles Pity Party - The Sound Of Silence (Official Music Video)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3RXf0E_Vuw
7,944,165 views Oct 13, 2017

VOCES8: The Sound of Silence
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXJNLb71VH4
1,733,183 views Jan 29, 2018

The Sound of Silence - Titanium A Cappella
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CTHKAT85G4
3,274 views Aug 26, 2022

Jew in the City Presents "The Sound of Silence" feat. The Maccabeats
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTjw96-Z700
1,033,771 views Jun 14, 2017

Pentatonix - The Sound of Silence (Official Video)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdVjVtpr55M
128,864,908 views Feb 15, 2019

Disturbed - The Sound Of Silence [Official Music Video]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9Dg-g7t2l4
839,930,540 views Dec 8, 2015

Disturbed "The Sound Of Silence" 03/28/16 | CONAN on TBS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bk7RVw3I8eg
132,898,275 views Mar 29, 2016

Nouela - The Sound of Silence (Amazing cover of Simon & Garfunkel's song)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ntkyzh4NV7A
149,224 views Mar 30, 2017

Selected Review/Reaction videos to Simon and Garfunkel's The Sound of Silence.

The Charismatic Voice
Voice Coach/Opera Singer REACTION & ANALYSIS Disturbed "The Sound of Silence"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFmNaXAg0sw
5,071,241 views Premiered Jul 31, 2020

TRYBALS
Tribal People React to Disturbed The Sound of Silence
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDmeZnN2hHg
724,618 views Dec 21, 2021

React To The World
Disturbed - Sound Of Silence Reaction | The Infamous Conan O'Brien Performance!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LuNCPqKB_E
448,575 views Nov 20, 2021

Julia Nilon
VOICE COACH REACTS | Disturbed THE SOUND OF SILENCE... 4m 25s of contemplating ones life choices.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rY8QwBUPi3c
2,672,320 views Premiered Sep 13, 2020

Rebecca Vocal Athlete
Vocal Coach REACTS to DISTURBED- THE SOUND OF SILENCE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKGrudc33Ak
2,809,595 views Oct 30, 2018

Tara Simon Studios
Vocal Coach Reacts to Disturbed - The Sound Of Silence
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A49FLwuwXF4
5,995,510 views Nov 26, 2018

Beth Roars
Vocal Coach reacts to Disturbed singing The Sound Of Silence (David Draiman)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6bWAod_atk
1,726,622 views Dec 20, 2018

Dee Omar Reacts
Disturbed - The Sound Of Silence REACTION SHOOK'D
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxK9Nwzk-kg
4,144,982 views Mar 7, 2018

 

Bibliography

Videos

01. Simon, Paul. "Simon & Garfunkel - Sound Of Silence (1965)". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwP3vPQi0nI.

Websites

02. Merriam Webster Dictionare. "Definition of the word Sound". https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sound.

03. Merriamm Webster. "Definition of the word Silence". https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/silence.

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